Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2002-03 > April 7, 2003
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Baseball (11-4-2, 4-1) Unbeaten in Five Straight Games, Sweeps Conference Opponents
The Wheaton College baseball team ran its current unbeaten streak to five games, as the Lyons went 3-0-1 this week, including a 3-0 showing in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Ranked 26th nationally according to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Wheaton played Brandeis to a 5-5 tie in a game that was called due to darkness on Tuesday, followed by conference wins at MIT (8-3) on Thursday and against WPI (5-1, 9-5) on Sunday.
On Tuesday versus Brandeis, the Judges took advantage of a walk, a hit and a dropped fly ball to score two runs in the top of the ninth inning, as the visitors rallied to tie Wheaton in a non-conference contest on a snowy Sidell Stadium. Brandeis got things going in the second inning, as the Judges scored three runs on three hits. Wheaton got one run back in the fourth, when first-year outfielder Jamie Baker (Boxford, MA/Masconomet) singled home senior Brett Edmunds (Wolfeboro, NH/Kingswood Regional). The Lyons took advantage of three Brandeis errors in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 5-3 lead. Despite being down two runs entering the ninth, the Judges refused to go away, knotting the game at five runs apiece after eight and a half frames. Edmunds gave Wheaton hope with a two-out single in the bottom half of the inning, but he was thrown out attempting to steal second to end the frame. The game was then called due to darkness. Senior Mike Hunsinger (Fall River, MA/Durfee) threw eight strong innings, spreading out seven hits and yielding three runs.
At MIT, sophomores Rob Cipolla (South Windsor, CT/Kingswood-Oxford) and Keith Cooper (Swampscott, MA/Pingree School) each went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored, leading Wheaton to the convincing five-run victory. Classmate Jon Jackson (Ipswich, MA/Hamilton-Wenham) was impressive on the mound, picking up his second win of the year by retiring 10 of his first 11 batters and striking out seven. The Lyons jumped out in front early, opening a 6-0 lead through four and a half innings, including single runs in the first and third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth. The Engineers responded in the bottom half of the fifth inning, recording three runs on three hits coupled with one Wheaton walk and a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 6-3. With two outs in the top of the sixth, the Lyons extended their lead to 8-3. Cooper got things going offensively by reaching base on a single. Advancing to second on a stolen base and then to third courtesy of a wild pitch, Cooper scored off a Scott Beattie (Springvale, ME/Sanford) base hit. Two batters later, Edmunds drove in Beattie for Wheaton's eighth and final run of the contest.
Hunsinger became Wheaton's all-time winningest pitcher Sunday afternoon, leading the Lyons in game one of the WPI doubleheader. Hunsinger struck out a career-best 11 batters with zero walks, as the right-handed hurler improved to a perfect 4-0 while scattering six hits and allowing one run. Hunsinger now has 26 career victories, breaking Craig Zapenas' two-year mark. WPI pitching was solid to begin game one, as the Engineers retired 12 of their first 13 batters, including five strikeouts. In the top of the second, WPI picked up the game's first run. In the top of the fifth, Wheaton used four hits and a walk to plate four runs, highlighted by a two-run single from Cipolla. Freshman Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, NH/Monadnock) extended the Lyon lead to 5-1 in the top of the sixth with his first collegiate home run. WPI put two runners in scoring position to start the bottom of the frame, but Hunsinger battled back, fanning three straight batters to end the Engineer rally. In the seventh, Hunsinger completed the game with two more strikeouts to preserve the win.
Game two saw Wheaton jump out in front, 2-0, thanks in part to back-to-back RBI from junior John Ablondi (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) and Cooper. WPI responded in the bottom of the frame with four runs. In the top of the fourth, the Lyons rallied with a six-run inning, led by a two-run single off the bat of first-year shortstop Rafael Castillo (Queens, NY/Christ The King) and a two-run double by junior Tim Ziakas (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury). Offensively, Cipolla went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Castillo and Ablondi finished with two hits and two RBI apiece. Freshman Mark DeMasse (Reading, MA/Reading) earned the pitching win in relief with four strikeouts.
Ablondi Named NEWMAC Co-Player of the Week
Ablondi was tabbed the NEWMAC Co-Player of the Week for the week ending on March 30. Ablondi recorded three multiple-hit games in helping to lead Wheaton to a 3-1-1 week. In four games, he batted .625 (10-for-16) with four runs scored, two RBI, a double and a walk. Against UMass-Dartmouth, Ablondi was 4-for-5 with three runs scored, an RBI and a double in an 8-8 tie with the Corsairs. He followed that performance with a 3-for-5 day at Bridgewater State, scoring one run and recording an RBI in a 7-6 win. Against Clark, Ablondi went 2-for-4 with a walk and a sacrifice hit.
Men's Lacrosse (2-5) Wins Pilgrim League Opener, Falls to Nationally-Ranked RPI
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team finished the week on a strong note, as the Lyons opened the Pilgrim League with an 18-2 triumph over Lasell on Saturday afternoon. On Thursday evening, Wheaton put up a fight late at 16th-ranked RPI before bowing to the Red Hawks, 11-9.
On Thursday night under icy conditions at Ned Harkness Field, the Lyons rallied with five unanswered goals to cut the final deficit to 11-9 against RPI. Wheaton junior Scott Liston (Plainfield, NH/Kimball Union) scored the game's first goal just over three minutes in the contest, but RPI answered by netting two goals midway through the first period. Liston tied the game with less than three minutes left in the stanza, but the Red Hawks then scored four unanswered goals in the second frame. The hosts scored the only two goals in the third period, giving the Red Hawks an 8-3 lead with only 15 minutes to play. RPI led 11-4 late in the final period before the Lyons rallied. Wheaton junior Evan Carbotti (Newport, RI/Portsmouth Abbey) scored with 4:09 remaining, followed by classmates Zak Putnam (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) and Chris Milligan (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand) each scoring two goals in the final 2:33. Liston, Putnam and Milligan led the way for Wheaton with two goals and an assist each. Wheaton goalie Bryant Denny (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) had 15 saves.
The Lyons jumped out to an early advantage at home against Lasell and never looked back, as Wheaton took a 6-0 lead after the first period. After scoring two goals early in the period, the Lyons rattled off four goals in the final 4:30. Putnam had the final two goals of the stanza in addition to the first tally of the second quarter. The Lyons outscored Lasell, 4-0 in the second period to take a commanding 10-0 advantage into the intermission. Junior Paul Leonard (East Grand Rapids, MI/East Grand Rapids) and freshman Ellis Reavey (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) each scored two first-half goals. Wheaton's defense, anchored by junior Dusko Joldzic (Lincoln Park, NJ/Montclair-Kimberly), sophomore Josh Fredrickson (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) and freshman Kris Koerber (Brunswick, ME/Brunswick), helped keep the Laser attack at bay for most of the game. Reavey paced the Lyons with four goals, while Putnam added three goals and two assists. Leonard had two goals and two assists, while senior Zach Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) and freshman Adam Cohen (Montpelier, VT/Montpelier) each added a pair of scores. Milligan added three assists and a goal in the victory. Denny posted three scoreless periods with seven saves, while senior Mac Jackson (Brooklin, ME/George Stevens) stopped seven shots in the fourth.
Women's Lacrosse (4-2, 3-0) Extends Win Streak to Four Games, Stays Perfect in League
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team extended its winning streak to four games, as the Lyons posted a perfect 3-0 week with victories over Wellesley, Western Connecticut State and Mount Holyoke. Remaining perfect in conference play through three games, Wheaton edged Wellesley, 11-10 on Tuesday in addition to posting a convincing 14-6 win over Mount Holyoke on Saturday. In non-conference action on Thursday, the Lyons had no difficulty with WCSU in posting a 19-5 triumph.
On Tuesday, Wheaton defeated Wellesley for the first time since the 1994 season. The Blue led throughout most of the game, taking an early 4-0 lead midway through the opening stanza. Junior Lauren Maynes (Woodstock, VT/Woodstock Union) opened the scoring for Wheaton at the 19:23 minute mark, trimming the deficit to 4-1. Wellesley extended its lead to 5-1, but the hosts stormed back to tally three goals in under a minute's time to trail 5-4. The Blue added a pair of free position goals to complete Wellesley's first-half scoring and in the process took a 7-5 lead into the intermission. Freshman Julia Coit (South Portland, ME/South Portland) then tallied the Lyons' first goal of the second stanza, notching her first collegiate hat-trick, while sophomore Vanessa Pisano (Vineyard Haven, MA/Martha's Vineyard) added two more goals to give Wheaton its first lead of the contest at 8-7. The Lyons closed the game in strong fashion, scoring three of the contest's final four goals to secure the victory. In the cage, Wheaton sophomore A. J. Vasiliou (Middletown, CT/Mercy) posted six saves in the win.
Versus Western Connecticut State, the Lyons had very little difficulty earning the victory, as Wheaton took an early 6-0 advantage and never looked back. It took Wheaton 3:37 to get on the board, as Pisano scored the game's first goal. Pisano added another goal just over two minutes later as the Lyons made the score 2-0. Leading 6-1, the Lyons then tallied seven unanswered goals in the stanza, including three more from Pisano, as the Blue and White headed into the intermission ahead 13-1. Wheaton kept the pressure on early in the second half, as first-year attack Christina Gauron (Belmont, MA/The Rivers School) scored 15 seconds into the half. The score increased to 16-1 before the Colonials added their second goal in the 16th minute. Offensively, Pisano finished the game with seven goals and two assists, while Maynes and Coit each added three goals. In goal, Vasiliou had eight saves.
At Mount Holyoke, the hosts tallied the game's first goal 43 second into the contest, but Wheaton's Maynes evened things up just 16 seconds later. The Lyons extended their lead to 4-1, which included Maynes' second score of the afternoon. Holyoke trimmed its deficit to two goals midway through the stanza, but that's as close as the hosts would get as the Blue and White totaled six unanswered goals carrying over to the second half for a commanding 10-2 advantage. Maynes led the Lyons with four goals and one assist, while senior Claudia Guerrero (Needham, MA/Needham) and sophomores Pisano, Caddie Jackson (Deerfield, MA/Deerfield Academy) and Kyla Graves (North Sutton, NH/Kearsarge Regional) added two goals apiece in the victory. Vasiliou continued to shine for the Lyons with 13 saves in recording her fourth consecutive win.
Pisano Garners NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week Laurels
Pisano garnered NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week laurels for the week ending on Sunday, March 30. She led Wheaton in its opening week of play by tallying 14 goals and seven assists in three games. In the season opener against nationally-ranked Bowdoin, Pisano recorded seven goals and an assist in a 15-13 loss. She led the team in scoring with five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in a 10-8 loss to Gordon and then added five goals and three assists in the Lyons' 24-1 triumph over Smith.
Softball (17-5, 3-1) Has Nine-Game Winning Streak Snapped, Drops Three Straight Games
The Wheaton College softball team had its nine-game winning streak come to a close Friday evening, as the Lyons split with Coast Guard in a conference doubleheader in New London, Connecticut. Following a 2-0 victory in game one, the Lyons saw a 4-0 lead in game two disappear en route to a 6-4 loss. Ranked fifth in the country according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), Wheaton then fell to regionally-ranked Tufts, 2-1 and Western Connecticut State, 4-2 on Sunday.
At Coast Guard, Wheaton saw a two-out grand slam highlight a six-run fourth inning for the Bears, as the hosts overcame a 4-0 deficit in game two to beat the visiting Lyons in a game called after five innings due to darkness. Wheaton won the first game 2-0. Junior hurler Jackie Demling (Norwood, MA/Norwood) fired a one-hitter while striking out eight batters in the opener and classmate Lori Hill (Chestnut Hill, MA/Newton North) broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the sixth inning. A throwing error following the single gave Wheaton a 2-0 lead. In the nightcap, the Lyons built a 4-0 lead as they scored three times in the top of the second, thanks in part to junior Carmella Ranieri's (Framingham, MA/Framingham) two-run single. Sophomore Jennifer Nelligan (Brockton, MA/Brockton) added an RBI double for the Blue and White. Coast Guard got on the board for the first time all day in the fourth, when one of its players delivered a bases loaded RBI single before the grand slam gave way to a 5-4 Bear lead. Freshman Brittney Ames (Conway, NH/Kennett) took the loss for Wheaton in game two.
In Sunday's first game, Tufts took an early 2-0 advantage in the first inning. The two runs were the first runs allowed in 35.0 innings for Demling, who had not yielded a run since March 20. It was also the first earned run given up by Demling in 40.0 innings. Wheaton did not threaten until the top of the seventh inning, when pinch hitter Amy Cravenho (Taunton, MA/Taunton) delivered a single. Sophomore Jessica Foster (Sidney, ME/Messalonskee) followed with a pinch-hit RBI double, which plated pinch runner Courtney Prior (Holliston, MA/Holliston) to make the score 2-1. That was as close as the Lyons would get, as the next two batters grounded out to end the game. On the mound, Demling fell to 9-2 on the year, giving up two runs on four hits while striking out seven Jumbo batters.
Against Western Connecticut State, Wheaton again fell behind early in the first, this time trailing 1-0 in the top of the first. The Lyons bounced back, plating two runners in the bottom half of the inning on RBI singles from Hill and senior co-captain Rachael Powers (Quincy, MA/North Quincy). The game remained 2-1 until the top of the seventh inning, when the Colonials took advantage of a pair of Wheaton errors to retake the lead. Following an error in the infield, Western made the Lyons pay, as hitting a two-run homer for a 3-2 lead that would not be relinquished. For Wheaton, Demling gave up four runs, two earned, with five strikeouts in the losing effort.
Demling Garners ECAC & NEWMAC Accolades for Second Straight Week
Demling garnered Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and NEWMAC Pitcher-of-the-Week accolades for the week ending on Sunday, March 30. This marks the second time in as many weeks that she has received the honors. Demling posted a 3-0 record over the week, adding three complete game shutouts and only seven hits in 18 innings of work. In the Lyons' 8-0 six-inning win over UMass-Dartmouth, Demling struck out four batters in six innings. Against Bridgewater State, she allowed two hits and struck out 13 batters in a 3-0 win at home. At Mount Holyoke, Demling allowed only one hit in an 11-0 five-inning win.
Men's Tennis (11-1, 2-0) 10-Match Streak Snapped by Brandeis, Posts Two League Wins
The Wheaton College men's tennis team had its program-best 10-match unbeaten streak snapped on Thursday against Brandeis, 5-1. The Lyons however did pick up a pair of key conference victories during the week, downing Babson, 5-2 on Wednesday and Springfield, 6-1 on Saturday.
Against Babson, Wheaton responded from two early doubles losses to defeat the Beavers at the Haas Athletic Center. The match was moved indoors due to rain on Clark Tennis Courts. Things started slow for Wheaton, as the Lyons dropped their first doubles point of the season. In the number two doubles slot, junior Adam Wright (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) teamed with freshman partner Nick Potter (Concord, NH/Concord) to record Wheaton's lone doubles win, 8-4. In singles competition, Wheaton took five of six matches to clinch the 5-2 victory. Freshman Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) bounced back from his doubles defeat, claiming a three-set victory (4-6, 6-4, 6-2) at the top spot. Junior Ian Peck (Mount Vernon, NH/Souhegan) posted a straight-set victory (6-2, 6-2) at third singles, with Peck taking a three-set win (4-6, 6-3, 6-4) at fourth singles. In the fifth position, Potter quickly defeated his opponent, 6-2, 6-0, while freshman Mike Moss (Needham, MA/Needham) defeated his opposition, 7-5, 6-2 in the sixth slot.
On Thursday, Wheaton suffered its first loss of the season at Brandeis. In the singles competition, Brandeis used wins in the one through five spots to secure the victory. Moss posted Wheaton's lone win on the afternoon, capturing a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the sixth spot. Junior Scott Longmire (Belmont, MA/Belmont) hung tough in the second spot, but in the end the junior captain was unable to pull out the three-set match, succumbing 1-6, 6-3, 2-6. Due to the fact that the match was moved indoors and Brandeis had already secured the victory in the singles competition, no doubles contests were played on the afternoon.
Versus Springfield, Wheaton started the match on a strong note by taking the doubles point, as the hosts were victorious in two of their three matches. Wright and Potter scored an 8-5 win at second doubles, while Peck and first-year Jeff Selesnick (Concord, NH/Concord) took the third doubles match, 8-1. The Lyons saw their chance at a sweep thwarted in first singles, when Springfield took a thrilling three-set match from Sheers. In the two through six slots however, it was all Wheaton, as the Blue and White won all five matches in straight sets. Highlighting the singles victories was Wright, who swept his opponent, 6-0, 6-0 in the third slot. Longmire scored a 6-3, 6-0 victory in the second position, while Peck, Potter and Moss each posted straight-set wins in the four, five and six spots, respectively.
Potter Tabbed NEWMAC Player of the Week
Potter was tabbed the NEWMAC Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, March 30. Potter helped lead the Lyons to a pair of 7-0 victories over Johnson & Wales and Bridgewater State. Against the Wildcats, Potter scored a 6-0, 6-1 victory at fifth singles and also teamed with Wright for an 8-2 win at first doubles. Versus Bridgewater, Potter took a 6-0, 6-2 straight-set victory in singles play and posted an 8-0 win at second doubles with Wright. With wins in all of his singles and doubles matches on the week, Potter remained perfect from his number five singles spot this spring. He has registered an unblemished mark in doubles play.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
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