Do-or-die for Norwood-July 28, 1979

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The sweltering summer air of July 28, 1979, hung heavy over the town of Somerville as the Babe Ruth All-Star tournament reached its climax. The stage was set for a do-or-die showdown between Saugus and Norwood, with the winner securing a coveted spot in the regional tournament to be held on August 4th in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The day’s proceedings began with a resounding victory by Saugus over Milton, eliminating the latter from the competition. In a game that had been suspended due to rain the previous evening, Saugus pitcher Chuck Howard proved unbeatable, striking out an impressive twelve batters and conceding only two hits across the two nights of play. Milton coach Steve Cunningham was quick to acknowledge Chuck Howard‘s prowess, stating, You’ve got to give Howard the credit. The Milton team had been dealt a significant blow when their leading hitter, Mike Hannon, suffered an injury that forced him to sit out the remainder of the game. Mike Hannon, who had been enjoying a remarkable tournament run with seventeen hits in thirty at-bats, was unable to participate due to a spiked left instep. The loss of Mike Hannon‘s services proved costly for Milton, as they struggled to mount an effective offense against Saugus.

In contrast, Norwood was still very much in contention, having secured a hard-fought 4-0 victory over Saugus earlier in the week. However, their hopes of advancing to the regional tournament hung precariously in the balance as they faced off against Saugus once more at Trum Field in Somerville. For Norwood, the task ahead was no easy one. Their pitcher, John Coyle, was about to face his toughest challenge yet as he took to the mound against Saugus. Despite being described by coach Bill Nutting as not a pitcher, John Coyle had already proven himself capable of delivering a four-hitter in his previous outing. As the game got underway, John Coyle‘s performance was nothing short of remarkable, pitching a perfect three innings and striking out seven of the first ten batters he faced. However, as the game wore on and Saugus began to find their footing, John Coyle faced increasing pressure.

In the fourth inning, John Coyle walked two consecutive batters, yielding a double to Bob Merlina and a single to Dave Peach that accounted for two runs. Norwood left-fielder Mike Devine proved instrumental in preventing further damage as he threw out a potential third run at the plate. Despite this setback, John Coyle continued to battle on, but Saugus added two more runs in the fifth when Bobby Lessard singled and John Belivieu walked, both advancing on a passed ball before scoring on Mike Fauci‘s single. Norwood‘s offense struggled to mount an effective response, managing only two hits throughout the game.

As the game concluded, Saugus emerged victorious by a margin of 10-3, forcing a deciding final game against Norwood that would determine their fate in the tournament. For Norwood, pitcher Kevin Faherty would take to the mound against Saugus, and coach Bill Nutting remained confident in his team’s abilities, stating, “We haven’t lost with Faherty on the mound in the tournament. That includes the district games and the state playoffs”.

As the crowd gathered at Trum Field for the deciding game, one thing was certain: only time would tell which team would emerge victorious and claim their place in the regional tournament.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger