Archive - Jun 2012 - Sports Article
June 8th
PAWTUCKET â There was Ryan Lavarnway the other day, sitting in PawSox manager Arnie Beyelerâs office along with Chad Epperson, the Red Sox minor-league catching coordinator. The seating arrangement resembled that of an atypical boardroom meeting, with Beyeler staring directly at Lavarnway from his behind-the-desk vantage point while Epperson occupied the plush leather couch to the right of 24-year-old.
PAWTUCKET â Mike Cather was Daniel Bardâs pitching coach in Double-A Portland when Bard made the conversion from starting pitcher to reliever.
What does Cather, currently the minor-league pitching coordinator for the San Diego Padres, recall about watching Bard undergo said conversion in 2008? Letâs just say that experience is something that the struggling Red Sox pitcher should think long and hard about drawing upon during his stint with the Pawtucket Red Sox.
PROVIDENCE â Constant success can be bad for the psyche.
So claimed Lincoln High head coach Dick Ryan after his Lions posted an unusual, come-from-behind 5-2 victory over Coventry in a state Division I Tournament quarterfinal at Rhode Island College late Friday afternoon.
In 12 of its initial 18 contests, Lincoln registered seven or more runs, and six of those were of the 10-run âmercy-ruleâ variety.
June 6th
The question cut right to the heart of the matter and can only be answered by Mark Prior himself.
Why?
Why keep revisiting what has been a torturous comeback trail in the same manner where in the past, injuries played a significant part in removing the luster of this onetime pitching star?
Why not come to terms that the last major-league start you made occurred August 10, 2006, take comfort in knowing you gave it your best shot and realize that at age 31, you still have an entire life ahead of you?
LINCOLN â Call what happened to Lincolnâs Chris Pickering on Wednesday afternoon a pleasant and unexpected surprise â that of getting selected by the San Francisco Giants on the third and final day of the MLB Draft.
PROVIDENCE -- Woonsocket hit with two outs. The Novans hit for power. The Novans peppered the gaps with hits.
Seventh-seeded Woonsocket kicked off the Rhode Island College portion of the Division II tournament by roughing up one of the divisionâs least scored upon teams on Tuesday night in the winnersâ bracket semifinals.
Freshman Tayla Sevignyâs bases-clearing triple in the top of the first inning and classmate Amanda Nunezâs three-run homer in the second were the big hits in the Novansâ stunning 13-0 triumph over sixth-seeded West Warwick.
June 4th
CUMBERLAND â As a sophomore, Cumberland High senior Kara Gorman blew out a shoulder throwing the javelin, but attempted to make a comeback her junior outdoor track and field season.
âIt was a âno-go,ââ she explained. âWay too painful.â
This past fall, a few members of the girlsâ lacrosse squad begged her to sign up for their program, as they desperately needed a goalie, and she finally acquiesced.
PAWTUCKET â No. 2 and No. 3 seeds donât usually battle each other until the semifinals of a winnersâ bracket, not in the opening round of a losersâ bracket, but thatâs where Tolman and North Smithfield were contesting each other on Monday afternoon.
And not only did both teams head into Slater Park looking to erase the sting of 1-0 defeats from the previous afternoon, but they had to combat the misty weather and temperatures in the low 50s thoughout this part of the state.
See East Providence long jumper Chris Moura and others in slideshow from Sunday's RIIL state championship. Click SPORTS menu bar at top of page.
June 3rd
PROVIDENCE â Central Falls High senior Steve Vazquez and Cumberland junior Trevor Crawley maintained vastly different outlooks about reigning in their respective individual events at Sunday's Rhode Island Interscholastic Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Vazquez had just captured the high jump crown with a leap of 6 feet, eight inches at Brown Stadium, yet he sat virtually alone on a steel bench, shedding tears, just yards away from the bar that failed him.
