It was June 6 1946 and Central was facing Catholic League rival St Mary’s of Lynn. The red and blue of Auburn Street were hoping to up their record to 11 wins and two losses. Now competing in the MVC the locals were part of a strong Catholic League in all sports in 1946. A win this day would put them in a tie for the north division of the league.
Keith Academy of Lowell had a similar record. Morris was at first base and John Ellis played second. Billy Gosselin who lived in the Sacred Heart section of South Lawrence then and now resides in Salem, New Hampshire, after a great career and an induction to Central Catholic Hall of Fame.Goose, as many of his buddies still call him coached at both Salem, NH, and later Methuen high schools. He also played football at University of Arizona at Tempe. Bill was a three sport athlete at the Marist School and was an all scholastic in football and was a Catholic League all star in baseball. He played end and center for Tempe. Joe Sexton was at third and his brother Frank was waiting in the wings to star for the Centrals. He answered to the nickname of “Yargo.” Joe was a hardnosed player and the mighty mite three sport star Joe Hackney of the South Lawrence East Hackneys was the left fielder.
Conners was in center and John Heggarty who later had a great career at St. Michaels patrolled right. Heggarty also played three sports and his son Jay is a Lawrence Police detective working on the gang squad. John’s wife Jane came from Lowell Street and just recently retired from the DPW office for the City of Lawrence.
John was a fixture for many years as a lifeguard at Salisbury Beach; he is still in fine shape these days in retirement sans he great tan he used to sport while life guarding.
Chanel Beland also a multi sport star took the mound for the red and blue. Chanel a handsome young man who married his high school sweetheart Betty, later worked for the local electric company and passes away at a young age to shock many Lawrencians. Betty becomes the benefactor of many needy programs prior to her retirement. To this day when one mentions her dear Chanel her eyes glisten and she’ll avow her love to him as her one and only love.
On this day Beland seems to have all his stuff and is looking sharp. Central draws first blood without the benefit of a hit. Morris walks in the second and Myles Moran the catcher bunts and a great slide into second by Morris and he’s safe. Sextons fielder’s choice chases Morris to third. Goose drives a vicious liner at the St. Mary’s third baseman and he bobbles the ball and Billy is safe at first and Morris scores and it’s 1 zip Central.
Beland and his counterpart lefty Herb Gardner of Lynn are into it and this game has the makings of a good one. Ellis gets Centrals first hit in the third, Hackney bunts him to second and scoring position. Gardner rears back and gets Heggarty on a nasty curve to end the threat. Chanel meanwhile is on his way to a two hit game with four k’s.
The left-handed dandy from Lynn is on his way to a 10 strikeout 2-hit day hoping to keep his team in the game. In the 6th Heggarty steps in for the Dick Moynihan Coached locals Gardner deals a curve to John and it’s a strike and Haggerty On Friday, Oct. 13th, Central Catholic alumni returned to the newly-renovated Veterans Memorial Stadium to watch the Raider football team battle Haverhill High School.
Stepping back in, he digs in and awaits the lefty’s next delivery. Gardner comes with his heater a live fastball at the letters and John gets all of it and the sound we all have known when a player gets all of it with a wooden bat the ball heads for baseball heaven over the left field fence at O’Sullivan Park where the Boys Club stands today. His teammates mob him at home plate as he has given Central a 2 run lead in the 6th.
Gardner sucks it up and retires 9 Centrals in a row and Beland will have to also get tough to hang onto this lead and hold the visitors at bay. He is up to the task and going into the ninth, yes all high school games were nine inning affairs in 1946 it is still 2 to 0 Central. He gets Nolan and Kennedy to ground out weakly to Sexton who makes two great plays on slow rollers. Now with two outs to start the ninth Moran the catcher and Goose the shortstop join Morris at the mound to talk to Beland.
McCarthy is the last hope for the visitors and a strike called and a foul ball to right Beland throws two balls wide to the hitter. Chanel walks around the mound picks up the rosin bag gets the signal from Moran and breaks a wicked curveball over the plate that freezes the hitter and it’s a called third strike to end it.
The veteran Centralites played well and Beland and Heggarty were the stars in a fine game. Last time these teams met it was a slugfest with Central winning 15 to 9. This game featured a great performance by both pitchers with the class of the local team squeezing out a win in June of 1946.
