Norwood American Legion Baseball Dominates Dedham-July 5, 1974

For much of the early season, Norwood had relied heavily on its hitters to carry the team, but the return of two key pitchers from injury provided a much-needed boost to the squad’s championship aspirations.

The starting pitcher for Norwood was Dave McMullin, who was making only his second appearance of the season after recovering from a bout of strep throat. McMullin was in command from the beginning, throwing no-hit baseball through the first three innings and striking out the side in the opening frame. By the time he completed five innings of work, he had recorded seven strikeouts while allowing only two hits and two walks, earning his first victory of the season. As McMullin’s arm began to tire in the fifth, Brian Baldwin—returning to action following a separated shoulder—took the mound. Baldwin efficiently retired the side in the sixth before the game was concluded due to darkness.

The Norwood bats remained as dangerous as ever, tallying 11 hits and capitalizing on three errors by the Dedham fielders. The scoring began early when Tom Gover hit the first of his two home runs, putting Norwood ahead 1-0 after two innings. The third inning proved to be the turning point, as Norwood sent 11 batters to the plate. After Andy French hit a two-out triple and scored on an error, the team ignited a rally. Singles from McMullin, Jim Carchedi, and Joe Benson drove in runs, followed by a three-run home run from Gover that landed down the left-field line.

The offensive onslaught continued in the fourth inning. French led off with a home run, and Gover later drove in his fifth run of the night. Mike Wall contributed to the tally with a triple, helping Norwood build a commanding lead. Dedham managed to score two runs in the fourth—thanks to a walk by Jim Nyhan and a single by John Tasker—but the comeback effort was stifled by the Norwood defense. Norwood capped the night’s scoring in the fifth with French’s second home run of the game and a triple from Baldwin, who then scored the final run. Dedham coach Jim Fitzgerald acknowledged the quality of the opposition, stating, “Norwood hit well and got good pitching.” Norwood coach Pete Wall was equally pleased with the team’s progress, noting, “We’ve been getting the hitting all season but not the pitching. We’re beginning to put it all together now that McMullin and Baldwin have returned.”

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