Lakers Baseball Page -- Memorable Moments of the 1980s

Memorable Moments of the 1980s

Synopsis: The 1980s bring Lake Division titles in 1982 and 1983, a promotion from D-II to D-I, and some of the best (1.79 ERA in 1983) and worst (6.48 ERA in 1988-89) pitching ever. Decade record: 78-91. Four Division I playoff wins as a Division II team. Decade batting average: .266. Weird fact: More than 20 percent of all home runs in the program's history are hit during the 1987 and 1988 seasons (27).

[ 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 ]

1980

Tom Hamlin's Error Streak: Tom Hamlin puts together a 10-game error streak, which lasts from April 19 until May 10. He makes 19 errors during the streak, including three in a game twice.
April 19 vs. Harwood: Eight Lakers join forces to commit 10 errors and lose 12-0.
April 22 at Missisquoi: Rick Harrison leads the Lakers to a 3-2 victory over Missisquoi, snapping a 20-game Thunderbird winning streak (17-0 in 1979, first three games of 1980). Harrison allows only six hits in his complete-game effort while striking out eight and walking two. Mark Daubenschmidt breaks a one-all, fifth-inning tie with a solo home run, and Tom Hamlin scores on a sixth inning passed ball before Harrison allows only a sixth inning run the rest of the way.
April 24 vs. Mount Abraham: Mick McKenzie smacks three hits in a 9-8 victory, including a walk-off double in the seventh inning that drives in the game-tying and game-winning runs. The Lakers also go 10-for-10 stealing bases, quite remarkable considering they only end up stealing 56 all year, led by Tom Hamlin's 14.
April 26 at Milton: Starting pitcher David Lavigne and winning pitcher Adam Viens combine to allow only one hit in a 5-2, eight-inning victory. With the Lakers down 2-1 in the seventh inning, Lavigne triples and scores on a Gary Slack sacrifice fly to tie the game. Colchester adds three runs in the eighth inning on three Milton errors.
May 3 vs. U-32: Starting pitcher John Dubuque pitches four shutout innings to earn the victory in an 8-1 triumph while scoring three times and collecting four hits, including a triple. Tom Hamlin goes 2-for-4 at the plate and drives in five runs. He leads the team by driving in only 13 all year.
May 8 vs. Middlebury: The Lakers hold a slim 4-3 lead after six innings before pitchers John Yandow, John Dubuque and Adam Viens do themselves in by allowing two singles and five bases on balls in a six-run seventh inning. The Lakers defense helps out with two errors in the inning. Yandow earns an "L" in the 9-4 defeat.
May 10 vs. Missisquoi: The Lakers come within one messy inning of downing Missisquoi for the second time in three weeks: Pitchers Rick Harrison and John Dubuque suffer through a seven-run second inning in which their defense commits six errors. Colchester doesn't commit any other errors in the game, but comes up on the short end anyway, 7-6.
May 23 at BFA-Fairfax: Colchester holds a lead following each of the first six innings but falls, 10-9, in eight innings. The Lakers score two eighth-inning runs before the Bullets counter with three in the bottom of the inning for the victory.

1981
April 18 vs. U-32: John Dubuque and Tom Lockerby combine on a seven-inning two-hitter in an 18-4 triumph. Brian Bittner leads the offense by scoring two runs and driving in five more, going 1-for-3 with a bases-loaded double, bases-loaded walk and sacrifice fly. Bill Delaney adds two hits and three RBIs, Scott Weinheimer and John Yandow each contribute two hits and two RBIs, and Greg Newton and Tom Parker each smack two hits. Newton and Weinheimer also double while Yandow triples, and the Raiders issue eight walks while allowing 12 Lakers hits.
April 21 vs. Mount Abraham: Paul Choiniere goes 0-for-1 batting but walks three times and scores three runs in an 11-2 victory. Adam Viens pitches one of his three complete games during the year, going the route to record 12 of his 21 outs via strikeout, while also driving in three runs.
May 5 vs. Middlebury: The Lakers score three runs in the bottom of the sixth to give John Dubuque a 3-0 lead going into the seventh. Dubuque, having held the Tigers hitless thus far, walks the first three hitters of the seventh inning before Adam Viens allows all three to score. Viens gets charged with another run without recording an out, and John Yandow sees three more runs score while on the hill in the seventh. Despite a seven-run seventh, Middlebury barely survives Colchester's three-run seventh but wins, 7-6. Yandow bangs out a double and the team's only home run of the season yet still gets tagged with the loss.
May 13 vs. Milton: Mike Brochu hits a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh and scores on Brian Bittner's single as the Lakers win, 1-0. The double is Brochu's third hit of the game. John Dubuque shuts out the Yellowjackets on two hits while walking one and striking out 12.

1982
April 22 vs. BFA-Fairfax: The Lakers drop the Bullets on Opening Day, 18-4, in a cold-shortened five-inning game. Colchester amasses only nine hits, but Fairfax pitchers hand out 16 bases on balls. John Bond begins his record-setting campaign with four hits, including two triples. Mike Brochu also drives in three runs and hits a double. Obviously stung by the blowout, Fairfax gains its revenge on May 13 by holding Colchester to four hits in a 2-0 victory, just Colchester's second loss during a 16-3 season.
April 24 vs. Lamoille: Brian Bittner and Paul Choiniere hit back-to-back solo home runs with two out in the sixth inning to help the Lakers overcome a 9-8 deficit and win, 10-9, despite blowing a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning. Choiniere's sixth-inning shot is his second homer of the day. John Bond drives in three runs and triples as he, Doug Bergstein, Bob Degree, Jeremy Goulet and Scott Weinheimer all get an opportunity to face Lamoille batters. Weinheimer picks up the victory in relief.
April 30 at Mount Abraham: John Bond hits for the cycle, completing the task with a two-out, tie-breaking solo home run in the eighth inning, which sparks a three-run rally en route to a 9-6 Lakers victory. Bond actually collects five hits in the game: two singles and a double, triple and home run. Pat Bouffard receives the victory in relief of Bond, who pitches five innings. Paul Choiniere adds two triples, and Scott Weinheimer raps three hits.
May 4 at Vergennes: Sean Mulcahy triples in Colchester's sloppy 19-10 win. Pat Bouffard picks up the victory and Jeremy Goulet the save while the Lakers almost blow two four-run leads but tack on eight runs in the seventh to ice the win. Of course, it helps that the Commodores commit 10 errors in the game. Between the two teams, 29 runs score, 27 hits are banged out (13 for Colchester) and 17 errors are committed.
May 6 vs. Milton: Mike Battistini allows only four hits and drives in four runs in a 21-5 victory. Mike Brochu adds four hits and five RBIs, Scott Weinheimer goes 3-for-3, and Doug Bergstein picks up two hits.
May 15 vs. Harwood: Doug Bergstein does it all in a 10-2 victory: He pitches a complete game, allows only five hits, strikes out 11, walks none, and gets three hits, including a triple.
May 20 at Mount Mansfield: Colchester defeats MMU, 9-6, for the first time since May 24, 1976. Doug Bergstein pitches a complete-game 14-hitter and bats 2-for-2 with three runs scored and four stolen bases. After winning their first two meetings ever in 1976, the Lakers had lost 12 in a row against MMU.
May 22 vs. Mount Abraham: Bob Degree smacks three hits, including a triple, and drives in three runs in a 6-3 victory. John Bond again terrorizes the Eagles, this time with a modest three hits. Mike Battistini pitches his way to a complete game with five strikeouts and no bases on balls.
June 5 vs. No. 5 Spaulding: No. 4 Colchester defeats Division I foe Spaulding in a quarterfinal playoff game, 6-5, on senior Tom Bergeron's eighth inning pinch-hit single, which scores Scott Weinheimer with the winning run. Doug Bergstein recalls: "He worked the count and hit a ground ball through the right side of the infield," he said. "I couldn't believe how slowly the ball moved as the winning run scored." Despite playing a Division II regular-season schedule, the Lakers compete in the Division I playoffs and get as far as the semifinals. Pat Bouffard smacks a double and triple, and John Bond contributes a double in the victory. Brian Bittner adds a two-run home run for the Lakers.

1983
April 27 vs. Lamoille: Doug Bergstein strikes out 14 on Opening Day. He allows only four hits, and John Bond doubles in a 5-2 victory.
May 13 at BFA-Fairfax: Matt McKenzie allows only two singles in a 9-0 shutout victory. Tim Agan smacks a double, one of only seven the Lakers will hit all year.
May 19 at Missisquoi: Dave Monty and Bryan Parizo pull off an eighth-inning double steal, allowing Monty to score the winning run in a 3-2 victory. Doug Bergstein strikes out 12 in a complete-game three-hitter. Jeff Addleman legs out a triple for the Lakers.
May 21 vs. Mount Mansfield: The Lakers strike out 15 times, and Scott Hamlett's leadoff single stands as their only hit in a 6-0 loss to the Cougars.
June 1 vs. No. 14 Lyndon: Bryan Parizo scores on a throwing error in the seventh inning, the second Colchester run of the inning, as the third-seeded Lakers pull out a 2-1 playdown victory, denying Lyndon the upset. Matt McKenzie scores the first run of the inning when Doug Bergstein singles to center and the ball is bobbled by the center fielder. Parizo later scores the winning run from third base when Lyndon's catcher throws the ball away attempting to prevent Bergstein from stealing second base. John Carp pitches a complete-game four-hitter for the win.
June 7 vs. No. 6 South Burlington: In their last game as a Division II team, the Lakers lose a Division I Quarterfinal game when Doug Bergstein, in his last high school inning, allows five runs and picks up the loss, the only blemish on his 14-1 career record. The Lakers are able to muster only three singles and a John Bond triple in support of Bergstein (5-2/3 innings pitched) and John Carp (1-1/3 IP).

1984
April 20 vs. BFA-Fairfax: Rob Peeters allows two seventh-inning runs but picks up the win when the Lakers push across a run in the bottom of the inning for a 5-4 victory. Scott Hamlett scores the winning run on John Carp's sacrifice fly, Hamlett's second run of the day. He also has three singles.
April 23 at Winooski: In their first match up since 1980, the Lakers hold a close 4-3 lead with two out and no one on base in the bottom of the seventh inning. However, an error begins the bleeding, and pitchers Matt McKenzie and John Carp subsequently dispense four consecutive walks, allowing the tying and winning runs to score. McKenzie pitches 6-2/3 innings and picks up the tough loss.
April 26 at Spaulding: Scott Hamlett hits a home run in aid of pitcher John Carp, who pitches a 12-hit shutout during a 9-0 win. All of Spaulding's hits are singles. In fact, 27 hits are pounded out by the two teams, and Hamlett's homer stands as the only extra-base hit.
May 19 at North Country: Fresh off the bus, Dave Monty hits a three-run home run in the first inning and, despite losing that 3-0 lead by the third inning, the Lakers win, 8-4. Rob Peeters pitches a complete game and doubles.

1985
April 13 at Mount Abraham: The Lakers hang an 11-spot on the Eagles in the fifth inning en route to a 13-6 Opening Day victory. Guy Henry rips a two-run single in the inning, which precedes three consecutive Mount Abraham errors. Henry and Dean Lamothe rap two singles in the game while Dave Monty contributes three singles. Mike Ianni smacks a triple in aid of winning pitcher Jeff Addleman.
April 23 at Milton: Rob Peeters drives in three runs on two hits and Dave Monty hits a three-run home run, but the Lakers lose a wild 12-11 game. Colchester uses four pitchers and Dean Lamothe eventually gets tagged with the loss.
May 11 vs. Vergennes: Matt Sears tosses the first no-hitter in Lakers history as Colchester wins, 5-0. Sears walks seven and ties a school record by striking out 14. Brad St. Germain hits a double, and Todd Collins adds two singles in the victory.
May 20 vs. North Country: Matt Sears cruises through the first six innings with a 6-2 lead, but he and Jeff Addleman combine to allow five Falcons runs in the seventh inning. The Lakers score once in the seventh inning to tie the game and then once in the eighth to win it, 8-7, in their last game of the season. Dan Brunelle scores the winning run on a Todd Collins single. Senior catcher Dave Monty wraps up a stellar career with a stellar day: four hits, three runs, four RBIs, and a two-run homer in the third inning. When he graduates, he owns or is tied for 14 career records, including games played, innings played, runs, hits and home runs. Rob Peeters smacks a single and double, Dean Lamothe rips a pair of singles, and Brad St. Germain triples. Addleman picks up the victory.

1986
May 7 vs. South Burlington: The Rebels rip Colchester by a 20-4 score in a five-inning affair. South Burlington scores nine runs in the second inning and 10 runs in the third against Lakers pitching. Scott Godbout starts the game on the mound despite pitching an inning the day before. He allows 10 runs in two innings and picks up the loss. Todd Jewell (10 runs in 1-2/3 innings) and Aaron Noble (no runs in 1-1/3 innings) also pitch for Colchester. The Rebels bang out 15 hits and benefit from nine Lakers errors.
May 13 vs. Champlain Valley: In his first full game on varsity, Kevin Grabowski hits a sixth-inning solo home run 400 feet to right field, breaking a 3-3 tie and giving Colchester the 4-3 win. He goes 2-for-3 batting and scores twice. Scott Godbout earns the victory and Aaron Noble triples.
May 29 vs. Middlebury: Two big innings carry the Lakers to a 10-5 victory, as Colchester plates five runs in the third inning and four in the sixth. Dan Companion leads the team by going 4-for-4 at the plate while Shea Lamphere drives in three runs on three hits, including two doubles. Guy Henry also drives two home with two hits, including a triple. Kevin Grabowski earns his first varsity victory with six innings of work, and Scott Godbout pitches a scoreless seventh.

1987
April 25 at Essex: The Lakers lose a tough one on Opening Day, 5-4. Colchester pounds out 10 hits, including a Todd Jewell triple and a Kevin Grabowski third inning two-run homer, which The Burlington Free Press describes as a "mammoth" shot over the right-field fence.
May 12 at Champlain Valley: After an 0-7 start, and despite making eight errors in the game, the Lakers pick up their first victory of the season. Scott Godbout twirls a complete-game four-hitter in the 12-7 triumph. Kevin Grabowski drives in two runs with a double and a home run, and Chip Compagnon (double) and Shea Lamphere (triple) leg out extra-base hits.
May 14 vs. Burlington: Colchester downs Burlington for the first time since they started playing each other in 1984, led by Kevin Grabowski's two home runs. Grabowski is the starting and winning pitcher in the 10-8 victory, and he allows only four runs. He becomes the first Laker to drive in six runs, while the junior also homers twice and socks a double. Win Reichard also goes deep, and Chip Compagnon doubles in the victory.
May 16 at Spaulding: A three-game winning streak seems imminent as the Lakers lead 5-3 in the seventh inning, only to lose the lead and the game on one pitch: Scott Godbout pitches a complete game with six-plus strong innings but allows a three-run home run with no one out in the seventh to earn the loss. Colchester blows a tight 3-2 game open with back-to-back solo home runs by Kevin Grabowski and Mike Myers in the fifth inning. The homer is Grabowski's fifth of the year and sixth of his career, breaking Dave Monty's single-season record of four and career record of five. Win Reichard contributes a double in the loss.
May 21 vs. Milton: Milton defeats the Lakers, 12-9, but Colchester bangs out 13 hits, including nine for extra-bases. Chip Compagnon and Kevin Grabowski hit home runs in an eight-run fifth inning, and seven doubles are hit in the game: two each by Mark Dodge, Shea Lamphere and Mike Myers, and one by Dan Companion.
May 23 at North Country: Colchester rallies from a 3-0 first-inning deficit for a 5-3 victory. Scott Benoit raps two hits, including his first varsity double, and Kevin Grabowski hits an RBI triple. Scott Godbout pitches 6-1/3 innings for the victory, and Dan Companion pitches 2/3 of an inning for the save.
May 26 vs. Mount Mansfield: Kevin Grabowski has one of the best days a Laker has ever had: Not only does he pitch a complete-game five-hitter in a 14-6 victory, he also homers twice and legs out a triple while tying his 12-day-old record of driving in six runs. Shea Lamphere smacks a double and a triple.
May 28 at Middlebury: A 14-6 victory runs Colchester's winning streak to three, its longest since a five-game streak in 1984, due to a complete-game performance on the hill by Scott Godbout and four hits from Mark Dodge. Dodge doubles twice, Win Reichard and Dave Thibault hit one double apiece, and Chip Compagnon hustles his way to a triple.

1988
May 3 at South Burlington: Mike Myers leads the Lakers to a 14-7 victory by going 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles. Scott Hinman adds two hits and Jamie Young goes 6-1/3 innings for the win.
May 12 vs. Essex: Colchester loses a wild game with Essex, 13-12, in eight innings. Going into the third inning, the Lakers lead 7-0, but pitcher Kevin Grabowski dishes out nine bases on balls and allows eight runs in the third inning. The Lakers later regain their lead and are ahead 11-8 with two outs and nobody on base in the top of the seventh inning. And then disaster strikes: Two Hornets walk, followed by a three-run homer that ties the game. Essex outscores Colchester 2-1 in the extra frame to pull off the win. Grabowski pitches 7-2/3 innings but allows all 13 runs in the loss. He also smacks two hits, and he and Mike Myers go deep in the loss. Lakers pitching also doles out a team-record 15 bases on balls.
May 21 vs. Mount Mansfield: The Lakers pound out a team-record 20 hits in an 18-11 victory. Mike Myers leads the offense with three hits, including a three-run homer, and drives in six runs. Scott Benoit also smacks three hits, and Kevin Grabowski goes the distance on the hill, allowing only four hits.
May 28 at Burlington: Kevin Grabowski raps four hits in his last high school game, including his 14th career home run. He graduates holding or tied for five career records, including home runs, runs batted in and total bases.

1989
April 22 vs. Champlain Valley: Matt Weinheimer collects three hits, including two doubles, and drives in four runs in a 10-5 win. He also pitches three scoreless innings of relief to pick up the save for winning pitcher Whitney Lyman. The contest begins on April 22 and is completed two days later.
April 25 vs. Missisquoi: The Thunderbirds blow a 2-2 game open with an eight-run eighth en route to a 10-2 victory. Colchester relief pitchers Brett Brosseau and Kory Merchant allow only four hits in the disastrous eighth inning, but Brosseau picks up the loss. Scott Benoit goes 1-for-2 batting, scores two runs and steals two bases.
May 6 vs. Milton: Jim Covey's RBI single with two out in the seventh gives Colchester an 8-7 victory. Despite blowing a 6-2 second-inning lead, Colchester finds itself tied at seven with two outs and nobody on base in the seventh inning. The Milton pitching finds a bad time to break down, as it gives out three consecutive bases on balls before Covey's game-winning hit. Matt Weinheimer goes 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a double, and Scott Benoit and Jason Morin each double.
May 9 at Winooski: Winooski overcomes Scott Benoit's titanic sixth-inning solo home run that lands in the street and defeats Colchester, 5-3.
May 12 at Essex: The Lakers dismantle Essex on the road by an 18-3 score. Brett Brosseau goes 4-for-5 at the plate, doubles twices, knocks in two runs and scores two more. Scott Benoit smacks two hits in three at bats, homers and drives in three, and Scott Hinman scores three runs. Jim Covey goes the distance, allowing only six hits.
May 18 vs. North Country: The Lakers rally from an early 3-0 deficit when Joe Goodreau scores the game-winning run in the seventh inning of a 4-3 victory. After drawing a walk, Goodreau moves up to second on a wild pitch and then scores on an error to win the game. Catcher Collin Frisbie bats 3-for-3, doubles, scores twice and steals a base, one of only two in his career.
May 20 at Mount Mansfield: Scott Benoit homers and triples while scoring two runs in an 11-4 loss.
May 23 vs. Middlebury: Colchester loses a wild game with Middlebury, 13-11. The teams bang out 38 hits in the game, including 20 by the Tigers, a record for hits allowed by Colchester pitching. Brett Brosseau smacks four singles, Scott Benoit contributes three hits (including a triple), Scott Hinman smacks three singles, and Jason Morin and Matt Weinheimer each add a double.
May 27 vs. Burlington: Senior Scott Benoit ends his career with two hits in a 15-6 loss. The Lakers rally for five runs in the seventh but fall far short of the Seahorses. Brett Brosseau and Matt Weinheimer collect two singles, and Jim Covey adds a double in Colchester's season finale.