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Sports Quiz: BHS Softball, Baseball Teams Stand Tall

Jul 31, 2014 01:55PM ● By Kenneth Hamwey

Bellngham Bulletin Sports Editor Ken Hamwey

 written by KEN HAMWEY, Bulletin Sports Editor
The baseball and softball teams at Bellingham High sent a loud and clear message to all parts of Massachusetts when they swept through their Sectional tourneys, then rolled to State championships. The message, simply stated, is that although the community may not be viewed as a high-profile town, it does have a winning tradition in interscholastic athletics. The two state championships increased the high school’s total to 10.
 
The baseball squad, led by coach T.J. Chiappone, clinched its State crown by downing Monument Mountain, 11-6, at Holy Cross’s Fitton Field. The softball contingent, guided by coach Dennis Baker, upset Grafton, 3-1, at Worcester State University. Both teams had to win six consecutive games to claim the crowns. Both State championships are the first at Bellingham High in softball and baseball.
 
With the two titles still fresh in the minds of Bellingham residents and fans, try your luck with these 10 questions that focus on highlights of the games and the players and coaches who made June 14 a day that will long be remembered in Bellingham’s athletic history.
 
  1. Name the six teams that the baseball team defeated to claim the state title. They don’t have to be in order.
  2. Name the six teams that the softball team downed to become state champs. Again, they don’t have to be in order.
  3. Name the baseball team’s pitcher who starred in the playoffs and also was selected as the Tri Valley League’s MVP.
  4. Name the softball team’s pitcher who won all six playoff games and was chosen as the Tri Valley League’s MVP.
  5. The state title in baseball was the first for coach T.J. Chiappone. How many years did it take for him to be crowned a champion?
  6. True or false. The state title in softball was the first for coach Dennis Baker in his 16 years as head coach.
  7. Which girl doubled to drive in the winning runs in the state title game against Grafton?
  8. Which baseball player hit a home run that basically was the dagger that sent Monument Mountain to defeat in the state title finale? The homer traveled about 375 feet to left centerfield.
  9. A balk gave the baseball team a 2-1 win in the state semifinal game at LaLacher Park in Lowell. Whom did the Blackhawks beat in the semifinals?
  10. The baseball and softball teams now own the best records of any baseball or softball squads in Bellingham High history. What are the records of both teams after winning state titles?

(Scroll down for answers)
 


















ANSWERS
 
  1. In order, the baseball team defeated Dedham, Medway, Old Rochester, East Bridgewater, North Reading and Monument Mountain.
  2. In order, the softball team defeated Norton, Fairhaven, Dighton-Rehoboth, Case, Tewksbury and Grafton.
  3. David Sampson.
  4. Megan Cook.
  5. Twenty.
  6. True.
  7. Shortstop Chloe Woodward.
  8. Kevin Martinis.
  9. North Reading.
  10. The softball team finished with a 25-1 record and the baseball team ended with a 23-3 record. (Note of interest — the only loss the softball team suffered was a 3-2 setback against Hopkinton. The Hillers are coached by Dennis Baker Jr., the son of Bellingham’s coach and athletic director).

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