Baseball Wrap-up

High school 

baseball teams

jockeying for 

position

By Ron P. Coderre

It’s the season for the big horse races.  The Kentucky Derby and Preakness are behind us with the Belmont Stakes looming on the horizon.

Much like the big races, the high school baseball season is heading around the final turn and racing down the home stretch.  Teams are jockeying for position with the CIAC and conference tournaments looming in the next couple weeks.  Each game now begins to take on more importance and even a tournament atmosphere.

Three schools, Plainfield, Killingly and Ellis Tech are safely in the tournament stable.  Putnam needing one win appears to be in position to qualify, while Woodstock Academy is in the improbable position of having to win the remainder of its games to make the tourney list.  A long shot at best.

Tourtellotte, which never got out of the gate, is hopelessly out of contention with only a single win to its credit this season.

 Marianapolis dropped a heartbreaker in the championship game of the SENE against Providence Country Day.  The Golden Knights enjoy the luxury of another tournament with at least one game in the New England Prep School Athletic Council on the docket.  Pomfret School is running out the string of its regular season schedule.

Wins Scarce to Come By

Putnam had an opportunity to assert itself in the Constitution State Conference – East Division last week.  The Clippers faced games against Ellis Tech and Norwich Tech, two teams that had beaten the Clippers earlier in the season.  A pair of wins would have made coach Chris Hehir’s team serious threats in the conference, however they were only able to get half the job done.

Nick Foucault, Putnam’s ace who had lost to Ellis Tech 1-0 in the first matchup, assured the Clippers wouldn’t lose again as he tossed a complete game 6-1 victory.  Foucault struck out 11 Eagles in the route-going performance.  Josh Allard had three hits in support of Foucault.

Facing a good Norwich Tech team and sporting a five-game winning streak, Putnam looked like world beaters in the early innings enjoying a 4-1 lead.  The Techsters, who had beaten Putnam 6-1 in the teams’ initial meeting, had different ideas.  They rallied to tie the game in regulation and won it 5-4 in the eighth inning.  Cole Andersen was the tough luck loser as Putnam stands at 7-6 overall and 6-3 in the CSC - East.

Ellis Tech rebounded in its only other game of the week, taking the measure of Grasso Tech 15-2.  The Eagles, who qualified for the CIAC Tournament at 8-7 and 6-2 in the CSC, were led by the bats of Chuck Innes (four hits), Brett Ravenelle (two hits and five runs scored) and Jared Carignan (three runs-batted-in).

Killingly at 8-9 and 2-7 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference – Medium Division won one of its three games.  The Redemn opened with a 9-7 win over Stonington on a key two-run double by Bryan Albee.  Tre Belanger and Mike LeBeau each had two hits for the winners.  The Redmen were badly beaten by Waterford 15-2 and lost 7-1 to Bacon Academy in their other games.

Plainfield, which boasts a solid team, lost two games that could have gone either way.  They were beaten 5-2 by ECC – Medium foe Waterford despite a 2-for-3 performance at the plate by Colby Greenhalgh.  His two-run homer accounted for all the Panthers runs.  

The Panthers then faced Montville, one of the top rated teams in Connecticut, and lost 4-2 in 10 innings.  Dylan Horn and Jordan Federer each had two hits for the 9-8 and 3-6 ECC – Medium Panthers.  Plainfield closed out its week with a nifty 2-0 shutout of Ledyard.  Federer and Horn were the catalysts once again as the hits were scarce in this pitcher’s duel.

Woodstock, which is in most of its games, just can’t seem to catch a break.  The Centaurs lost to Fitch 4-1 and to East Lyme 5-2.  Kyle Tyler had two hits in each of the decisions for Woodstock.  The Centaurs finally put their act together in turning back Stonington 9-2.  David Redfield was the winning pitcher, scattering six hits.  Evan O’Connor, Trent Appleton and Brody Adams provided the offensive fire power for Woodstock which is 5-12 and 0-9 in the ECC – Large. 

Tourtellotte at 1-15 and 0-10 in the ECC – Small lost to St. Bernard 11-2, Wheeler 6-4 and Griswold 5-1.

Marianapolis got by the semifinal contest in the SENE with a big 17-5 victory over The Williams School in a contest that was terminated after six innings.  The Golden Knights exploded for a dozen unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings to salt away the win.  In the title tilt, Marianapolis was beaten by Providence Country Day 3-2 in eight innings despite a two-run round-tripper by Chris Cutroni.  The Golden Knights are 9-6 entering the NEPSAC Tournament where they’ll face The Pingree School.

 

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Honoring

veterans

Putnam’s Memorial Day observance will take place May 25 with the parade stepping off at 10 a.m. and concluding with a memorial program at Rotary Park.  In case of inclement weather, notification will be on WINY 1350 AM the morning of the parade.

In Eastford the Parade will begin at the Eastford Elementary School at 9:30 a.m. Immediately following the parade, a Memorial Day  Ceremony will be held at the Ivy Glenn Memorial. Memorial services and military salutes will be held at the General Lyon Cemetery at 8:30 a.m. and the Grove Cemetery at 9 a.m. 

In Pomfret the annual Memorial Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. starting at the Abington Congregational Church, proceeding North down Route 97/Hampton Road, turning west onto Route 44 and ending at the Abington Cemetery where a wreath will be placed and observances take place.

Putnam’s parade will feature a lineup of marchers which will include town officials, a National Guard Unit, local veterans groups, VFW and American Legion poppy queens, several civic and fraternal organizations and youth groups. Patriotic music will be provided by local bands and the Putnam High and Middle School Bands.

Gerard Cotnoir, who served in the Air Force from 1944-46, will be this year’s parade Marshall.  He was assigned to Lowry Air Force base in Denver in 1944 and he trained in Air Force photography. He was then sent to Buckingham Air Force base in Fort Meyers, Fla., to train on B24 and B29 planes as a gunner.  In 1945, he was transferred to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., where he trained to be part of the invasion of Japan. In August of 1945, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan signaled the end of the preparation to invade Japan. Gerard was released from service in 1946 and returned home to Putnam

He was married in 1950 to Leona LaVigne, a lady pharmacist from Putnam.  They had four children, Michelle, Gerard, Marc and Ernest.  He also has five grandchildren.

To accommodate older and disabled veterans, who wish to be in the parade, transportation will be available by calling the VFW at 860-928-9897.

Following the parade a speaking ceremony will take place in Rotary Park.  

The key note address will be given by veteran Barney Seney, a veteran of Vietnam war from 1965-1966 in the 716th MP Battalion Company B.

All marching units and on lookers are asked to gather at Rotary Park on Kennedy Drive immediately following the parade for the Memorial Day observance ceremony. The program will be led by Master of Ceremonies, Ronald P. Coderre, a U.S. Air Force veteran.  The VFW Chaplin will be announcing the remembrance of deceased soldiers in the state of Connecticut during duty in 2014. Lillium Florist will be at the ceremony to distribute roses to family members of deceased and living Veterans.

Following the ceremony, the V.F.W. and American Legion will host a free picnic in Rotary Park.  Refreshments include hot dogs, chips and drinks for as long as they last. Caity Cakes will give out free cupcakes while they last to all veterans.

Earlier in the week, local veterans will place American flags at the graves of veterans interred in the 

St. Mary, Grove Street and Nancy Drive, Munyan Road and Rte. 21 cemeteries.  There they will remain until Veterans Day in November.

The traditional wreath laying and military tributes at Putnam cemeteries, bridges and monuments will be conducted by a National Guard firing squad plus officers and color guards from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, starting at 10 a.m. May 24. The Putnam Police Department is providing security and escort services for all Memorial Day observance activities. 

 

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Spring 'Time'

Flowering trees frame the clock outside of the Citizens National Bank building. More photos on page 6. Linda Lemmon photo.