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George Hawley, manager of the Norwood Babe Ruth All-Stars, knew that any hopes of contending for the New England Babe Ruth championship hinged on strong pitching from ace righthander Tom Baxter. Having struggled to get past the third inning in several recent starts, Tom Baxter silenced those doubts by tossing a brilliant four-hitter, leading Norwood to a 2-1 victory over the representatives from Maine in the first round of double-elimination tournament play in Warwick, R.I. The win vaulted Norwood into the winner’s bracket for a matchup against a team from Manchester, N.H.—a contest originally rained out and rescheduled for the following morning.
The story of the ballgame was Tom Baxter, manager George Hawley praised afterward. It was great to see him get past the third inning. In fact, he got stronger after the third. I’m really happy for him. Mixing a blazing fastball with a sharp-breaking overhand curveball, Tom Baxter walked three and struck out seven, retiring the first seven batters before allowing a one-out infield single in the third. Norwood broke through against Maine righty Shane Slicer in the bottom of the third when Tim Coyle hit a two-out single, advanced on a walk to Todd Newman, and scored when Tom Baxter helped his own cause with an RBI single to left. After thwarting a Maine threat in the fourth by picking off Shane Slicer at first base, Norwood doubled its lead in the bottom half when Derek Grudinskas crushed a 400-foot double to left, pinch-runner Brian Adams advanced on a sacrifice by Tom Benson, and Mike Cronin drove him home with a center-field double.
Maine mounted a dangerous rally in the top of the sixth, putting runners on second and third with no outs. But Tom Baxter rose to the occasion, striking out cleanup hitter Rod Bartlett, conceding a sacrifice fly to Jason Douglass, and stranding the tying run by striking out Teddy Quinn on a called third strike. Tom Baxter punctuated his stellar performance by retiring the side in order in the seventh, striking out the final two batters looking.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Mustangs Punish Rebel Miscues in Tournament Opener-June 5, 1986
Capitalizing on nine defensive miscues by rival Walpole, Coach John Solomon’s Norwood Mustangs cruised to an 11-3 postseason opening statement.
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Norwood Caps Dream Season, Captures First State American Legion Title Since 1942-August 15, 1985
Behind a stellar pitching performance from Bob Baxter and a clutch two-run triple by Ned Brigham, Norwood edged Grafton Hill 3-2 to win the state title.
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Norwood American Legion Baseball Team Takes Control of State Finals- August 13, 1985
Undefeated at 2-0 in the state finals, Norwood defeated Braintree 11-2 behind Tim Cox’s complete-game pitching and six combined RBIs from Pete Jr. and Mike Wall.
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Norwood American Legion Crushes Weymouth 12-4 in State Tournament Opener-August 14, 1978
Powered by home runs from Chris Collins, Dan Kennedy, and John Balerna alongside 15 hits, Norwood routed Weymouth 12-4 in the state tournament opener.
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Norwood Dominates Needham in Zone 6A American Legion Baseball Playoffs-July 26, 1978
The sun was shining brightly on the baseball field as the Norwood team took to the field against their arch-nemesis, Needham. The stage was set for an epic battle between two of the top teams in Zone 6A American Legion Baseball playoffs. However, it became clear early on that Norwood had a distinct advantage over…
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The John Balerna Show-June 3, 1978
Mustangs Blank Waltham in Tourney Opener In high school postseason baseball, you occasionally see an individual athlete put a team on his back and single-handedly dictate the outcome of a game. But what senior ace John Balerna did on Friday, June 2, 1978, went far beyond a standard standout performance. In the opening round of…
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Surgery Helped Bill Travers Elbow His Way To Big League Heights-July 4, 1976
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Mustangs Erupt for 21 Runs-June 4, 1975
An 8-inning rain delay brought mercy to Lynn Tech as Coach Pete Wall’s Norwood Mustangs ran wild in a massive 21-0 postseason routing.
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Norwood Legion Team Masters the Suicide Squeeze-July 3, 1974
The Norwood American Legion baseball team showcased a high-stakes brand of baseball on the evening of July 2, 1974, demonstrating a masterclass in the “suicide squeeze” play to secure an 8-4 interzone victory over Wellesley at Legion Field. While the play is often considered a rarity in the modern game, Norwood coach Frank Wall has…
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Lou Gehrig League Debuts in Norwood-July 11, 1973
Inaugural Season of the Lou Gehrig Baseball League On July 11, 1973, the newly formed Lou Gehrig League prepared to launch its inaugural teenage baseball season. ⠀ The debut was scheduled for a Thursday night under the lights at American Legion Stadium in Norwood, featuring two teams of 13 and 14-year-old local boys. Named in…
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