Valley Breeze

The last time the Tigers made it to the finals, they won it all in 2005 when Murray served as an assistant coach. They defeat- ed Portsmouth during Ryan Westmoreland's time there. Last Friday night, the Wizards forced a winner-take-all game by giving Tolman its first play- off loss. Five days earlier, the Tigers and Wizards had faced each other in their double- elimination tournament opener at Slater Park, which ended up an eight-inning 1-0 walkoff win for the Tigers. While the Wizards had to get through Smithfield and Narragansett in the losers' bracket, the Tigers topped top- seeded Warwick Veterans, 6-2. That matched up Warwick Vets against West Warwick, and the Wizards took a 1-0 win to get back to Tolman. The Wizards' outstanding lefty, Tommy Doran, who had taken the loss in the first game against Tolman, was unavailable to pitch Friday, but was avail- able if needed on Saturday, so between the two days, Tolman saw seven pitchers. Both Matthew Hopper and Ernie Wright worked both days. On Friday night, the Wizards took a 2-0 lead off Tolman senior pitcher Steven Otis, but the Tigers scored a run in the second and two in the third to overtake the Wizards, 3-2. In the second, the Tigers had three straight hits by Joel Negron, Cory Morel, and Jeremy Medina that brought in a run, and in the third, Kyle Depatie's hard-hit double into the gap in left-center field drove in Nate Gagnon. But the Tigers were silenced the rest of the way, and after the Wizards tied things up in the fifth on back-to-back, one- out doubles by Andrew In and Ray Zincone, they scored the eventual game-winning run in the top of the seventh on an infield error. "I give West Warwick a ton of credit," Murray said after Friday's game. "They made things happen when they need- ed to." After Otis ended his night with a six-hitter that included five strikeouts, it was Microulis' turn on Saturday, and after a shaky first inning that saw him give up a leadoff single to right, hit a batter, and walk another, Microulis settled down. With his defense playing errorless ball behind him, Microulis was able to finish with a five-hitter that saw him strike out three batters and walk two. "Peter (Microulis) has been our guy," Murray said. "And our bats came through. We were able to put West Warwick on the ropes and keep pressure on them with an early break and a balk. We put it together today. When this team plays defense and pitches, we're tough to score on." After West Warwick pitcher Matt Grenier had a 1-2-3 first inning, the Tigers batted around in the second, scor- ing five runs on six hits. Alex Lopez started things off with an infield single, and after Gagnon hit a double to right, Depatie singled into right-center to score Lopez with the only run Tolman needed. Medina, in the number nine spot in the order, also highlight- ed the second by laying down a suicide squeeze bunt that scored Depatie and gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead. The Tigers extended their lead by scoring three more runs in the third, once in the fourth, and another in the sixth to enforce the 10-run mercy rule. Throughout their order, the Tigers were hitting. Gagnon went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, and Lopez and Depatie each went 2-4 and scored twice. Morel also had a big game in the eighth spot by picking up an RBI double in the second and a run-scoring infield hit in the third and also scoring twice, and Otis and Ricky Bourdeau added two hits each. "I'm proud of the way my team played on the field and handled themselves," Murray said. "There was a lot of non- sense coming from the West Warwick fans. My team kept their composure and didn't respond. That is a testament to their character and we value character." 10 SPORTS & RECREATION JUNE 17-23, 2015 | vallEy brEEzE | PaWTUCKET EdiTioN vallEy brEEzE PhoTo by Kayla PaNU St. Raphael Academy junior first baseman Lauren TayLor and her teammates will look to keep up their hot hitting when the Saints, who have collected 50 hits in four playoff victories, clash with North Providence High in the Division II finals tonight at 5:30 p.m. at Rhode Island College. If the Saints, who posted a 6-5 win over NP in last Wednesday's winners' bracket final, fall to the Cougars, both teams will return to RIC tomorrow night for a winner-take-all showdown. SRA softball team seeks Div. II crown tonight, faces North Providence at RIC REHOBOTH, Mass. – The Pawtucket Friendly Sons of St. Patrick will sponsor its 4th annual Jay Messier Memorial Golf Tournament on Sunday, July 12, at the Rehoboth Country Club. The tournament will be a four-person scramble event and will begin at 1 p.m. with a shotgun start. The entry fee is $100 per person and includes 18 holes of golf with cart, a steak dinner, raffle and awards. The tournament field is limited to 72 players and the deadline for entries is July 1. Proceeds from the tourna- ment will go to the Jay Messier Memorial Scholarship Fund. Two scholarships will be awarded at a dinner following the tournament. For more information or for entry forms, call Seth Messier at 413-0228 or Buster Wall at 401-724-4012. Jay Messier golf tourney is planned for July 12 Tolman bat- ter Jeremy medina drops down a sui- cide squeeze bunt to bring home a run in the 2nd inning of Saturday's game against West Warwick, won by the Tigers, 10-0. vallEy brEEzE PhoTo by Kayla PaNU ToLman From Page 8 CUMBERLAND – MileSplit RI will again host a series of all-comer track and field meets in July at Cumberland High's Tucker Field on Mendon Road. The meets will run on four consecutive Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., beginning on July 7 and wrapping up on July 28. The events are 100m/200m (alternate weeks), 400m, 800m, mile, 3,000m, 4x400m, shot put, long jump, and hammer. The meets are open for ath- letes of all ages and abilities. The cost for unlimited events is just $2 for ages 10 and under, $3 for ages 11-17, and $4 for ages 18 and older. Ribbons will be awarded to the top three finishers in several categories. Contact smazzone5@gmail. com for more information. Open track meets hit Tucker Field next month 1044 Smithfield Avenue Lincoln, Rhode Island 02865 401-725-5798 SALES, SERVICE AND PROGRAMMING ON MOST MAJOR BRANDS INCLUDING Oticon, Resound, Starkey, Siemens, Rexton, Phonak and many others. www.nortonhearing.com Robert G. Norton, M.S. Audiologist • Quick turn around and reasonably priced work. • Most repairs completed on the premises. • Call or stop in for a free estimate. Caring for RI's hearing for over 25 years NORTON HEARING Repairs on all makes and models is our specialty Damaged shell restored with advanced materials Repair/replace microphones and speakers. Resolder broken, corroded wires Replace sound tubes and hooks. Clean and restore old hearing aids As increasing numbers of individuals make their preferences known that their funerals should include music, festive dinners, and other upbeat activities, it may be time to take another look at New Orleans jazz funerals. These curious mixes of solemnity and exuberance traditionally begin at the church or funeral home. After the service, the procession of mourners proceeds slowly through the neighborhood in a generally somber mood. At the cemetery, after the interment ceremony, the band leads the procession from the grave site without playing. After reaching a respectful distance from the site, the lead trumpeter sounds two preparatory notes to alert fellow musicians that drummers will begin to play the "second line beat." Lively improvisational jazz then begins the celebration. A funeral is a time when respect, concern, and appreciation for a life that has been lived can be expressed in a sincere manner. A funeral can and should be as unique as the life that is being celebrated. For more information about the funeral services we offer, please give KEEFE FUNERAL HOME a call. We are here when you need us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (401) 725-4253. We welcome you to visit our tastefully appointed, conveniently located facility at Five Higginson Ave., Lincoln. Family owned and operated, we have been serving our community with pride for over 50 years. QUOTE: "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." — Victor Hugo UPBEAT FUNERALS

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