BRENDAN GRANT FOUNDATION
MEMORIAL DAY BASEBALL TOURNAMENT ANOTHER SUCCESS

Third Annual Tournament Held
Friday and Saturday, 25 & 26 May 2007 in Belmont, MA


Under scorching hot temperatures and plenty of sunshine  the Third Annual “Brendan Grant Memorial Day Baseball Tournament” was held at the Brendan Grant Memorial Field on Friday and Saturday 25 & 26 May 2007. It was another great weekend of top quality high school baseball, following the tournaments held in previous year's that were likewise a big success.

This year’s tournament had plenty of great baseball.. The field is now completed and is scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday 24 June 2007, and the tournament makes excellent use of this wonderful varsity baseball facility. The four participating teams were the varsity baseball programs at Austin Prep, Belmont, Lynnfield and Winchester. Newcomer to the tournament Austin Prep played Belmont in the championship game, with Belmont taking the crown for the first time since the tournament began three year's ago.   

On Friday, May 25th the tourney featured two very close and exciting games. Game one started at 2:30 pm and featured Winchester at Belmont.  This contest counted for both Belmont and Winchester as a Middlesex League game, and was a critical win for both teams.  Winchester needed one more win to make the post season playoffs, while Belmont was in a dead-even race with league rival Reading for rights as the Middlesex League champion. Belmont went ahead early and held on to take the game 4 to 1, with excellent pitching and solid defense from both squads.  

Likewise, the second game on Friday at 4:45 pm also showed plenty of talent, skill, and power.  Austin Prep was the visiting team and Lynnfield was given home field status. Austin Prep posted an early lead, but Lynnfield clawed their way back and pulled within a couple of runs to make a game of it.  But Austin Prep scored several more insurance runs to take the game with a final score of 13 to 8.  Austin Prep freshman Cam Gaudet thrilled the crowd with a three run home run early in the game by sending the long ball over the right field fence.

The final two games of the tournament were played on Saturday (26 May 07) and both games were real nail-biters.  In the consolation game at 11:00 am Winchester was the home team and came out on top of Lynnfield in a 4 to 3 seesaw battle that saw the lead change several times.  This was a must win for Winchester, and with it they're now in the post season playoffs.  Late in the game Winchester struck first with a two run lead, but fell behind after a three run homerun that gave Lynnfield the lead.  Winchester came back to tie it in the seventh and send the game into extra innings.  Then Winchester clinched it in the bottom of the eighth with a fluke run scored from first base.  Both squads played hard and displayed plenty of well-honed baseball skills.

In the 2:00 pm Championship Game, the Belmont Marauders were pitted against Austin Prep.  This year's Belmont team is one of the best in school history, and jumped to an early lead and played comfortably after posting 10 runs.  However, it might have been a bit too comfortable as the Austin Prep squad showed their grit and fought their way back to tie the game at 10 even in the final inning, forcing the game into extra innings.  In the top of the eighth Belmont struck first and posted four additional runs, and their defense held this lead in the bottom of the eighth to come away with a 14 to 10 extra inning victory.  

The Belmont faithful were rewarded with the first Belmont Tournament win since the start of the Brendan Grant Memorial Tournament in 2005, and Belmont improved their record to 17 wins and 2 losses.  The first two years of the tournament had Lynnfield bringing home the championship trophy, but this was not meant to be repeated in 2007.   Click here for all the details on last year's tournament contest.  

The Belmont Marauders finished last year's regular season with an overall record of 14-6 overall good for second place in the 2006 season. This year there record after the Brendan Grant Memorial Tournament at 17 and 2 was the most wins Belmont baseball has had in a long time.  There one remaining game to make the full schedule complement of 20 will be a make-up game on Sunday 27 May 2007 against Reading (in Reading) to determine the Middlesex League Championship.

Numerous volunteers were instrumental in putting this year's tournament together, helping with refreshments, team support, and making sure the field and facility were in fantastic shape so that the entire event ran smoothly.  Most heartfelt thanks have to be given to the following individuals and companies who, without their generosity, this tournament could not have taken place: (1) Steven Pugliese and Guido's Restaurant in Cambridge, MA for donating much of the food items and ice; (2) Alan Handel of Russell Athletic and Brendan Kelleher of Kittredge & Associates for assisting with the T-Shirts; and (3) Larry Scafidi at Embassy Trophy on Maple Street in Waltham for assisting with the trophies and plaques given to the winning team players.  

The long list of volunteers is likewise noteworthy, and a tip-of-the-cap goes to all the dedicated volunteers that assisted throughout the tournament.  Special thanks goes to former BHS baseball coach Pete Noone for helping to organize the event and championing the activity behind the scene.  Additional thanks goes to Belmont Athletic Director Jim Davis and the Belmont School System, as well as the crew of the Belmont Grounds and Recreation Department for keeping the field in top shape.  One welcome addition was the the voice of Belmont Baseball, BHS Senior Andrew Feldman, who did his usual stellar job on the public address system.

As those who attended will tell you, the second annual Brendan Grant Memorial Day Baseball Tournament provided some top quality good old fashioned high school baseball. Again, our heartfelt thanks go out to all who helped make the event a success. 

We hope to see you at next year’s tournament!