The East Boston High School baseball team lost to Madison Park Saturday in the second game of the annual Strike Out Colon Cancer baseball tournament Saturday at East Boston Stadium but despite the loss the tournament was a big win for coach Phil Brangiforte.
Malden beat Newton North in the first game and then took on Madison Park. Malden destroyed Madison 13-1 in five-innings–a game cut short by the mercy rule.
Despite EBHS not entering into the final it was still a victory for Brangiforte and his family as they continue to raise money to fight colon cancer through the tournament.
Four years ago Brangiforte’s wife, Carrie, was diagnosed with colon cancer after giving birth to the couple’s fifth child.
“She was moved to Boston Medical Center three days after child birth and had emergency surgery to remove a cancerous tumor the size of a softball,” said Brangiforte. “Dr. James Petros and the staff at the Boston Medical Center saved her life.”
After that experience Brangiforte and Carrie decided to start a baseball tournament to give back to BMC for saving her life.
“This tournament will be much more than a baseball game–it is about giving back and raising money to support the BMC Colon Cancer Foundation to help find a cure. All of the proceeds are donated directly to BMC colon cancer research over the last four years we have raised over $20,000 for colon cancer research at BMC,” said Brangiforte.
The opening ceremonies started at 12 noon Saturday with the first pitches thrown by Carrie Brangiforte, EBHS Headmaster Michael Rubin, Carrie’s mother, Jacki Anthony and sponsor Jim Caruso before the start of the Newton North/Malden game.
This year in the United States there will be 147,500 new colorectal cancer cases and 57,000 deaths. Colon cancer has challenged 2 million survivors in the U.S. Increased awareness means more survivors.