Norwood High Wins Bay State League Baseball Title-This Day in Norwood History-May 29, 1957

May 29, 1950— The Norwood High baseball squad won the Bay State League title yesterday afternoon as they edged Dedham, 5-4, Just as second-place Framingham was being toppled by Natick. This was the second consecutive and the third year since 1952 that the diamond squad has captured the top spot in the league standings. Tony Grinavic led the way at bat with two triples and a single In four trips. Norwood scored four times in the sixth inning. Bob Armour drove In the winning tally with n single to center. Paul Murphy went the route while picking up his third victory of the year, against ‘ one defeat. The team, under the leadership of Coach Andy Scafati. play Framingham today hi the final league affair of the season. The outcome will not affect the standings, however. The Norwood club will begin action next Monday afternoon in the Eastern Massachusetts Schoolboy Baseball Tournament. Their opponents have not yet been named. The resume of yesterday’s game will appear in Tuesday’s MESSENGER.

Norwood’s two fine moundsmen. Pete Wall and Paul Murphy, pitched 5-hit ball and Kev Dixon led the way with his torrid batting as the high-flying Scafatimen topped the Milton Nine, 6-2, last Thursday afternoon at Town Field in Milton

Norwood hurler Paul Murphy took the mound as Steve Goren toed the rubber for the home team.

The Scafatimen started things off in a fine fashion. Gerry Cloherty singled to right. Tony Grinavic dropped a perfect bunt that he beat out. Kev Dixon followed suit with a fine bunt, but was thrown out at first as Cloherty and Grinavic advanced. The next two batters fanned, however, to end the threat.

Norwood hit paydirt in the top of the second. Pete Dixon led off with a drive to deep center. After a long run, Chris Metrakas caught up with the blast and pocketed it. Danny McKenna rifled a liner to left that fell in. Second sacker Bob Armour walked as McKenna took second. Paul Murphy helped his own cause with a single to center, scoring McKenna. Armour scored as the throw trying to get McKenna evaded the Milton catcher. Gerry “Goldy” Cloherty made It 3-0 as he singled to third, driving in Murphy.

The sophomore flinger had no trouble with the opposition during the first three frames. Then In the fourth, Harry Watson led off with a single to center, their first safely off Murphy. Tom Quinn then hit into a double play, Armour to McKenna to Dixon to clear the bases. But Murphy put himself in trouble again as he walked Matrakas and then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing second base to Metdakas. Gene LeBlanc then rescued his teammate with a single to right. The locals now held a 3-1 edge.

Milton added a run In the bottom of the fifth. Third baseman Bob Fletcher got Milton’s third hit with a single to center. Chuck Caddoo sacrificed him to second. Dave Richards then reached on a walk as Fletcher advanced to the keystone sack. Both base-runners moved up on a passed ball. Pierce Quinlan then grounded out to third as Fletcher scored to bring the count to 3-2. At this point, Coach Scafati removed Murphy and put in his seven-game winner, Pete “Boody” Wall. The mound ace retired the side without any further damage.

Both teams went scoreless through the eighth stanza. Then in the top of the ninth, Bob Armour singled to left. Wall reached on a fielder’s choice as the attempt to nip Armour at second failed. The next two hitters popped out. Next to bat was sky-scraping first baseman Kev Dixon. He laced a drive between right and center fields. The blast enabled Armour and Wall to score easily as “Dix” legged It around the bases for his first homer of the season. This effort gave the Locals a 6-2 bulge. Wall had no trouble with Milton In the bottom of the ninth as he put them down, one-two-three. Thus, Norwood walked off the field with a 6-2 triumph.

5TH STRAIGHT WIN

This victory was the fifth straight for the locals. Their season record Is now 10-2. They were scheduled to play Dedham but the heavens opened up with an abundant amount of rain. The clash was moved up to yesterday, scheduled to commence at 3 30 p. m.

Today, the locals play the final game In the league schedule, against Framingham. Framingham outslugged the Norwood squad In their first match, 13-3.

(All articles were originally published in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)