Chafee won't seek re-election - The Woonsocket Call

Submitted photo by JILLIAN SOUZAPawtucket Red Sox starting pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, showndelivering a pitch to the plate in the first inning, lasted just twoinnings on Wednesday night, allowing four runs on seven hits.NFLPatriots’ Gronkowskistays non-committalBlackstone ValleySPORTSTHE CALL, Thursday, September 5, 2013 — C1International LeagueRed Wings strike early, captureseries opener with PawSox, 7-1Buchholz makes rehab start in tonight’s Game 2Staff reportsROCHESTER — The Rochester Red Wings stormed out to aquick 6-1 lead and banged out 16 hits in the game en route to a7-1 victory over the Pawtucket Red Sox in the opener of theirbest-of-three semifinal-round series.The PawSox, last year’s Governors’ Cup champions, willsend rehabbing Boston Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz to themound for tonight’s Game 2 back in Rochester. After that game,the series will shift to McCoy Stadium for tomorrow’s Game 3.Game 4, if necessary, would be Saturday.Bryce Brentz homered in the top of the third inning toaccount for the PawSox’s run. He and Jackie Bradley Jr. finishedthe night with two hits each.PawSox starter Anthony Ranaudo went two innings and gaveup four runs on seven hits and a walk. The PawSox used fivepitchers in the game, including starter Allen Webster, whoworked the eighth inning.Cole De Vries tossed five-hit ball through six innings of workto pick up the win for the Red Wings. He struck out six and onlywalked one.GOVERNORS’ CUP PLAYOFFSPawtucket (80-63) vs. Rochester (77-67)(Best-of-five semifinal-round series)Wednesday’s GameGame 1 — Rochester 7, Pawtucket 1Thursday’s GameGame 2 — Pawtucket (Clay Buchholz, 0-0, 2.70) at Rochester(Trevor May, 0-0, 0.00), 7:05 p.m.Friday’s GameGame 3 — Rochester (TBA) at Pawtucket (Steven Wright, 8-7, 3.46), 7:05 p.m.Saturday’s GameGame 4 — Rochester at Pawtucket, if necessary, 6:05 p.m.Sunday’s GameGame 5 — Rochester at Pawtucket, if necessary, 1:05 p.m.on playing in openerStar tight end makes progressas he tries to ‘rehab everything’FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) — Rob Gronkowski is making steadyprogress from his forearm and back operations.Now he just has to get back into football condition.The star tight end isn't saying if he expects to play in NewEngland's opener Sunday at Buffalo, but he's noticeably skinnierafter cutting back on his usual workouts while recovering."I'm just rehabbing everything," Gronkowski said Wednesday. "Iwant to have my whole body strong and just have got to keep ongrinding and keep on working on all aspects in order to get back."Gronkowski had back surgery June 18, about a month after thefourth operation on the left forearm he broke last Nov. 18 against theIndianapolis Colts. He had surgery, missed five games, then returnedfor the regular-season finale. But he rebroke the forearm on Jan. 13in the AFC divisional round when the Patriots beat the HoustonTexans 41-28.He's had three forearm surgeriessince then, and said he hasn'thad any setbacks.On Wednesday, he participatedon a limited basis in practice."Do I expect to play onSunday," he asked. "I'm preparingevery single day to the max ofmy ability, preparing every day to(do) the best I can. And when mynumber's called, that's when I'llplay."I can't tell you when that willbe."He still isn't at full strength."It's not just the forearm andback, obviously," he said. "Whenyou're taking off a little like that,you've got to get conditionedagain. You've got to get strongerthroughout your whole body,Rob Gronkowskiyour legs, your upper body, yourarms. So that's all in play, too.You just can't jump out there just because your arm's ready."Being sidelined "was difficult," Gronkowski said. "That doesn'tmatter anymore. It's irrelevant now. The only thing relevant is movingforward every day."He practiced in full pads on Monday for the first time since hisback surgery. How did he look a couple of days later?"Another couple days," coach Bill Belichick said. "We're trying tokeep stringing them together, trying to keep heading in the rightdirection, just trying to keep taking it day by day."There may be no rush to get Gronkowski back since the Patriots'first two games are against AFC East opponents who they shouldbeat, the Bills and the New York Jets. Their third game is on Sept. 22at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.When Gronkowski had back surgery, it was reported that therecovery period for a player to return to a game was about 12 weeks.Sunday's opener is just two days before that."It doesn't matter what that says," Gronkowski said. "It just mattershow your body feels, how the rehab program's going and howyou're progressing every day. So you just look forward to every day."Quarterback Tom Brady had experience playing withoutGronkowski last season."For his first couple of years of his career, he didn't miss anythingand then he missed some games last year," Brady said, "Then wekind of went into, 'OK, this is what we're doing without Gronk.' Andthat's the situation we've been in all spring and summer."It's like he hasn't even been a part of the team. I mean, he's beena part of the team, doing what he needs to do to get ready, but interms of what our offense was doing, the other guys have to step inand do the job that we're asking them to do."Those guys are free-agent rookie Zach Sudfeld, and veteransSee GRONKOWSKI, page C6Girls’ tennisRough start: Moses Brown spoilsMSC’s debut on new home courtsBy ERIC BENEVIDESebenevides@pawtuckettimes.comWOONSOCKET — Moses Brown did everything it possiblycould to steal the show from its host on Wednesday in thevery first regular-season match at Mount St. Charles’ sparklingnew courts across Logee Street.The Quakers made history by netting the facility’s first singlesvictory. Minutes later, they also came away with the firstdoubles triumph.And an hour and a half later, they wrapped up their eventfulafternoon by busing back to Providence with a 6-1 verdict overthe Mounties.The Division I-B loss was a difficult start to the season forthe Mounties and head coach Marissa Pitrone-Marsh, who aseason ago, went 9-3 during the regular season and reached theDivision I championship match for the ninth time in 11 years,where they lost to unbeaten two-time champion La Salle.“I lost five seniors (from that team),” she admitted. “I lostmy three top singles players and my No. 1 doubles (team). Thisis a rebuilding year, but I think as the season goes on, we’re justgoing to get better and better. Every year, you can’t count usout. The progression of our players getting better, I know it’sgoing to happen.”Liz Kinsella, Moses Brown’s two-time All-State senior,picked up the historic first victory in No. 1 singles by notchinga 6-0, 6-1 victory over senior tri-captain Julie Marcinak.And immediately after Kinsella and Marcinak stepped offtheir court, the Quakers’ No. 1 doubles tandem of Racie Moranand Taylor Thiesen finished its match with an equally impressive6-0, 6-2 win over Meaghan Dubois and Sam Bacon.Blackstone Valley Sports photos by ERNEST A. BROWNMount St. Charles Academy’s top two singles players, senior tri-captain Julie Marciniak (left) and sophomore Kate Foley (right),played well in losing causes on Wednesday afternoon in the Mounties’ 6-1 defeat to Moses Brown on the school’s new courtson Logee Street.Shortly later, the visitors clinched the match. Annie DaSilvadefeated Kate Foley in No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-0, and the No. 2doubles team of Margot Creamer and Maddie Gorgi downedthe Mounties’ team of Jen Lapine and Jess Morelle, 6-2, 6-2.“It’s our first home match on these courts, so I know theyfelt a little bit of pressure, a little stress,” said Pitrone-Marsh,who was missing her No. 4 singles player, Kylie Finnerty, to aninjury and was forced to juggle her doubles teams. “The firstmatch of the season is always stressful enough, so maybe theygot the shakes and the jitters.”The Mounties picked up their victory in No. 3 singles, asJulia Martin secured a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 win over Leah Falk,and the No. 3 doubles team of Caroline Cardosa and TrishaBhatin nearly produced another victory, but they dropped aclose 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 decision to the squad of Lauren Gunastiand Allison Rao.Also playing well in a losing cause was Katelyn Gagnon inNo. 4 singles, as the senior tri-captain, who moved up from No.1 doubles, suffered a 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 defeat to Singne Brown.While Moses Brown figures to be awfully tough this year,Pitrone-Marsh knows that the Quakers aren’t the only team tokeep an eye on in what promises to be an ultra competitiveDivision I.“I know East Greenwich is going to be a force to be reckonedwith,” she reported. “They have some really strong players.And La Salle, as always, has such a deep team that I know theywill be in the running. It’s going to be an interesting season.”The Mounties will visit La Salle on Monday in a 4 p.m.match and then host South Kingstown on Wednesday afternoon.Both matches are crossover contests.Follow Eric Benevides on Twitter @EricBen24