Memorable Moments of the 1970s
Synopsis: High school baseball comes to Colchester after CHS opens in late 1975. The inaugural squad, a 1976 team comprised of many ballplayers who previously attended other schools, totals eight victories. During the following three seasons, the Lakers combine for just eight wins. Decade record: 16-43 as a Division II team. No playoff wins. Decade batting average: .238. Weird fact: The 1978 squad, which plays a 15-game schedule, commits 87 errors in 105 innings.
[ 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 ]
1976
- April 24 vs. BFA-Fairfax: Gary Lefebvre goes 3-for-4 at the plate, scores twice and steals five bases. Dave Prescott pitches all nine innings in the 4-3 win - regulation games were also seven innings back then - while striking out eight Bullets. This begins Prescott's streak of six consecutive complete games during games he starts, covering 43-1/3 innings and 29 days. He goes 2-4 during the streak, allowing 35 runs. Between this game and the end of the 1977 season, Prescott will complete nine of the 11 games he starts, pitching approximately 72-1/3 of a possible 75-1/3 innings.
- May 13 at BFA-Fairfax: Rick Campbell goes 3-for-3 at bat, scores three runs, drives in four more, steals four bases and records eight putouts at first base.
1977
- April 26 vs. Milton: Dave Santerre strikes out four times as the Lakers fan a grand total of 16 times. Mike Jean (2-for-3) and Jay Rainville (a triple) collect the only Colchester hits.
- April 30 vs. Lamoille: Dave Santerre draws three bases on balls, one short of John Kresser's single-game record set the previous season.
- May 12 at BFA-Fairfax: Garth Viens and Jay Rainville hit back-to-back triples in the third inning.
1978
- April 22 at Missisquoi: Catchers Mike Jean, Tim Maynes, and Gary Slack allow the Thunderbirds to go 10-for-10 on the base paths in a 21-3 Opening Day loss, a prelude to what will be a 1-14 season.
- May 2 at Vergennes: Colchester is one-hit by the Commodores and loses, 7-0. Pitcher Ray Halnon puts together a complete-game effort with catcher Tim Maynes. (See May 18 game) Stung by Vergennes, the Lakers go on a torrid streak against the Commodores over the next seven years, winning 11 of the next 13 meetings between the teams, culminating in Matt Sears' 5-0 no-hit victory on May 11, 1985. After falling off of Colchester's schedule for nearly 10 years, the Commodores reappear on the Lakers' slate from 1995 through 2000. Following this game on May 2, 1978, the Lakers win 15 of the next 19 meetings, including nine in a row from 1981-95.
- May 18 vs. Vergennes: Jeff Foy has a 4-for-4 day at the plate, scores three runs, drives in five, and hits two triples in Colchester's only win of the season (13-4). Tom Hamlin adds a double, a homer and two RBIs. Ray Halnon and Tim Maynes are again batterymates, as Halnon picks up the second of his two career victories (in 14 decisions).
- May 26 vs. Winooski: Dave Santerre goes 3-for-4 with a home run, scores twice, drives in three and goes 2-for-2 in the stolen base department.
1979
- April 18 vs. U-32: The Lakers steal seven bases in seven attempts against the Raiders.
- April 26 at Milton: This time, the Lakers go 11-for-11 stealing bases. The 18 they steal in the two games against U-32 and Milton comprise 33 percent of the total number of bases they will steal all year (55).
- April 30 at Vergennes: After blowing a 3-0 lead, the Lakers rally to tie the game at seven with three runs in the fifth and win, 10-7, after plating three runs in the seventh. Mark Daubenschmidt picks up the victory with three innings of shutout relief in his only career pitching appearance. Jamie Vetters pitches a scoreless seventh to record what is believed to be the first save in the Colchester baseball history.
- May 4 vs. Middlebury: The Lakers win a close 5-4 game with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. After starting and winning pitcher Chris Jarvis allows a run in the top of the seventh, Colchester plates two runs on wild pitches in the bottom of the inning. Jamie Vetters scores the winning run and also has all three Lakers hits - all singles - on the day.
- May 11 vs. Milton: Rick Harrison has a no-hitter and a 1-0 lead through five innings but leaves the game with an elbow injury. Jamie Vetters and Chris Jarvis come on to pitch during a disastrous sixth inning: one hit, three bases on balls and a two-run error. All told, Vetters allows four runs to score and gets tagged with the loss, and the Lakers fall 4-3 despite holding the Yellowjackets to just one hit and staging a two-run comeback in the seventh inning.
- May 31 at No. 4 Mount Mansfield: In a regional quarterfinal playoff game, the No. 5 Lakers lose 7-4 despite receiving a two-run home run and an RBI single from starting pitcher Jamie Vetters, who receives a no-decision.