RI Senior Softball hosts local VIPs for exhibition

The Rhode Island Senior Softball League is in the thick of its season and decided to take on a new opponent this past weekend.

Members of the Blue Cross Blue Shield team, which is made up of players from Cranston and Johnston, challenged the Town of Johnston to a fun exhibition match at Memorial Park on Saturday. Filling out the town roster included people such as Mayor Joseph Polisena, parks and rec director Mike Bedrosian, as well as local athletic legend Carolyn Thornton Iannuccilli.

Also joining the members of Blue Cross was the league’s executive board. The league is always searching for new members and felt that a game against some of the local officials would help shed more light on the organization.

Bedrosian, who also coaches the Johnston boys basketball team, was happy to help spread the word and help organize the event. He is also hoping to make it an annual game that can attract local charitable organizations. Longtime Blue Cross player Paul Danesi was also key in organizing the event and even coached Mayor Polisena during his Little League days in the town.

“It was a lot of fun getting the league and all the town workers together to do something different. There were people that I hadn’t seen in 20 years so it was cool to catch up with them. Hopefully we can do a basketball event that is similar in the winter,” said Bedrosian.