St. Raphael 3, La Salle 1 - June 21, 1951

By stopping La Salle, 3-1, yesterday at Aldrich Field for two straight in the best-of-three final series, St. Raphael Academy became R.I. Interscholastic League baseball champion for the first time in the 27-year existence of the school.

The brilliant battery of Paul Fiore and CHet Hanewich supplied most of the stuff responsible for establishing the Saints' supremacy.

Hanewich, besides backstopping excellently, as in previous playoff contests, slammed out the single which, combined with an outfield boot, produced all SR runs in the third.

Fiore, who as a find at midseason brought the new champions over some shaky spots closed an undefeated season yesterday with a flaming four-hitter.

The Master

Except for the fifth, when the La Sallians scored their run, the slender sophomore right-hander, who twice had whipped Westerly in the semi-finals, was their master.

Until Johnny Ferruolo singled to center in the fifth with one away and St. Raphael leading, 3-0, no La Sallian had reached first.

Nick Montecalvo followed with a smash to right that went for two bases when the ball bounced by Roy Guarino as he tried to scoop it up.

With the two-run squeeze on, Ferruolo scored on Bill Pearson's bunt as Fiore put the La Salle catcher out at first by pegging to Bill Kennedy, second baseman, who covered the bag.

When Montecalvo kept coming home, Kennedy, who played both games of the final series with his right arm frozen by ethyl chloride to deaden the pain of an injured sholder, gunned the ball beautifully to Hanewich and the sure-fingered catcher cut off the run at the plate.

The final contest of the school year yesterday also was one of the finest as St. Raphael won the state baseball title for the first time by tripping La Salle, 3-1, for two straight in the final series.

Until Paul Fiore pitched his four-hitter, which was almost matched by the five-hitter of his opponent, Tom McAleer, the closest the Saints had come to being state champions occurred in 1928. Away back then when Andy Tucker, former Cumberland coach, was their pitcher and Donat Maynard, East Providence hockey coach, their backstop, the Saints copped the old interscholastic conference and were claimants to the state title, quite mythical at that time.

The faithful who turned out at Aldrich Field yesterday were rewarded with a sparkling 1:57 show in which the Saints supplied conclusive proof of their right to rule. The Saints had to overcome imposing odds in both the semis and finals.

Fine Comeback

They went one down to Westerly in the semis when blanked 1-0 on their home field by Dave Stenhouse but they shook off the shutout and beat the Bulldogs, 5-0, at Westerly.

Paul Fiore was the pitcher who blanked the Bulldogs and the same slender sophomore hurled another beauty as the Saints squeezed out the "rubber" game with Westerly, 2-1, in 12 innings.

One day after this tough semi-final series with the Bulldogs, the Saints had to begin the best-of three- finals with La Salle. which had earned a six-day rest by taking two-straight from Woonsocket.

But Bill Parenteau proved a rather surprising southpaw by zeroing the Maroons, 3-0, in the opener and that gave Fiore time to get ready for the clincher yesterday.

And Fiore was really ready as he fanned 13, walked two and was the Maroons' master except for the fifth when his shutout was spoiled by the single of Johnny Ferruolo, Nick Montecalvo's double and Bill Pearson's bunt.

Try Squeeze

Trailing 3-0, after the third, the Maroons tried a two-run squeeze but Montecalvo was rubbed out at the plate in trying to tally all the way from second.

Bill Kennedy, second baseman, playing with a doped up right arm to deaden a painful muscle injury, took Fiore's toss in covering first on Pearson's bunt. He threw to CHet Hanewich and the burly backstop rubbed out Montecalvo at the plate.

St. Raphael Academy brought Pawtucket its first R. I. Interscholastic League baseball championship since 1934 by defeating La Salle Academy, 3-1, in the second and final game of the best-of-three series yesterday at Aldrich Field. St. Raphael won the series opener by a 3-0 score Tuesday.

Right-hander Paul Fiore, who has just completed his sophomore year, and Chet Hanewich, a member of this year's graduating class, were the heroes for this most important victory of the 1951 season.

Fiore, a relief hurler until the second half of the schedule, baffled the Maroon batters just as he did Westerly in the semi-final series. Fiore limited La Salle o four hits, struck out 13 and walked but two.

Hanewich snapped out of a batting slump to pace both teams at the plate with two hits, one of them a ringing single to centerfield with the bases loaded in the third which led to all the St. Raphael runs.

Maroon Scores In 5th

Only once was Fiore in any trouble, this in the fifth when La Salle scored its only run. In the other eight innings onle one runner got as far as second base. Over the first four and one-third innings Fiore set down 13 batters in a row, while in the eight he struck out three successive batters.

Tom McAleer, La Salle right-hander, pitched a mights fine game as well, holding St. Raphael to five hits and striking out nine while walking three. However, McAleer hads the misfortune of giving up three hits in the third, which with an outfield error brought about his defeat.

In gaining the first Interscholastic League crown in te school's history, St. Raphael combined extraordinary pitching with some superb defensive play and timely hitting. In five playoff games, a total of 48 innings, St. Raphael hurlers gave up only three runs, no more than one in any game. In the two games with La Salle, the Saints played errorless ball.

Fiore Singles

St. Raphael's hitting never was more timely than in the third inning of yesterdat's game. Joe Dragon drew a walk to open the inning and Fiore dumped single into ceter. After bunting foul twice, George Agostini was called out on strikes. However, Roy Guarino dropped a hit along the line in short right to load the bases.

Hanewich, rated one of the league's outstanding catchers, promptly blasted a single to left center. Tom Cahir charged the ball but it got away from him and before he could get it back into the infield, Dragin, Fiore and Guarino had scored and Hanewich was on second. George Lovett and Bill Kennedy grounded out to retire the side.

So effective was Fiore in the early innings, not a ball was hit out of the infield until one out in the fifth. Then John Ferruolo dropped a single into center, Nick Montecalvo followed with a double to right, the ball dropping just out of reach of Guarino, putting runners on second and third.