Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2002-03 > April 14, 2003
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Baseball (11-6-2, 4-2) Drops Pair of Games to Wesleyan and Babson
The Wheaton College baseball team lost its only two games played this week, as the Lyons dropped a 2-1 decision to Wesleyan in non-conference action Thursday afternoon at Sidell Stadium. On Sunday, Wheaton fell to Babson College, 4-1 in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) contest at Sidell. The Lyons, ranked 26th in the country and second in New England, dropped back to second place in the conference standings.
Wheaton only mustered four hits against Wesleyan, as the Lyons had their five-game unbeaten streak snapped. Following four scoreless innings of play, the Cardinals broke the stalemate in the top half of the fifth. The Lyons evened things up in the bottom of the fifth, spearheaded by a leadoff single from freshman Jamie Baker (Boxford, MA/Masconomet). Baker advanced to third on a Mark Brown (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) single to left center field and eventually scored on a Rafael Castillo (Queens, NY/Christ The King) groundout to second base. The Cardinals however took the lead for good in the top of the seventh. Sophomore Matt Ponte (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven) was saddled with the loss for the Lyons, scattering nine hits with three strikeouts and two earned runs. Offensively, Brown was Wheaton's long multiple hitter, going 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
Against Babson, senior hurler Mike Hunsinger (Fall River, MA/Durfee) suffered his first loss on the mound since his sophomore season, striking out 10 Beaver batters while scattering nine hits and three earned runs. Babson plated one run in the opening frame. Wheaton went scoreless for five innings, until Brown knotted the contest with a single swing of the bat, picking up his first collegiate home run to open the sixth inning. Babson later tallied a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth for a 4-1 lead that would not be relinquished. Wheaton put forth a rally attempt in the bottom half of the ninth, as junior Tim Ziakas (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) posted a one-out single, which was followed by a walk from sophomore Rob Cipolla (South Windsor, CT/Kingswood-Oxford). The Beavers settled in and forced two fly balls to center field to capture the victory. Ziakas was Wheaton's lone multiple hitter, going 3-for-4 with a double.
Cipolla Tabbed NEWMAC Player of the Week
Sophomore third baseman Rob Cipolla (South Windsor, CT/Kingswood-Oxford) was tabbed the NEWMAC Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, April 6. Cipolla helped run Wheaton's unbeaten streak to five games, as he hit .529 (9-for-17), with five RBI, two runs scored and a triple. He also had a slugging percentage of .647 in four games. In three conference contests against MIT and WPI, Cipolla batted .583 (7-for-12). Cipolla had multiple hits in three of the four games, including a 2-for-5 performance in a 5-5 tie with Brandeis. Against MIT, he was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in an 8-3 win over the Engineers. Cipolla concluded the week against WPI, going 4-for-8 with three RBI and a run scored in a 5-1 and 9-5 sweep.
Men's Lacrosse (2-6, 1-1) Drops First Pilgrim League Game of Season
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team fell behind early and never recovered Saturday afternoon at Springfield, as the Pride used 10 second-quarter goals to put away the Lyons, 25-7 in Pilgrim League action on Benedum Field.
Springfield started the game by scoring five consecutive goals over the first 10:36 of the first quarter. Wheaton added its first goal with 1:01 to play, when junior Zak Putnam (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) received a feed from senior J.J. Velez (New York, NY/South Kent School) to pull Wheaton within four goals. The Pride put the game out of reach in the second period. SC took an 8-1 advantage before sophomore Paul Leonard (East Grand Rapids, MI/East Grand Rapids) gave Wheaton its second goal with 8:11 to play in the stanza. Springfield then scored seven of the game's next eight goals to close out the half with a 15-3 lead.
The Lyons added three third-quarter goals, including two by Velez to make the score 18-6 with 7:14 remaining in the quarter. SC then added seven unanswered goals to extend its advantage to 25-7. It was not until 15 seconds remained when the Blue and White scored again, as junior Scott Liston (Plainfield, NH/Kimball Union) recorded the Lyons' final tally. For Wheaton, Velez finished with two goals and an assist while Putnam added a goal and two assists. In goal for the Lyons, senior Mac Jackson (Brooklin, ME/George Stevens Academy) and junior Bryant Denny (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) split halves while combining for 17 saves.
Women's Lacrosse (7-2, 5-0) Captures First NEWMAC Regular Season Championship
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team captured its first NEWMAC regular season championship, as the Lyons moved into sole possession of first place in the conference standings Saturday afternoon at Keefe Field with a 12-7 victory over Springfield. The win caps a program-best seven-game win streak for the Lyons. Earlier in the week, the Blue and White downed MIT, 16-10 on Tuesday in Cambridge and then traveled to Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday to upset nationally-ranked Trinity, 15-14.
At MIT, sophomore attack Vanessa Pisano (Vineyard Haven, MA/Martha's Vineyard) accounted for half of Wheaton's goals en route to the six-goal victory. Pisano spearheaded Wheaton's offensive attack early, tallying four of the Lyons' first five goals. Wheaton didn't waste anytime offensively, as the Lyons took a quick 3-0 lead in the first five minutes of action. MIT countered however, reeling off four straight goals to capture a 4-3 edge midway through the stanza. The Lyons next lead came with five minutes to play in the half, when junior Lauren Maynes (Woodstock, VT/Woodstock Union) took a feed from classmate Peri West (Weston, MA/Weston) for a 6-5 lead. MIT led 7-6 at the intermission and extended their advantage to 9-6 just three minutes into the second stanza, but after that Wheaton controlled the game's tempo. The Lyons exploded for nine unanswered goals and in the process took a commanding 15-9 advantage with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. Maynes finished the contest with four goals, while sophomore goalkeeper A.J. Vasiliou (Middletown, CT/Mercy) earned her fifth straight win with 10 saves on the night.
At Trinity, sophomore Caddie Jackson (Deerfield, MA/Deerfield Academy) scored the game-winning goal with 3:24 remaining, lifting Wheaton to the thrilling 15-14 upset victory. The Bantams were ranked 12th in the country according to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). Trinity sprinted to a 3-0 lead in the first five minutes, but the Lyons cut the deficit to one on two occasions, the latter coming with nearly 20 minutes remaining. Trinity then tallied five of the game's next six goals for a commanding 9-4 advantage and eventually took an 11-7 lead into the half. The Lyons quickly chipped away at the Trinity lead to begin the second half, led by Pisano, who scored a pair of goals to trim the score to 11-9. Trailing 13-9 with 20 minutes to play, Wheaton recorded three straight tallies to narrow the margin to a single goal. Trinity added its 14th and final goal with 10:06 to play for a 14-12 lead, but from that point on the momentum began to change hands. Maynes and Pisano each tallied a goal within a 13-second span to knot the contest at 14-14 with 5:47 on the clock, setting up Jackson's late-game heroics. Jackson's goal gave Wheaton its first lead of the game, while the Blue and White defense held the Bantams scoreless over the final ten minutes. Trinity's offense was held in check with only three second-half scores. Vasiliou was impressive in the cage, posting a season-high 20 saves.
Against Springfield, the Pride opened the scoring just 5:11 into the first half, but twelve minutes later, the Lyons evened the score as Maynes scored the first of her four goals. Springfield then added two more goals before Wheaton sophomore Kyla Graves (North Sutton, NH/Kearsarge Regional) cut the deficit to 3-2 with 22 seconds left in the stanza. The Lyons did not trail for long to open the second half, as Pisano knotted the contest at three goals apiece on an assist from senior Claudia Guerrero (Needham, MA/Needham) 1:07 seconds into play. Twenty-six seconds later, Guerrero added a goal of her own to give Wheaton its first lead of the game at 4-3. The Pride quickly evened the score seven seconds later, before Pisano tallied her second goal of the game to again give the Lyons a one-point advantage. Springfield tied the game at five goals apiece before Wheaton went on a scoring binge, tallying five goals in six minutes to take a commanding 10-5 lead. Both teams added two more goals apiece to close the game at 12-7. On offense, Maynes led the way with four goals and two assists, while Pisano added a trio of goals. Graves and West contributed two goals each, while Guerrero tallied a goal and an assist. Vasiliou recorded 15 saves in the win.
Vasiliou Selected NEWMAC Co-Player of the Week
Vasiliou was selected NEWMAC Co-Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, April 6. She posted an impressive 7.00 goals against average and .563 save percentage in a perfect 3-0 week for Wheaton. Playing in all 180 minutes, she combined for 14 stops in an 11-10 win against Wellesley and a 19-5 triumph over Western Connecticut State. Vasiliou also posted 13 saves in the Lyons' 14-6 victory over Mount Holyoke. On the season, Vasiliou is among the season leaders in a number of categories, including goals against average, winning percentage, save percentage and saves per game.
Softball (22-6, 8-2) Records 5-1 Week in Conference Play, Sweeps Clark and WPI
The Wheaton College softball team posted a 5-1 mark in conference play this week, including sweeps over Clark and WPI. On Thursday at Clark Field, the Lyons defeated the Cougars, 9-7 and 6-1. Staying at Clark Field on Saturday, Wheaton took game one against Babson, 4-0 but had to settle for a split with a 6-3 loss in nine innings in game two. At WPI on Sunday, the Blue and White had little difficulty with the Engineers, winning 7-0 and 18-1 in five innings. Wheaton ranked fifth in the country and third in New England, is currently in second place in the conference standings
Against Clark in game one, Wheaton jumped out in front from the start, using back-to-back singles from junior Carmella Ranieri (Framingham, MA/Framingham) and senior co-captain Maren Schrader (Canby, OR/Canby). Senior co-captain Rachael Powers (Quincy, MA/North Quincy) then drew a walk to load the bases, which was followed by a two-run double from sophomore Jennifer Nelligan (Brockton, MA/Brockton). Powers would eventually score on an RBI by junior Lori Hill (Chestnut Hill, MA/Newton North) later in the inning to make the score 3-0. The Blue and White tacked on four runs on six hits in the second inning and two more runs in the fourth courtesy of a two-run home run from sophomore Sarah Malloy (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland). Trailing 9-2 heading into the top of the seventh, the Cougars loaded the bases on a pair of hits and a walk. Clark added five runs on two Lyon errors and a two-run homer, but would get no closer. Junior Jackie Demling (Norwood, MA/Norwood) picked up her 10th win of the season on the mound, striking out four in five innings of work. Offensively, Ranieri and Nelligan each recorded three hits with Nelligan driving in two runs.
In game two, the Cougars started hot, posting one run on three hits in the first inning. The Lyons answered in the bottom of the second with an unearned run to tie the score at one apiece. Wheaton then took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Malloy added her second home run of the day to put the Lyons up 2-1. Wheaton got its second run of the inning when Hill scored, as the Cougars had Lyon freshmen Brittany Ames (Conway, NH/Kennett) in a run down. The Blue and White tacked on a single run in the fifth inning and a pair of runs in the sixth to secure the win. Nelligan picked up her fifth win of the season, yielding one run on six hits with three strikeouts.
Versus Babson in the opener, Demling tossed her third one-hitter of the year, striking out seven batters while picking up her 11th win of the year in the complete-game shutout. Ranieri set the tone early, leading off the bottom of the first with a double and later scoring on a double by Nelligan three batters later. Wheaton added an unearned run in the third and plated two more on a two-run double by Ranieri in the fourth. Ranieri finished the game 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and a pair of doubles, while Nelligan was 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run batted in. Game two started out the same, with Wheaton jumping out to a 2-0 lead through four innings. First-year hurler Amy Rowbottom (Norridgewock, ME/Skowhegan Area) cruised through the first four innings, striking out four batters while yielding only one hit. In the fifth, the Beavers added a run. However, Rowbottom retired the next batter to end the inning. The Lyons got the run back in the bottom of the frame when Powers delivered an RBI single. Trailing 3-1 in the top of the seventh, Babson mounted a comeback in sending the game to extra innings. In the ninth, the Beavers tacked on three runs and in the process shut down the Lyons in the bottom of the frame. Powers was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Sarah Malloy was 3-for-5 with a run.
At WPI in game one, the Blue and White posted six runs over the final two innings to secure the victory. In the third inning, sophomore Kate Malloy (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) led off with a double and later scored on an RBI double by Powers. The game remained 1-0 until the sixth, when Sarah Malloy blasted a two-run home run, her fourth of the year, to make the score 3-0. Later in the inning, sophomore Jessica Foster (Sidney, ME/Messalonskee) posted an RBI triple and later scored on a single by Powers in the next at-bat. Wheaton added two more runs in the seventh on back-to-back RBI singles from Hill and junior Gina Jacques (Augusta, ME/Hebron Academy). Demling earned her 12th win on the mound, tossing a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts and only three hits allowed. Offensively, Kate Malloy was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two doubles, while Nelligan went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Sarah Malloy finished the contest batting 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs.
Game two saw the Lyons explode offensively, plating 18 runs on 12 hits in a five inning win due to the mercy rule. The Blue and White scored four runs in the second, two in the third, four in the fourth and eight in the fifth during the route. Junior Amanda Dow-Allen (Greenfield, MA/Stoneleigh-Burnham) was 4-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBI and a double. Sarah Malloy, Hill and Powers each recorded two hits with Malloy and Powers each positing a double. First-year Leigh-Anne Cioffredi (Lebanon, NH/Lebanon) picked up her first collegiate hit, as she knocked in a two-run double in the fourth inning. Rowbottom earned her second win of the year on the mound, tossing a complete game while yielding three hits and one run. She struck out six Engineer batters.
Men's Tennis (12-3, 3-1) Records 1-2 Week, Sweeps Clark in Conference Match
The Wheaton College men's tennis team recorded a 1-2 week, including a split in conference play. National power MIT handed the Lyons a 7-0 setback on Wednesday in Wheaton's Beard Field House, but the Blue and White responded on Saturday with a home sweep over Clark. On Sunday, Wheaton dropped a 5-2 decision to Salve Regina in a non-conference match.
In their match with highly-touted MIT, the contest was moved inside to the Beard Field House due to rain for the third consecutive home match. In doubles action, the Lyons fought hard, however they were unable to overtake the Engineers. Junior captain Scott Longmire (Belmont, MA/Belmont) and freshman Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) recorded the closest of the three doubles matches, dropping an 8-5 decision. Junior Adam Wright (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) and freshman Nick Potter (Concord, NH/Concord) fell 8-4 at second doubles, while Lyon junior Ian Peck (Mount Vernon, NH/Souhegan) and first-year Jeff Selesnick (Concord, NH/Concord) lost an 8-3 decision at third doubles. The best match in the singles competition came in the fifth spot, where Potter put up a valiant fight, dropping his match 6-4, 7-5. Sheers fell in the top spot 6-2, 6-2, with Longmire dropping a 6-1, 6-1 decision at the second slot. Wright, Peck and freshman Mike Moss (Needham, MA/Needham) lost in the third, fourth and sixth positions, respectively.
On Saturday with Clark, Wheaton had little difficulty in doubles play, as the tandem of Peck and Selesnick dominated play en route to an 8-1 triumph in the third position. Wright and Potter won 8-2 at second doubles, while Longmire and Sheers posted an 8-3 decision at number one singles. Wright highlighted singles play for the Lyons, not allowing a single game to be lost en route to the 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the third position. Other straight set victories came from Sheers, Longmire, Peck and Potter to round out the top five singles slots. Moss went three sets at sixth singles before prevailing 6-3 to complete the sweep.
Against Salve Regina, the Seahawks took the doubles point by winning two of three matches. Wheaton was victorious in the second spot, as Wright and Potter won 8-3. In singles action, Salve swept the one through four spots, led by a 6-1, 6-1 win in the number one position. In the second slot, Longmire took his opponent to three sets, while Wright also went the distance, with the Seahawks eventually posting the win. The Lyons' two victories came in the fifth and sixth spots. Potter posted a straight-set triumph in the fifth spot (7-6, 6-1), while Moss won a 7-5, 6-3 decision in the sixth position.
Wright Earns NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week Nod
Wright earned the NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week nod for the week ending on Sunday, April 6. He helped pace Wheaton to a 2-1 week (11-1 overall) with a pair of victories at third singles and second doubles. In the Lyons' 5-2 conference win against Babson, Wright scored a 6-2, 6-2 victory in singles play in addition to teaming Potter for an 8-4 win at second doubles. Despite dropping a straight-set singles decision to Brandeis (no doubles matches were played), Wright bounced back to beat his opponent from Springfield, 6-0, 6-0. In his doubles match against the Pride, Wright and Potter won 8-5 as Wheaton defeated Springfield, 6-1.
Men's and Women's Outdoor Track Earns Four Individual Wins at Brown Invitational
The Wheaton College men's and women's track and field teams traveled to Providence, Rhode Island to compete in the Brown Invitational at Brown Stadium. Competing against seven Division I and one Division II programs, the women finished in seventh place overall with 36.5 points, while the men placed ninth with 22 points. Four Wheaton athletes picked up victories on the day, with two gaining NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying marks. Achieving automatic qualifications was sophomore Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy), who leaped 7' 1" in capturing the high jump title on the men's side, and junior Vernick Smith (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson), who posted a time of 55.59 in the 400-meter dash on the women's side. In addition to Olson and Smith, juniors Eric Benson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) and Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) captured the 400-meter dash and the 200-meter dash events, respectively. Both gaining provisional qualifying marks, Benson won the 400M in a time of 48.48, while James won the 200M in 24.82.
Four other Lyon women scored points in the meet, with two earning provisional qualifying standards in the process. Senior captain Kristen Cullen (Stoneham, MA/Stoneham) finished third in the 100-meter high hurdles in a provisional time of 14.87, while sophomore Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA/Cathedral) jumped 37' 8" in gaining provisional status in the triple jump. Donoghue placed fourth in the event. Three women posted fifth place finishes on the day, led by senior captain Noreen Kordzeil (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango) in the 100-meter high hurdles (15.14), Donoghue in the long jump (17' 10 3/4") and first-year Aspen James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) in the 100-meter dash (12.85). Sophomore Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) rounded out the point scorers for the women, placing sixth in the high jump. One additional athlete scored points on the men's side. Junior Tyrone McClain (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse) posted a sixth place mark in the 200-meter dash, finishing with a time of 22.68.
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