Pelham News : baseball

Never-say-die Pelham eliminated from District 1 tournament

Salem Editor — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:15:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Down two runs, down to their final out, the Pelham 11- and 12- year-old Little League baseball all-stars refused to go quietly. They made a racket, rattled Suncook, but ultimately succumbed, 5-4, on Monday, July 6.

Pelham also fell to neighboring Windham on Friday, July 3, 7-1. With the two losses, the locals were eliminated from the District 1 tournament.

But that eventuality was in question because of some fine efforts from Pelham’s all-stars, including Ryan Rondeau, who relieved Michael Coupal in the bottom of the second inning and allowed no earned runs in four innings of work.

Rondeau, entering with two runners aboard, gave up a two-RBI triple to the first batter he faced, Matt Chartier – one of two three-baggers for Suncook’s leadoff hitter – but little after that.

In fact, he stranded Chartier by fanning Suncook’s Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters.

Suncook’s first hitter in the third singled, but center fielder Mike Pelletier made a strong throw to second, catching the batter-runner trying to stretch the hit into a double. Rondeau allowed no more base runners and finished with nine strikeouts.

Pelletier’s play wasn’t Pelham’s lone defensive gem in the D-1 tourney.

Right fielder Brendan Smith made a sterling grab against Windham, stretching his long frame full out to snare a drive near the foul line.

“That kid made the best catch I’ve ever seen at this level,” said Pelham’s manager, Mike Coupal. “I don’t know how he held onto it, he hit the ground so hard.”

Smith left the Suncook game in the fourth when he crashed – face first – into the metal fence down the rightfield line at Muldoon Park, abruptly ending pursuit of a long foul fly. He walked to his parents’ car under his own power, and his coach said he required some stitches.

Pelham’s bats were alive early in the Suncook contest.

Pelletier opened the game with a two-strike triple stroked to right field. He scored on Chris Benjamin’s RBI groundout.

After Suncook scored three times in the bottom of the first, Pelham quickly tied the game. Hannah Paitchel smashed a double to left center.

She scored on Smith’s double to a similar spot. Coupal plated Smith with an RBI groundout.

Suncook relief pitcher Shaun Davis was a tough chore, setting down nine straight Pelham hitters in innings three through five. When Paitchel opened the sixth with a smash fielded by the second baseman and the next batter whiffed, Pelham didn’t quit. Tommy Cahalane battled and reached on an infield single.

Rondeau’s grounder was fielded by the third baseman, but the hurried throw was wild, and Cahalane raced all the way around to score, with Rondeau on third. Keen-eyed Zach Masiello worked a fullcount walk, but Pelletier was thrown out at first by a step or two to end the game, but not Pelham’s season.

Bryce Brown, Mitchell Kamal, Jimmy Russo and Derek Sage join the rest of their mates for more diamond action this summer.

“I don’t really know what to say right now,” said the elder Coupal, whose team plans to play in a tournament in Salem beginning July 18 and another in Tyngsboro, Mass., in late July. “I’m disappointed, of course. It was a well-played game, and they beat us.”

Pelham coach reminds players to relax, stay focused

Salem Editor — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:55:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Visiting St. Thomas Aquinas shellacked Pelham’s baseball team.

“So what?”

It’s that phrase that Pelham’s head coach, Matt Stone, repeated to his players throughout the contest on Wednesday, April 29, to help them maintain an even keel during an 11-3 setback and a 2-7 start to the season.

“You can’t show emotion. You can’t lose your composure. That’s what ‘So what?’ means,” said Stone. “You have to be able to brush it off and look yourself in the mirror after the game and say that you didn’t take a single pitch off.”

In the early going, Stone could be heard saying the expression repeatedly, as the Pythons fell behind 8-0 in the first three innings. It appeared the game was headed for a mercy-rule conclusion.

But Stone’s bunch buckled down, held the Saints without a run in back-to-back innings, then began to chip away at the score.

After Louie Lebel and Corey Couillard worked walks, Joe Morin plated Pelham’s first run in the bottom of the third with an RBI groundout.

In the home half of the sixth, Mike Perruccio came off the bench and produced a sacrifice fly, and Jesse Vaiknoris brought the third Python run of the day home with a single that cut the deficit to 9-3.

The hard-hitting, slick-fielding Saints proved too much, but Stone was glad to see his team play for seven innings.

“We’ve gone down before, but we’re not here to get mercy-ruled,” said Stone. “We’re going to keep kicking, keep scratching to try to keep playing.”

Pelham’s most impressive win of the season came April 24 in a road tilt with Kearsarge when the Pythons left with an 8-7 victory, the Cougars’ only setback in five April games.

Following the loss to St. Thomas, the Pythons fell to Souhegan, 11-1, on Saturday, May 2, and Coe-Brown, 10-5, on Monday, May 4. In the setback to Coe-Brown, played at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium, James Moran went 3-for-4 with a single, double and triple, Lebel singled and doubled in two official trips to the plate, but Northwood’s boys scored five in the top of the seventh to pull away.

“They’ve learned how to handle being on the underside of some games,” said Stone. “It’s not a sport where if you’re angry you can take it out on your opponent. It’s a game where you have to stay cool mentally to be successful.”

Rising Star – Pelham alum moving through Milwaukee’s system

Salem Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:23:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

He thought winning every game he started as a freshman at Pelham High School was a fluke.

But after repeating the feat three more times, former Pythons pitcher Derek Miller couldn’t help but recognize his baseball abilities.

“After my first two seasons at Pelham (High School), I had no losses, but I still didn’t really think anything of it,” said Miller with a laugh. “But then junior and senior year, I didn’t lose either. Somewhere along there I realized this baseball thing could be something I should really go after and see what happens.”

What happened was Miller, then one semester away from graduating with a degree in early childhood education from the University of Vermont, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, the first leg of what he hopes is a journey to the Major Leagues.

This season, Miller was promoted to Double-A Huntsville, Ala., where the hurler earned Pitcher of the Week honors during the week of July 30. The UVM standout won both his starts that week, after officially joining the Stars on July 5.

He’s 6-2 following a 4-0 shutout on Sunday, Aug. 26. In that game, Miller fanned six in six innings, allowing three hits and two walks. In the process, he helped Huntsville maintain a three-game lead in the Southern league’s North division.

His rookie season brought Miller to Montana, where he pitched for the Helena Brewers before being promoted to Single-A West Virginia as a member of the Power rotation.

In season two, Miller moved to the Florida State League and the Brevard County Manatees, where the New England native got his first taste of playing ball in the South.

“Oh, man, it was so less stressful,” said Miller about being able to rely on consistent warm weather. “I wouldn’t have to worry about how I was going to get to the gym that day because there was so much snow on the ground. My wife and son even moved down here last year, so we’re able to spend the offseason in Florida this year.”

As much as he looks forward to a sunny offseason, Miller was fast to say winters will be missed. And Miller was just as quick in crediting former Pythons manager Joe Connors, who no longer coaches at PHS, for instilling the confidence and poise Miller now brings to each start.

“You have to keep your head about you,” said Miller. “Back in high school, I didn’t realize it, but playing with coach Connors and having success then helped me learn how to handle it now. I didn’t take myself too seriously back then, and that’s helped me stay relaxed and confident that I do belong here.”

In difference – For now, she’s playing with – and beating – the boys

Salem Editor — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:42:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

She was 9 at the time.

Taking the pitching mound in relief, Hannah Paitchel glared in at the batter’s box. The player in the on-deck circle snickered and yelled to the hitter, “Hey, that’s a girl!”

The batter, in turn, seemed to loosen up a bit.

But after swinging at a third strike, he put his head down, eyes filled with tears, and retreated to the dugout.

The next batter, the youngster who noted the difference between Paitchel and the rest of the players on the field, fell to the same fate.

He too became choked up with emotion, ready to let his own tears loose, but when he reached the dugout, he and the victim before him looked at each other and broke out in a fit of laughter.

“They knew they met their match, so it was pretty funny for us to watch that all play out,” said Hannah’s father, Steve, a coach for the Salem fall-ball team, who noted the other players nicknamed her Johnny Damon, because of her long hair.

Two years later, trailing offensive powerhouse Goffstown, 6-1, in the winners bracket finale of the District 1 10- and 11-year-old Little League all-star tournament, Pelham manager Jay Sullivan went to his bullpen.

Few noticed he had just called in a girl.

Paitchel shut down the opposition’s potent offense, inducing three consecutive ground outs on four pitches.

Sullivan smirked when, following the game, he discussed using her to catch opponents off guard.

“A lot of guys don’t realize it’s a girl up there for awhile. She’s got that tomboy look to her, and it’s not until a couple pitches go by that they realize she’s a girl,” said Sullivan. “Then, of course, they think they can hit her better than one of the boys,
and they can’t. She just keeps mowing them down, week after week.”

In addition to overwhelming the competition at times, she also overwhelmed Sullivan to make the all-star squad, becoming the only female in this year’s tournament.

“I was very surprised when I first met her a couple years ago, and she was almost as good then as she is now,” he said. “She shows up every day, gives 100 percent and has proven to be one of my best players. That’s why she’s on the team.”

Paitchel was one of three 10-year-olds to play on the predominantly 11-year-old squad.

Though she played at least four or five innings a game, she said she was unsatisfied with her playing time.

“I feel really good about (making the team) and even though I didn’t get to play as much as I would have liked, I still had a lot of fun and got better,” said Paitchel.

“That’s her impression,” said her father. “She doesn’t like to sit on the bench.”

In fact, she was so determined to make an impact with her bat, as well as her arm, that she begged her father to take her to the batting cages every day during the month-long tournament.

After a slow start at the plate, Hannah was making constant contact by tournament’s end.

Aside from her ability on the diamond, her influence on Pelham’s chemistry during its third-place playoff run was undeniable, said Sullivan.

“She keeps things in perspective and lets everyone know there are no superstars in the game and it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy of a girl,” he said.

Baseball beginnings

According to Steve Paitchel, his daughter has maintained a keen interest in baseball since she could walk, watching it on television whenever possible and often playing with her two older brothers.

“She was always asking somebody to play catch with her growing up,” said the elder Paitchel. “At 4 or 5 years old she could catch just about anything you threw to her, so that put her ahead of most of the other kids her age.”

Though many young girls play tee-ball in Illinois, where she was born, most begin playing softball when the boys move up to coach-pitch baseball.

Not Hannah.

“We never even considered softball. I mean, we didn’t even know softball was available, so when she went to sign up for baseball they questioned us and asked if that’s what she really wanted,” said her father. “Hannah kind of laughed at the question and said, ‘No, I want to play baseball.’”

She began pitching as soon as the age level of Little League play allowed.

At 7 she pitched in her first game.

Paitchel said he moved his family from Illinois to Pelham more than two years ago and has been impressed by the willingness of local league officials to include a female.

“It’s much less competitive in Illinois than it is here in New Hampshire, but Pelham Little League has been very supportive of my daughter and we are very grateful for that,” he said. “They recognize her talent and really support her as just another player, not just a girl playing baseball.”

But that doesn’t mean Paitchel has a smooth road ahead if she hopes to continue playing the sport she loves.

Though she will complete her final two years of Little League eligibility, New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association restrictions may prevent her from playing baseball in high school because there is an equivalent sport.

“We haven’t determined what to do yet because we don’t know where she will be when she is 13, so we always said we would re-evaluate at that point,” said Hannah’s father. “Hopefully a rule won’t knock her off her path. If she continues to be as dominating on the pitching mound as she is now, I think it would just be wrong to make her stop.”

Paitchel said he has already talked with the athletics director at Pelham High School, Timothy Powers, who has expressed an openness to new ideas.

Also, Paitchel’s current pitching style won’t transfer to softball, which will likely force her to switch from her best position to another spot on the field in a sport that is similar but ultimately foreign.

Still, Paitchel, who also plays competitive basketball, maintains an A average in school and is a talented piano player, said she’s not worried about making the switch, though she’d rather avoid it.

“I’m going to try to play baseball as long as I can, and if I can’t then I’m going to switch to softball, which I think will be a lot easier,” she said. “Right now, I just like playing baseball with my friends.”

‘One of the best’ – Pelham finishes third among 10- and 11-year-old all-stars

Salem Editor — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:29:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

It wasn’t Pelham’s week.

Five days after losing in the winners bracket finale of the District 1 10- and 11-year-old Little League all-star tournament to Goffstown, 7-2, Pelham again fell, this time in the losers bracket final, to Hooksett, 10-2.

Though Pelham threatened several times in both games, it struggled to plate runners and couldn’t contain its opponents’ potent offenses.

Still, manager Jay Sullivan quickly pointed out finishing third in the district is impressive.

“We started the tournament with 21 teams, scored 26 runs in the first three games and it’s been a little quiet since then, but I’m very proud of these kids,” said Sullivan. “I told them to hold their heads up high because we proved we’re one of the best teams in the state.”

Prior to the tough five-day stretch in which Pelham managed four hits in each contest, it began the tournament by handily defeating Lamprey River, 10-2, crushing Manchester South, 13-3, and edging Suncook, 3-2.

In the Hooksett loss, Pelham scored its first run in the third inning when James Sullivan led off with a triple and Jon Saurman knocked him in with an RBI single.

Its other run came in the bottom of the fourth. Sullivan drew a two-out walk. After advancing on a passed ball, Sullivan was caught between third base and home on a Saurman single. While in the rundown, Sullivan allowed Saurman to reach third and crossed home just as Hooksett’s catcher dropped a return throw.

Against Goffstown, Zak Conway and Saurman hit back-to-back second-inning singles, and Joe McArthur was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

After Conway was thrown out at home when Bryce Brown reached on a fielder’s choice, Dustin Lubinger brought home a run on a sacrifice fly to deep left field to tie the game, 1-1.

The only other offense for Pelham came in the bottom of the sixth. Saurman hustled down the line to earn a single on an dribbler to second base, McArthur drew a walk, Lubinger singled, and James Sullivan walked to earn his team’s second RBI.

The elder Sullivan said his team will continue playing non-divisional games throughout the summer.

Game notes

Against Hooksett, Sullivan compiled a double, a triple, a run and a walk. Saurman slugged two singles and brought a runner home.

Slattery and Kevin Cheam each singled twice, and Ryan Frank and Brown added base hits. Conway walked twice and McArthur once.

Against Goffstown, Saurman had two of the team’s four hits and a walk, and Lubinger had one hit, in addition to his sac fly RBI.

Cheam had the team’s other hit. Sullivan had two walks, including an RBI, and Dan Spicer was hit by a pitch and reached on an error.

McArthur also reached base twice after he was hit by a pitch and walked. Bryce Santos drew a base on balls, and Harley Kearny reached on a fielder’s choice.

Tough draw – Pelham erased from tournament after facing two strong pitchers

Salem Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:34:00 GMT

BY RYAN O'CONNOR

One year after coach Ken Kaiser led the Pelham 10- and 11-year-old District I Little League all-star team to a state championship, he and many of his same players faced poor luck early in the 11- and 12-year-old majors tournament.

Five days after Pelham watched 11 of its first 15 batter, including the first seven, become strikeout victims to lefty Keenan Falck, it lost another tough pitching match-up to Bow’s Jack Yvars, 5-0.

“We had a tough draw this year, I think,” said manager Ken Kaiser of facing a 5-foot-8 flame thrower in the first round and then playing Bow, which had the added benefit of having already played two games, to help set up its ideal pitching match-up.

“The rules say you can’t pitch the same guy for two consecutive games, so even beforehand, I had already looked and saw that Bow had a pitcher who had pitched the entire first game.”

Cam Kaiser pitched four innings against Bow on Saturday, June 30, struck out three and gave up three runs on four hits, two unearned.

“The kids didn’t do the things we’re accustomed to doing,” said Kaiser. “Bow just made good defensive plays in the field and had some timely hits. Right through their order, one through nine, they had guys that could put the bat on the ball.”

In Pelham’s previous game, against Manchester South, what began as a pitcher’s duel turned into a 6-2 loss.

After being stifled by Falck for the first four innings, Pelham tallied.

Leo Moro, leading off, reached on an error before Nick Neary and Steve Toscano drew walks to load the bases for Jacob Vaiknoris, who came through with a two-run single.

Justin Moran, on the other hand, held Manchester South to a solo home run with four strikeouts in four innings and 75 pitches.

But in the bottom of fifth inning, two errors that Kaiser termed critical led to three unearned runs.

“Last year, we were able to sneak up on teams and surprise them, which we couldn’t do this year because teams are gunning for you. They know who you are and you’re going to face some tough pitching,” said Kaiser. “We have some good players, but we don’t have anything like the two pitchers we went up against.”

Now, Kaiser said his team will play some local ball and has already committed to playing in the Fraser Tournament, which begins later this month.

Other players contributing to this year’s all-star team include Clint Fontanella, Alex Newton, Kevin DeAngelo, Devin DeCartat, Glen Krzeminski, Greg Spicer and Cody Enis.

A complete game – PHS ends skein with solid efforts on hill, in field, at plate

Salem Editor — Wed, 23 May 2007 16:42:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

After handing Portsmouth its only loss of the season on May 8, Pelham was rolling. Nearly two weeks and three straight losses later, the Pythons were 10-5 and sputtering.

But in baseball, The Big Three – good pitching, solid defense and timely hitting – are great equalizers. In Pelham’s case, they’re more than that.

The local nine continued to showcase its resilient nature, ending a three-game slide with a deceivingly lopsided 8-2 win over visiting Souhegan on Monday, May 21.

Indeed, the Pythons needed Matt Levine’s complete game, James Mostone’s glove and arm at third base and a last at-bat rally to put the game away.

“One mistake would lead to another, and that’s been the case recently,” said Pelham head coach Matt Stone, referring to 3-2, 4-2 and 4-0 losses. “But today, we made the plays when we needed to.”

Twice, Mostone followed a Pelham error with good glove work to thwart Souhegan rallies.

In the fourth, after the visitors had already cut their deficit to 2-1 and threatened for more, the third baseman moved quickly to his right, grabbed a hard-hit grounder behind the bag and threw a strike across the diamond to first baseman Grant Hebert.

Then in the sixth, with Levine clinging to another one-run edge, Mostone started a 5-3 double play with runners on first and second, fielding a grounder, stepping on third and throwing to first.

At the plate, the Pythons received a two-out RBI double from Mark Catalano, an RBI from freshman Corey Couillard in his first varsity at-bat and, most especially, a 2-for-3 day from leadoff hitter Jamie Vaikenoras, who was called many things by Souhegan’s players and a pest by Stone.

“Some players are aggressive, but they don’t have the intelligence to know how to use it,” said Stone. “But Jamie’s intelligence and aggressiveness have been invaluable for us all year. He really is a pest out there.”

In fact, after Souhegan drew even at 2-2 in the top of the fifth, Vaikenoras almost single-handedly put the locals back on top, singling to center, stealing second, forcing a balk that moved him to third, where he scored on Mostone’s sacrifice fly.

Couillard’s RBI began Pelham’s sixth-inning onslaught; the hosts plated four more runs on Levine’s two-RBI single, another sac fly from Mostone and a wild pitch.

The Pythons have one regular-season game remaining. Most other Class I teams have five left.

Pelham and Coe-Brown meet at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium in Manchester on Sunday, May 27.

First pitch is at noon.

Stolen moments – Pelham nine overcomes defending champs

Salem Editor — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:24:00 GMT

BY JERRY LIPTAK

Pelham High’s baseball team has a good chance to make a run at a state title – literally.

The team once again showed its speed, its ability to manufacture runs and its resiliency in an 11-10 win over defending Class I state champion ConVal on Monday, May 7.

Following a 5-4 win over previously unbeaten Portsmouth, the Pythons sport a sterling 10-2 record with a handful of regular-season games remaining.

But Monday’s game proved Matt Stone, Pelham’s head coach, was right. Before the season, he had described the team as gritty – perhaps a bit too often.

“The guys were getting on me for overusing that word,” said Stone. “They told me to go get a thesaurus and find a synonym for ‘grit.’”

However, the word is appropriate.

PHS fell behind, 1-0, on a massive first-inning home run to right by ConVal’s Zach Hutton.

Pelham answered immediately, scoring six runs in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff hitter Jamie Vaiknoras, Mark Catalano, starting pitcher James Mostone and cleanup hitter Matt Levine all reached to make the score 3-1. The Pythons, in fact, sent 11 batters to the plate.

Mostone allowed five second-inning runs in the blink of an eye to the hard-hitting ConVal lineup, but settled in nicely thereafter.

Nursing a 9-6 lead, Pelham faltered in the top of the sixth. University of Rhode Island-bound Ross Davis cleared the bases with a booming triple to center off reliever Catalano, giving the visitors a 10-9 edge.

Then the hard-throwing Davis took the mound.

Again Pelham answered, with Catalano at the front of a double steal. When the throw to third base wound up in left field, Catalano, PHS players screaming from the bench, hurried home.

In the bottom of the seventh, another successful double steal set up the winning run. Vaiknoras delivered Ryan Robidoux with a single past ConVal’s drawn-in infield.

“We don’t mash doubles,” said Stone, referring to ConVal’s numerous extra-base hits. “We can’t do that. But we’re equally effective in our own way.”

Game notes

Mike Vigeant had a key at-bat in the last of the seventh. After Robidoux drew a leadoff walk, he stole second. Vigeant found himself in an 0-2 hole to ConVal’s Davis, who recorded all four of his outs via strikeout. But Vigeant fouled off four pitches and drew a bases on balls.

Robidoux and Catalano scored three times each.

Levine and Vaiknoras had three hits apiece, with Levine driving in three runs.

Catcher Bryan Toupin plated two runners for PHS.

So far, Pelham High nine playing just fine

Salem Editor — Wed, 02 May 2007 17:04:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

There are two things the Pelham baseball team is doing more than any other team in Class I. One is actually playing games. The other is winning them.

Despite watching its comeback attempt fall short in a 4-3 loss to Milford on Monday, April 30, the Pythons owned a 6-2 record entering a date at Laconia on Wednesday, May 2.

Its eight games played and six wins are the highest totals of any team in the league, and the Milford loss – a game in which Ryan Robidoux homered in the seventh – followed a double-header sweep of Kennett on Sunday, April 29.

On Monday, James Mastone settled down after allowing four runs – two earned – in the first two innings to strike out five in a complete-game effort. But neither his 2-for-3, two-run effort or Robidoux’s heroics in the top of the final inning were enough to carry Pelham to its fifth straight win.

A day earlier, Pelham got more than enough, however, overcoming an 8-4 deficit in game one against Kennett for a 9-8 win before whipping the visitors, 11-1, in the back end of the doubleheader at Pelham High.

In the first contest, Mostone led the way, going 3-for-3 with three RBI, but he was not alone. Mark Catalano went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, Matt Levine drove in two runs in a 2-for-4 day, and Jamie Vaiknoras scored twice from the leadoff spot.

Grant Hebert went the distance, striking out five and giving up five earned runs, all coming in the first two innings.

In the second game, Levine walked none and struck out five in four innings of one-hit ball. Dan Lamont pitched a scoreless fifth in a mercy rule-shortened game. Levine also scored twice and drove in two while Ricky Costa, Hebert, Lamont, Catalano and Steve Rogers all recorded an RBI. Mastone, Catalano and Costa each scored twice as well.

Pelham’s next scheduled game is Friday, May 4, at St. Thomas Aquinas.

Work in progress – Under new coach, effort not an issue for Pelham nine

Salem Editor — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:54:00 GMT

BY MATT STOUT

For years, Matt Stone instilled the work ethic and skills to prepare Pelham’s baseball players for high school. This spring, he finally gets to work with some of the finished products.

After six seasons as the coach of the Pelham Memorial School baseball team, Stone takes the reins of the Pelham High team this spring, replacing 15-year coach Joe Connor. He inherits a young team featuring nine seniors and juniors among the 30 players in the program. And he inherits a team on the rebound, one looking to improve upon last year’s sub-.500 record.

But the thing that struck Stone the hardest is the kind of gritty players he’s taking over – the same kind of athletes he helped mold years earlier.

“They really do work hard,” said Stone, who added Pelham lost three seniors from last season. “And I’m not saying that because I’m the coach, and I’m supposed to say that. We don’t have one guy who’s going to hit 13 home runs this year and knock in the RBIs. We’re going to need 15 or 16 guys to contribute to be successful, and I think we’re going to get that.”

Those contributions start with the team’s pitching staff. Back are senior Matt Levine, the team’s projected No. 1 starter, and sophomore Grant Hebert, who saw valuable time as a freshman last season. Both throw strikes consistently – a rare and valuable high school skill – and can challenge hitters, an example Stone hopes they can set for the team’s other hurlers, namely James Mastone, Mark Catalano and Danny Lamont.

Those three are also expected to help fill a lineup that returns a number of last year’s contributors. Ricky Costa, an infielder/catcher; Jamie Vaiknoras, a middle infielder; Ryan Robidoux, a senior outfielder; and Mastone, a third baseman, reprise their roles and possibly take up a few new positions.

Emphasizing position flexibility is just one of several subtle changes Stone said he’s introducing. He’ll also utilize the team’s speed with more hit-and-runs and install new signs and plays.

“We haven’t really pinned any reliability on anybody,” Stone said. “As my first year as a coach, we’re looking at guys who are working hard and guys who seem to want to do the job, and they all want to do the job, which is awesome.”

Pelham’s season opener against Portsmouth was postponed, but the Pythons were scheduled to face rival John Stark on Wednesday, April 11.

Pelham Little League offers registration

Salem Editor — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 19:06:00 GMT

Pelham Little League will accept player registrations and coaching applications for the 2007 season on three Saturdays – Jan. 13, Jan. 27 and Feb. 10 – at the Pelham Memorial School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The league Web site should have additional information by Jan. 1. Additional news and updates will also be found in The Salem Observer.

To ensure adequate scheduling and rosters for all division, all registrations must be submitted or postmarked by Feb. 28 for a child to be eligible to participate.