St Sebastians School - Arrow Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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AMAA E Q X3 it T is hard to say just when Baseball begins at Saint Sebastian's, because, long be- fore Spring has conquered Winter, devotees of the national pastime rush the diamond season by using the cage to limber up their wings and train their batting eyes. They are, it seems, impatient of Basketball's long tenure, for, once the court game begins to wane, pepper groups appear on the side- lines, ready to swarm all over the peat floor as soon as the final basket has been made or missed. Early in March the indoor, pre-sea- son workouts are in full swing with bat- terymen, fielders and batters receiving care- ful attention in turn. The School at large looked forward quite optimistically to the diamond season of 1946, for the preceding year had produced a notable team that rolled up nine consecu- tive victories in as many starts. Only two regulars on that undefeated team had been lost by graduation fHank Barry and Dan O'BrienD, so we had good reason to think that the omens were propitious. The fact that a Football injury would keep Benny Pickard from playing was a bad blow, but we felt that, with a year of experience be- hind him, Bob McNabb would be that much more effective and thus neutralize the loss of Pickard's talents. After weeks of practice in the cage and a few outdoor workouts, the Arrows made their debut against Browne and Nichols on St. Sebastian Field. As they took the field to face the visitors, Paul McGrath and jack Mulhern composed the battery, Andy Mc- Auliffe was at first, and Captain Dan Sul- livan held down the key-stone sack. A pair of Sophomores covered the left side of the infield, Dick Doyle at third and Hilton Col- lupy at short, while Ed Quirk, Bill Gibbons and johnny Ellard patrolled the garden from left to right. When it turned out that we were not to have too much opposition from the Cambridge lads, Coach Murphy had an opportunity of inserting promising substitutes like jack Boyle, Bob Kelly, Frank Hennessey and Tom Hartnett. Andy McAuliffe showed the visitors what they were in for by poling out a home run as lead-off batter in the very first inning. In the same frame Sul's single followed by Mul's two bagger added another tally. Obligingly enough we went down in order in the second, but the third and fourth yielded four and seven runs respectively to put the game on ice. The four runs came as a result of Gibby's round-tripper with the bases loaded, while the seven run up- rising was featured by timely doubles on the part of Collupy and Ellard. Meanwhile, Paul McGrath had been very effective, in the course of the afternoon the visitors were able to garner only five bingles and collect four walks to piece together three runs. When we picked up another tally in the fifth and five more in the sixth, it was de- cided to abbreviate the contest to seven in- nings, at the end of which we had a 19-3 verdict. Our second game was a repetition of the easy victory just recorded. journeying to Concord, we took on Middlesex School with whom we had waged an epic battle the year before to gain a 3-2 decision. Bob McNabb toed the mound and unfurled the second no-hitter in St. Sebastian's athletic history, the first having been pitched by the

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1946 BASEBALL TEAM Seated, left to right: McAuliffe, Ellard, Mulhern, Captain Dan Sullivan, McNabb Doyle, Boyle. Standing: Father Flanigan, Manager Kirk, Quirk, Griffin, McGrath, Lane Manager Boles, Coach Murphy.

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QUNS C? 9,3 S same moundsman against Belmont Hill in 1945. By the third inning it was evident that we were to have an easy time of it, for at the end of that frame we led 7-0, having tallied in each stanza. The scoring orgy continued through three more innings and, with the Red and Black at bat in the sev- enth, darkness intervened to call a halt to the proceedings. The final tabulation read 17-1, but our twelve basehits were not as much responsible for the total as were the ten errors chalked up against Middlesex and the eight bases that we stole. In the batting department we made only one extra base hit, a double by Mulherng Mul lead the hit- smiths with three safeties, while Sullivan, Gibbons and Doyle collected two apiece. On the hill, McNabb was in command at all times, striking out 15 and yielding four walks. Bob was deprived of a shut-out in the last frame, when a passed ball gave the home team their lone tally. On the Wednesday of Easter Week, we reached our season's peak by downing a formidable Phillips Exeter Academy nine on its home grounds, 5-4. We drew an ideal day for the game and the long trip by bus was broken up by a pleasant stop at Lamie's in Hampton, N. H., for dinner. Upon ar- rival at the Exeter campus, our lads were rather awed by the impressive athletic facil- ities, particularly the number of playing fields. They were awed also by the start that Exeter got off to in the first inning. After we had been held scoreless, the home team came to bat and blasted out a four ., QE? -nasa- 120 run lead that seemed insuperable. McNabb had struck out the first batter to face him, but followed this feat with two walks that were separated by a double by Carbonneau. As yet no damage had resulted, but when Lynch, the first baseman and a left handed batter, doubled down the left field foul line, three runs tallied and Lynch added a fourth shortly after by scoring on an error. The nightmare came to an end when Moses was thrown out trying to steal home. Up to the fourth, Dan Sullivan had been the only visitor to reach base, due to a single in the first, and, like a real captain, he sparked our rally in the fourth by driv- ing out a lead-off single. Fish Collupy got a life on Ladd's error and Mul drew a walk, so the stage was set perfectly for Bill Gib- bons' single to right which scored Sul and Hilton. On McNabb's infield roller, Ex- eter decided to make a play for Mul at the plate, but the speedy jack was in under the throw and all hands were safe. Gibby made third on the play, and, while Doyle was fanning, McNabb stole second to advance to third as Billy scored on Boyle's long fly. With the score tied, Paul McGrath went in to pinch hit for Bullock and was repaid for his patience with a walk. Not losing any time, Paul scooted for second on the first pitch and, when McNabb saw the long throw going down, he sped for home to beat the return and put us out in front, 5-4. McGrath died on second as Andy whiffed, but the big inning had put us back in the game. Neither team was able to score again, but Exeter threatened in every remaining frame except one. This was not due to slugging on the part of the home team, for they made their fourth and last hit off McNabb in the fourth, but rather to St. Sebastian errors that put runners on the base paths. In the sixth, a two-base error let the dan- gerous Lynch reach third with one gone, but Mac put on steam to whiff the next two men, one a pinch-hitter. Again in the seventh, after Exeter had loaded the sacks on an error and two walks, Bob had to face Lynch in the clutch, but Hilton Collupy was in the right spot to snag his liner with a back-hand grab. The apex of the chills and thrills, however, came in the ninth. With the top of the Exeter batting order coming up, Dick Doyle threw out the lead- off man, but the Exeter captain, Chase, drew a walk. Carbonneau, a heavy sticker who had doubled in the first, was hit by