Essex High School baseball coach Steve Ferreira acted as if it were just another game, but it wasn’t.
When Essex beat BFA-St. Albans, 13-4, Friday it handed Ferreira his 500th victory as a high school coach. Ferreira, who has been coaching varsity baseball at Essex for 42 years, entered the week with a 500-239 career record.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Ferreira told the Burlington Free Press. “Five hundred (wins) was never a goal. It just happens.”
Ferreira is one of three Vermont high school baseball coaches to record at least 400 victories, joining Northfield’s Frank Pecora (428) and former Rice coach Mike Pearo (400). Ferreira has guided Essex to four Division I state titles and nine championship game appearances.
Ferreira’s first victory – an 8-7 triumph over Vergennes – came in 1968 when he was 23.
“Not much has changed,” Ferreira said. “It’s still 16-, 17-, 18-year-old kids and it’s still baseball. The only difference is there are 42 years between this year’s team and my first team.”
Essex collected 17 hits and scored in every inning against BFA-St. Albans, which suffered its first loss of the season and dropped to 6-1. Essex starting pitcher Adam Picard allowed two hits in six innings and finished with nine strikeouts.
Ted Andrews had five hits for Essex, which improved its record to 5-2. The Hornets received a two-run home run from Dylan Begin and a solo homer from Dave Valley. Valley’s father also played for Ferreira.
“I’ve coached a bunch of fathers and sons,” Ferreira said. “I even played softball with one of my players’ grandfather. To be around for three generations of players is something special. I’ve had the pleasure to coach a lot of great guys over the last 42 years. I’ve been around so long there are a couple of guys I coached who are about to turn 60. That’s a little hard to believe.”
Ferreira said he plans to retire after the 2010 season.
“He’s the dean,” BFA-St. Albans coach Geoff Murray told the Free Press. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and although my guys are down about the loss (Friday), you have to feel good for coach Ferreira. It’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment.”
Softball: State’s longest winning streak ends
The Lyndon Institute softball program carried a 79-game winning streak into Saturday’s game at Otter Valley, and that’s where the streak ended.
Ashley Sanderson held Lyndon Institute to two runs on five hits and also drove in a run to lead Otter Valley to a 3-2 victory.
Lyndon Institute, which has won the last four Division II championships, dropped to 6-1. The Vikings began their winning streak with a 6-3 triumph over Hartford in 2005.
Lyndon Institute had a 1-0 lead until Otter Valley’s Michaela Harrington hit a two-run double in the fifth inning. The Otters increased their lead to 3-1 by scoring once in the sixth.
The Vikings pulled within a run in the seventh, and had the tying run on third base when the game ended.
Megan Greano and Kristy Pinkham each collected two hits for Otter Valley, which raised its record to 8-1. Greer Lemnah had two hits for Lyndon Institute.
