Rhode Island
More drama at the Rhode Island Junior Amateur quarterfinal match play. Here’s what happened.
PAWTUCKET — The top seed went down Tuesday. The three-time champion followed with an exit on Wednesday.
The drama continues on the boys side at the 105th Rhode Island Junior Amateur, with Ian Dunham providing the highlight in the match play quarterfinals at Pawtucket Country Club.
Dunham stormed from behind on the back nine and edged Max Jackson in 19 holes, a meeting of high school stars who will both continue in college this fall. None of the top four seeds remain entering Thursday morning’s semifinals, which will also feature reigning Interscholastic League champion Rocco Capalbo.
More: Have a Rhode Island golf bucket list? Here are the five courses Eric Rueb wants to play.
More: Familiar names near top of leaderboard after Day 1 of Rhode Island Junior Amateur.
“It’s just such a grind to play a guy like that,” Dunham said to the Rhode Island Golf Association. “He hit so many good shots. That last stretch of holes — 14, 15, 16, 17 — I played some of the best golf.”
There will be no introductions necessary in the girls semifinals. Olivia Williams held off Adriana Eaton to capture the Women’s Amateur last summer. Lily Dessel and Claire McTaggart are Barrington High teammates who will now square off as opponents.
“If my wedge game and putting is on, then it should be a good match,” Eaton said. “Just treat it as another round of golf; don’t worry about the opponent and just play me against the course.”
“Try to keep the same mindset for any opponent,” Dessel said. “Play steady, be a tough opponent for them and just have fun with it.”
Jackson, the La Salle Academy star and Rutgers commit, was 3 up through 13 and seemed in control on his home course. Dunham turned the match by rolling in a 25-footer for birdie at the par-4 14th and capped his sudden run by stuffing a 6-iron to within 6 feet at the par-4 17th. Dunham converted on another birdie putt, giving the former Chariho standout and Franklin Pierce commit a 1-up lead.
“I was down most of the day — all through the first nine holes,” Dunham said. “Then on the back, he won 11 and 12. I missed a couple key putts from 5 or 6 feet and I couldn’t get anything going.”
Jackson made birdie on the par-4 18th to extend the match but couldn’t get down for par while replaying the first. Dunham two-putted to punch his ticket for a meeting with Brayden Dickinson, who also made a par at the 19th hole to outlast Eli Hamelsky. Neither player held more than a 1-up lead through the first 18, and Hamelsky made par at the last to force an extra hole.
Capalbo continued what has been a fairly routine week to date by handling Drew MacLeod, 4 and 3. The rising sophomore at Prout has extended his hot form to the summer, losing just one of the 15 holes he played in the quarterfinals. He’ll face Jesse Hellring in the semifinals after the No. 8 seed eliminated Tuesday hero Nick Emery, 6 and 5.
“You always hope the other player plays good,” Capalbo said. “But at the same time, you want them to make mistakes and not you. I think it’s very important.”
“I’m pretty confident,” Hellring said. “I like this course. It’s really a fair course — if you hit it good you’re going to have some chances.”
Eaton and Williams both eased to 5-and-4 wins in their quarterfinals. Eaton built a 5-up lead at the turn while taking out Emma Lockhart. Williams, the two-time defending champion, was 2 up through 11 against Elizabeth Kue before winning her last three holes.
“I’m feeling good after today,” Eaton said. “I like this course. It’s in very good shape and I feel like it’s a good length.”
Dessel won seven of nine holes on the front side to take immediate control against Ava Andoscia, cruising to an 8-and -7 win. McTaggart had to work a little harder against Julia Nault, losing an early 3-up lead before winning the 13th and 17th to secure a 2-and-1 triumph. The pair of Eagles will go out at 7:54 a.m. Thursday, starting eight minutes after the Williams-Eaton match.
“I just went into it trying to play steady,” Dessel said. “That was kind of my goal. That was pretty much what I did.”
Boys championship
Jesse Hellring def. Nick Emery, 6 and 5; Rocco Capalbo def. Drew MacLeod, 4 and 3; Brayden Dickinson def. Eli Hamelsky, 19 holes; Ian Dunham def. Max Jackson, 19 holes.
Girls championship
Olivia Williams def. Elizabeth Kue, 5 and 4; Adriana Eaton def. Emma Lockhart, 5 and 4; Lily Dessel def. Ava Andoscia, 8 and 7; Claire McTaggart def. Julia Nault, 2 and 1.
Boys first division
Connor Ahlborg def. Rich Cavanagh, 3 and 1; Luke Cavanaugh def. Noah Patel, 1 up; Connor Rabbitt def. Nick Adamonis, 2 and 1; Zachary Taraian def. Julien Kocatas, 5 and 4.
Boys 14U
Mitch McTaggart def. Nick Keefe, 7 and 6; Aidan Connell def. Ray Rainville, 2 and 1; Raj Mammen def. Logan Ferreira, 7 and 6; Nico Capalbo def. Kailer Louangxay, 1 up.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
One of Rhode Island’s “longest-wanted” fugitives was finally arrested this week after 21 years on the run, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Rhode Island doctor Ronald Fischer disappeared during his 2005 trial on a first-degree sexual assault charge, according to the Marshals Service. Fischer was accused of raping a woman aboard his boat, the “Lion King,” in 2003, NBC New York reported.
“He was subsequently convicted in absentia of First-Degree Sexual Assault after failing to appear for trial and remained wanted for Failure to Appear, First Degree Sexual Assault, and Flight to Avoid Prosecution,” the Marshals Service said in a press release Thursday.
Earlier this week, investigators received information about Fischer’s whereabouts that they determined was credible, prompting members of the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force to deploy to New York.
Investigators determined Fischer was operating a 56-foot sailboat named “The Silver Lining,” which was registered under the name Richard Graydon, an alias authorities said Fischer used. U.S. Marshals and Coast Guard personnel intercepted the vessel about an hour offshore and arrested him without incident.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, fingerprints taken from Fischer by the Marshals Service and analyzed by the FBI confirmed that he was the same man on trial for rape charges in Rhode Island 21 years ago.
Books on how to evade law enforcement were found at Fischer’s residence during a search warrant, and it was determined that he was using what’s known as an “onion router” to hide his IP addresses and avoid being tracked, the district attorney’s office said.
Investigators also found emails between Fischer and family members who have been helping him evade law enforcement, according to the district attorney’s office.
Fischer’s capture was a coordinated effort by the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force, the Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Coast Guard. The FBI also assisted in the investigation.
“This arrest demonstrates that time does not erase accountability,” said Wing Chau, the U.S. marshal for the District of Rhode Island. “For more than twenty years, Ronald Fischer believed he had successfully escaped justice. The men and women of the Rhode Island Violent Fugitive Task Force, together with our partners, remained committed to ensuring that day would eventually come.”
The victim, Cheryl Gingerich, told NBC 10 in an exclusive interview that news of Fischer’s arrest made her happy.
The trauma of the incident affected nearly every aspect of her life, she said, leaving her afraid to leave her home and forcing her to abandon her career as an English professor.
“I always lived in fear of seeing him again because I never felt that he was far away,” she told the outlet.
Fischer was arraigned in Manhattan on Friday, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which confirmed that he was “remanded and waived extradition.”
It is not clear whether Fischer has an attorney at this time.
(WJAR) — A Rhode Island couple took home a big surprise from their vacation in Florida: a newborn baby.
The two had just arrived in Tampa to go on a cruise, when the mom started having severe abdominal cramps.
She was rushed to the emergency room where doctors broke the news:she was pregnant and the baby was on it’s way.
Neither one even knew they were expecting.
But they said their new baby boy “Sebastian” is a more than welcome souvenir.
Patrol officers were dispatched to the bridge shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday and found a 40-year-old man with stab wounds to his chest, Josh Estrella, the director of communications for the city of Providence, said in an email.
The Providence Fire Department transported the man to Rhode Island Hospital, Estrella said.
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