Grounds Crew and Legion Team Are Big Winners

The American Legion regional baseball tournament continued on Saturday, July 24, when No. 2 seed Newport hosted No. 15 seed Woonsocket at rain-soaked Cardines Field.  The final score supported the seedings as R & R Construction (Newport) crushed Navigant Credit Union (Woonsocket) 22-7.

According to Newport city employee Bob Lendrum, who has been in charge of field maintenance at Cardines field for three years, "it took four guys 6 hours," to get the field into playing shape. Heavy rains, which postponed the game on Friday night, flooded the field and standing water greeted Lendrum and his crew when they arrived at 6 a.m. on Saturday.

Lendrum, who is also the commissioner of the George D. Donnelly Sunset League, noted that the heroic efforts of his crew left little more than soft spots in the outfield and a soggy third base line. 

Dave Ulmschneider, manager of Newport, saw his team come to bat in the bottom half of the second inning ahead by a narrow margin of 2-1. That is when the R & R Construction bats began building a lead that would prove insurmountable for Woonsocket. By the time Woonsocket came to bat in the bottom of the second inning, an hour had passed and the score was 16-1.

Doubles by both Matt Murphy (RF) and Matt Wojichowski (DH) and a two-run home run from John Hartnett (1B) — all in the Newport side of the second — were just part of the story. Three Woonsocket pitchers, Tyler Brien, Kevin Reyes and Tyler Geffert, allowed 22 runs over six innings.

A brief rally was mounted by Woonsocket in the top of the seventh as Newport's starting and winning pitcher, Zach Yates, was taken from the game after a three-run home run by Wilberto "Bam-Bam" Rodriguez (LF). Andrew Ponte finished the game on the mound for Newport, which ended after 6 ½ innings due to the mercy rule.

With this win Newport tied the series following a 9-8 loss on Thursday.