Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2002-03 > April 21, 2003
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Baseball (18-6-2, 10-2) Captures Fifth Straight NEWMAC Regular Season Championship
The Wheaton College baseball team captured its fifth straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season championship this week. Gaining home field advantage at Sidell Stadium for the third consecutive year, the Lyons were put into a must win situation throughout the week in league play. Posting seven straight victories, including six conference wins, Wheaton swept Springfield, 7-1 and 18-2 on Monday, defeated MIT, 15-4 on Tuesday, nipped Bridgewater State, 6-5 and Babson, 4-3 on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively and concluded the week on Saturday with a sweep of Coast Guard, 15-4 and 3-1.
On Monday, Wheaton racked up 25 runs in two seven inning games against Springfield. In game one, freshman Jamie Baker (Boxford, MA/Masconomet) got things going in the third, leading off the inning with a single while advancing to second on a late overthrow to first. Following a single by senior Brett Edmunds (Wolfeboro, NH/Kingswood Regional), Baker scored on another error off the bat of catcher Mark Brown (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford). First-year shortstop Rafael Castillo (Queens, NY/Christ The King) knocked home Edmunds for the 2-0 lead. In the fifth, senior Scott Beattie (Sanford, ME/Sanford) knocked home two runs with a single to right field. Freshman Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, NH/Monadnock) picked up his second win on the mound. He went the distance, spreading out five hits with no earned runs. Baker and sophomore Rob Cipolla (South Windsor, CT/Kingswood-Oxford) had two hits each, with Baker having two runs and an RBI.
In the nightcap, Wheaton and Springfield combined for seven runs through the opening two frames, with the hosts holding a 5-2 lead. In the third, the Lyons erupted for 11 runs on 10 hits to put the game away. Having 16 plate appearances in the half inning alone, Wheaton saw Beattie blast a three-run homer, followed by a solo shot off the bat of Duplissie. Castillo plated three runners with a pair of singles in the frame. First-year Joe White (Bedford, NH/Manchester West) earned the victory, fanning six batters while allowing two runs on three hits. Castillo finished the game batting 4-for-4 with four RBI, three runs, a double and a walk. Beattie went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs, while Duplissie was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI. Brown also had three hits with two runs.
Despite the 11-run win against MIT, the Engineers took an early 1-0 lead, thanks to a leadoff triple. Cipolla ignited Wheaton's offensive attack in the bottom of the frame, delivering a one-run triple to knot the contest at 1-1. Duplissie then smashed his second home run in as many games for a 3-1 advantage. The Lyons never looked back, as Beattie doubled in two more runs to complete the scoring in the first. Junior John Ablondi (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) capped the second inning with a two-run homer to extend the hosts lead to 10-1. First-year hurler Chris Martin (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) earned his first collegiate win, scattering seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. Offensively, Cipolla was a home run away from picking up the cycle, as he went a perfect 5-for-5 with four RBI, three runs scored, a triple, two doubles and was hit by pitch. Beattie finished the game batting 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, a double, a stolen base and a walk.
Against Bridgewater State, junior Jesse Woods (Reading, MA/Reading) posted a two-run double to tie the contest at five runs apiece and Brown added the game-winning single in the bottom half of the sixth inning, leading Wheaton to the one-run edge. The Bears took a 5-1 lead after three innings and the score remained that way until the bottom of the sixth. In the sixth, Wheaton's bats came alive for five runs on six hits, including a stretch where the Lyons reeled off four straight hits. Pinch running for Woods following the double, freshman John Lister (Limington, ME/Westbrook) advanced to third on a groundout to second and then picked up the game-winning run thanks to Brown's base hit. Sophomore Mike Banda (Blairstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII Regional) earned the win in relief, pitching five scoreless innings, scattering five hits with one strikeout and three walks. Freshman Mark DeMasse (Reading, MA/Reading) picked up his first collegiate save, striking out one batter in the ninth.
At Babson, Wheaton regained control of its own destiny in the race for the conference regular season championship. The Lyons plated the game's first two runs in the top of the third and then added two more runs in the fifth inning. Babson picked up two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to make things interesting. In the bottom of the ninth, the Beavers loaded the bases and then saw their third run score on a hit batsman by DeMasse, who had come on to start the inning. With the tying run on third and the winning run at second, DeMasse earned his second save of the season by striking out his next batter. Sophomore Matt Ponte (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven) allowed just one earned run on six hits in 7.1 innings to record the victory.
In the Coast Guard opener on Saturday, Beattie's two-run double highlighted a three-run second inning to open the scoring. In the fourth, Castillo delivered an RBI triple with Ziakas following with an RBI double for a 5-0 Wheaton lead. The Lyons put the game away with eight runs in the fifth inning, as junior Ablondi hit a two-run homer, giving Wheaton a commanding 13-0 advantage. Duplissie took a no-hitter into the sixth frame, before an infield single broke up his no-hit bid. The Bears scored four runs in the sixth. Duplissie worked 5.2 innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs with five strikeouts. In game two, senior hurler Mike Hunsinger (Fall River, MA/Durfee) threw a two-hitter and struck out eight batters to complete the sweep. Wheaton took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single by Beattie. The Lyons added to their lead in the fourth with an Ablondi sacrifice fly. Coast Guard got its first hit of the game on a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, however Wheaton added an insurance run on an RBI single by Brown in the seventh. Beattie and Brown were the lone multiple hitters, going 2-for-3 while combining for an RBI and run scored.
Men's Lacrosse (3-7, 2-2) Splits Pair of Pilgrim League Contests, Defeats MIT, 17-7
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team split a pair of Pilgrim League contests on the week. After dropping a 9-3 decision to Babson on Tuesday, the Lyons salvaged the split Friday night in Cambridge, defeating MIT, 17-7.
On Tuesday, both teams witnessed a low scoring affair in the first period, as Babson tallied the only goal with a single tick left on the clock. The Beavers took a commanding lead in the second period, outscoring the Lyons 4-1 in the stanza, with Wheaton junior midfielder Chris Milligan (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand) tallying the only first-half goal for the home team. The third quarter resembled the first, only this time it was Babson that was shutout. Milligan scored the period's only goal with less than a minute gone by, cutting the deficit to 5-2. The fourth stanza started out promising for Wheaton, as junior Zak Putnam (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) tallied a goal at the 11:41 mark to bring the Beaver lead down to two goals. The Beavers scored with just over eight minutes left and then netted another goal just a minute later to give the visitors some breathing room late in the contest. Babson tacked on two more goals late in the game to seal the victory. Milligan led the Lyons with two goals, while junior goalie Bryant Denny (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) made 14 saves.
At MIT, the Blue and White opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the first period, when junior Evan Carbotti (Newport, RI/Portsmouth Abbey) scored to make it 1-0. Wheaton tacked on two more goals before MIT got on the board at 6:18 of the first period. The Lyons closed the stanza with three additional goals and a 6-1 lead. The Engineers pulled within two goals heading into the intermission, scoring three times within the last three minutes of play in the second period. Wheaton then exploded for eight goals in the third quarter, including the first two by Milligan, for a commanding 14-5 lead heading into the final period. MIT added two of the fourth quarter's first three goals, but it was not enough as Carbotti and Milligan added the final two Lyon tallies at the 4:19 and 1:51 minute marks, respectively, to close out the 17-7 triumph. Offensively, Carbotti and Milligan, who combined to record nine goals and two assists, led Wheaton. Putnam posted three goals and an assist, while junior Scott Liston (Plainfield, NH/Kimball Union) had a goal and three assists. In goal, Denny stopped 18 shots.
Women's Lacrosse (8-3, 5-1) Gears for Upcoming NEWMAC Tournament, Posts 1-1 Week
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team, which entered the game having already clinched the NEWMAC regular season title and the top seed in the conference tournament, split a pair of games with conference foe Babson and local rival Bridgewater State. Despite being in front 8-0 at Babson on Tuesday, the Lyons fell one goal short in their first and only conference loss of the season. On Saturday against Bridgewater, Wheaton defeated the Bears in convincing fashion by a count of 21-10.
At Babson, the host Beavers rallied from an 8-0 first-half deficit to stun the Lyons. Wheaton dominated play early on, scoring eight unanswered goals to begin the game. Senior Heather Horne (Gloucester, MA/Pingree School), junior Lauren Maynes (Woodstock, VT/Woodstock Union) and first-year Christina Gauron (Belmont, MA/The Rivers School) each scored two goals apiece during the run, as the Lyons took a commanding lead. Babson began to chip away at its eight goal deficit late in the opening stanza, scoring three goals in the final eight minutes. The Beavers then tallied five straight goals to tie the contest at 8-8. The Lyons would regain the lead when Maynes scored on a free position with 24:21 left in the second half, but Babson once again tied things up, eventually grabbing their first lead of the contest at 14:42. Wheaton answered on a goal by sophomore Vanessa Pisano (Vineyard Haven, MA/Martha's Vineyard) with 13 minutes remaining, but Babson netted the eventual game-winner just one minute later, giving the Beavers an 11-10 lead. The Lyons had one final chance on a free position with 1.6 seconds left, but Babson forced the final shot high over the net, clinching the 11-10 victory. Sophomore A.J. Vasiliou (Middleton, CT/Mercy) had 21 saves.
Against Bridgewater State, Pisano opened the scoring a minute and sixteen seconds into the first stanza, scoring on an assist from freshman attack Julia Coit (South Portland, ME/South Portland). Senior Claudia Guerrero (Needham, MA/Needham) quickly followed suit, scoring off of a free position to give the Lyons a 2-0 lead less than four minutes into play. Pisano would tack on four more goals in the half, three unassisted, contributing five scores to the Lyons' 11-6 halftime lead. The second half featured the efforts of Maynes, who scored three unassisted goals in the half to give her four points on the day. The Bears came out of the intermission by scoring three goals in a minute and a half, but the Blue and White withstood their attack on the defensive performance of Vasiliou, who recorded twelve saves in the game. Wheaton's Caddie Jackson (Deerfield, MA/Deerfield Academy) added three scores down the stretch to up her total to four goals. Pisano's 14 shots yielded five scores, while Maynes and Coit finished with four goals apiece. Coit also had a game-high three assists.
Maynes Became Third Lacrosse Player in as Many Weeks to Earn NEWMAC Honors
Maynes became the third Wheaton women's lacrosse player in as many weeks to earn NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week honors. She picked up the award for the week ending on Sunday, April 13. In addition to the NEWMAC award, Maynes earned weekly awards from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Women's Lacrosse.com organizations. She helped lead Wheaton to its first conference regular season championship as well as a program-best seven-game winning streak, including a 3-0 showing on the week. In three games, Maynes posted 13 goals and three assists. At MIT, she netted four goals in a 16-10 conference victory. Against nationally-ranked Trinity, Maynes tallied five goals with one assist in a 15-14 thriller. She capped an outstanding week versus league rival Springfield, finishing with four goals and two helpers in Wheaton's 12-7 win which gave the Lyons sole possession of first place in the conference standings.
Softball (29-6, 14-2) Crowned Regular Season Champions for Fifth Straight Year
The Wheaton College softball team captured its fifth consecutive NEWMAC regular season championship this week and in the process ran its winning streak to a season-best tying nine games. Ranked third in New England, the Lyons will host next weekend's conference tournament for the third straight season. On the week, Wheaton swept MIT, 6-0 and 14-0 in five innings on Tuesday, defeated Salve Regina, 4-0 on Wednesday, knocked off Smith, 10-1 and 12-3 on Friday and finished the week with a sweep of Springfield, 4-3 and 6-0 on Saturday. The Lyons have won nine of the last 10 conference regular season titles.
Against MIT, junior hurler Jackie Demling (Norwood, MA/Norwood) tossed a gem, as the right handed hurler enjoyed her first career no hitter in leading the Lyons to a shutout victory. Wheaton later completed the sweep with a triumph in five innings. Demling was one batter away from pitching a perfect game, as she retired 21 of her 22 batters faced. Junior Brianna Shawah (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock Township) led Wheaton's offense with three doubles, as the Lyons tallied two runs in the second, one in the third and three in the sixth. Wheaton finished with seven doubles in the contest. Shawah went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.
In the nightcap, first-year Amy Rowbottom (Norridgewock, ME/Skowhegan Area) followed up Demling's memorable outing with an encore performance, as she tossed a one-hit shutout with three strikeouts in five innings of work. Senior co-captain Maren Schrader (Canby, OR/Canby) was a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while junior Carmella Ranieri (Framingham, MA/Framingham) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Wheaton posted five multiple-hit performances in the contest, as Sarah Malloy, Kate Malloy and senior co-captain Rachael Powers (Quincy, MA/North Quincy) all finished with two hits.
Versus Salve, neither team was able to push any runners across the plate through the first three innings of play. In the fourth, Shawah knocked home sophomore Jennifer Nelligan (Brockton, MA/Brockton) to make the score 1-0. In the fifth, junior Amanda Dow-Allen (Greenfield, MA/Stoneleigh-Burnham) started a rally with a bloop double into the outfield. After a passed ball, Dow-Allen scored when Ranieri lined a single up the middle for a 2-0 Wheaton advantage. Ranieri scored when a ground ball off the bat of Schrader was thrown past the first baseman. Remaining at first on the error, Schrader stole second and then scored on Nelligan's second hit of the game, giving the Lyons a solid 4-0 lead. On the mound, Demling picked up her 14th win of the season, tossing six shutout innings while spreading out six hits and striking out seven batters. Rowbottom closed out the game with a scoreless seventh. Offensively, Nelligan led the way, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Dow-Allen, Shawah and sophomore Meghan Malloy (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) each posted a double.
At Smith, the Lyons used a six-run second inning to put away the Pioneers early in game one. Powers and sophomore Sarah Malloy (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) led the Wheaton attack, going 3-for-4 and 3-for-5, respectively. Powers had two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI, while Malloy posted a double and three runs batted in. On the mound, Demling gave up five hits, one earned run and struck out seven batters in six innings of work. Rowbottom pitched a scoreless seventh.
Game two proved to be much closer than the final score indicated. After taking a 3-1 lead in the top half of the second, Wheaton saw the Pioneers tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Adding a single run in the fourth, the Blue and White exploded for eight runs on eight hits in the top of the seventh inning to put away the Pioneers. Dow-Allen and Shawah each posted three hits in the game, with Dow-Allen contributing five RBI and a run scored and Shawah adding two runs scored. Demling picked up her 16th win of the season on the mound, throwing five innings. Rowbottom tossed two innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts.
On Saturday, junior Lori Hill's (Chestnut Hill, MA/Newton North) walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning capped a three-run comeback in the opening contest. Game one started off with a bang, as Springfield cracked a two-out, three-run homerun in the top of the first to give the Pride a 3-0 lead. Down 3-1 in the sixth, Powers led off the inning with a double, followed by a single from Hill. Dow-Allen then responded with her second hit of the game, sending a line drive up the middle that ricocheted into left field off the Springfield pitcher, scoring two runs on the play. In the bottom of the seventh, Shawah reached first on a SC error. Shawah advanced to third on two passed balls and following a strikeout, Sarah Malloy walked. Powers then flew out to second, setting up Hill's late-game heroics. Demling earned the win on the mound, giving up three runs on two hits with two strikeouts.
Springfield did not recover in game two, as the Lyons quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Sarah Malloy. In the second, the Lyons loaded the bases courtesy of a hit and two SC errors. Dow-Allen then drew a walk to bring home one run and Ranieri knocked home another with a sacrifice fly to put Wheaton up 3-0. In the fifth after an RBI double by Malloy, Powers slammed her second homerun of the season for a 6-0 Wheaton lead. Demling continued to shine on the mound, tossing her second complete-game two-hitter of the afternoon, striking out four Pride batters. Offensively, Schrader was the lone repeat hitter of the game, going 2-for-4.
Demling Picks Up Third NEWMAC Pitcher-of-the-Week Honor This Season
Demling was named NEWMAC Pitcher of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, April 13. Demling has now achieved this honor three times in the past four weeks. Posting a 3-0 record on the week, Demling helped lead the Lyons to three important conference victories. She pitched five solid innings in a victory over Clark. Versus Babson, Demling recorded a one-hit complete-game shutout while striking out seven batters in a 4-0 triumph. At WPI, she tossed a three-hit shutout and fanned 11 batters to pick up her league-tying 12th victory of the season. Demling currently leads the NEWMAC in both earned run average and strikeouts.
Men's Tennis (14-3, 4-1) Victorious in Pair of Matches, Beats WPI in NEWMAC Contest
The Wheaton College men's tennis team won its program-best 14th victory on the week, as the Lyons were victorious in two matches played. On Tuesday at Rhode Island College, the Lyons swept the host Anchormen, 7-0. Wheaton followed that showing with a 5-2 victory over league opponent WPI. The Blue and White bested their former season high win total of 13, achieved twice (1992 and 1999).
At Rhode Island College, the Blue and White started the match by sweeping their way to the doubles point. Freshman classmates Nick Potter (Concord, NH/Concord) and Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) took the top doubles match, 8-3. Junior Scott Longmire (Belmont, MA/Belmont) and first-year Jeff Selesnick (Concord, NH/Concord) posted an 8-3 victory in the second slot, while junior Brooks Cutright (Ipswich, MA/Ipswich) and freshman Brian Spielman (Madbury, NH/Oyster River) posted an 8-4 triumph at the three spot. In singles action, all six Lyons won, led by Potter, who scored a 6-0, 6-0 win in the fourth spot. Longmire and Selesnick scored 6-0, 6-1 wins in the second and fifth positions, respectively, while Sheers and Cutright each posted straight-set victories.
Against WPI, Longmire and Sheers dropped an 8-6 decision in the top doubles match. However, the Lyons rallied to gain the doubles point behind wins from junior Adam Wright (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) and Potter in the second spot and junior Ian Peck (Mount Vernon, NH/Souhegan) and Selesnick at third doubles. Wright and Potter won 8-4, while Peck and Selesnick posted an 8-2 victory. In the singles portion of the match, the Lyons swept the three through six spots with straight-set victories. Wright defeated his opponent, 6-4, 6-1 in the third position, while Peck won 6-3, 6-3 in the fourth spot. Rounding out the victories were Potter (6-0, 6-2) in the fifth position and freshman Mike Moss (Needham, MA/Needham) in the sixth spot (6-3, 6-1).
Six Wheaton Track Athletes Post NCAA Qualifying Marks at Solomon Husky Invitational
The Wheaton College men's and women's track and field teams posted six NCAA Division III national meet qualifying standards at the Solomon Husky Invitational hosted by Northeastern University Saturday afternoon at the Solomon Track in Dedham. No team scores were kept during the meet. Five women recorded NCAA qualifying marks in the meet, led by junior Vernick Smith (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson), who scored an NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying time in the 400-meter hurdles with a first place finish in 1:02.12. Sophomore Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA/Cathedral) posted three NCAA provisional marks on the afternoon, finishing first in the long jump (5.50m) and triple jump (11.56m) and second in the 400-meter dash (57.38). Also posting a provisional time in the 400M was senior Jana Bromell (Spencer, MA/David Prouty), who finished third in that event in 57.51. Junior Kim Spence (Barrington, NH/Dover) and sophomore Kirsten Larsen (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional) also recorded provisional results in the 400-meter hurdles and javelin, respectively. Spence finished second overall, while Larsen won the javelin.
On the men's side, sophomore Dan Olson (Voorheesville, NY/Albany Academy) continued to dominate the New England collegiate high jump circuit by posting another victory in the high jump. Olson has won all three high jump events he has entered this spring and including the indoor season, he has been the top collegiate jumper in 14 of the 15 meets he has participated. Olson cleared an NCAA Division III national meet provisional qualifying standard of 6' 10" in the event. Also posting top 10 finishes for the men was junior Tyrone McClain (New Haven, CT/Hillhouse), who finished sixth in the 200-meter dash, and sophomore Jamaal Rawls-Payton (Stoughton, MA/Stoughton), who placed ninth in the 110-meter hurdles.
Benson and Olson Garner ECAC Track Accolades
Junior Erik Benson (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) and Olson garnered ECAC Track and Field Athlete-of-the-Week accolades for the week ending on Sunday, April 13. Benson, a Co-Track Athlete-of-the-Week selection and Olson, the Field Athlete of the Week, each won this award twice during the indoor track and field season. Benson, a junior sprinter, placed in two events at the Brown Invitational held at Brown Stadium. He captured the 400-meter dash with an NCAA Division III national meet provisional qualifying time of 48.48. He also placed seventh overall in the 200M event with a time of 22.82. This time qualifies Benson for the ECAC Championship. Olson, a sophomore jumper, was impressive to say the least at Brown, as he cleared a height of 7' 1" in the high jump event, a mark good enough for an NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying standard. Olson took top honors at a meet that featured seven Division I schools and one Division II squad.
Smith Tabbed ECAC Women's Track Co-Athlete of the Week
Smith was tabbed ECAC Co-Track Athlete of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, April 13. In a meet dominated by seven Division I schools and one Division II squad, Smith, a junior sprinter, was victorious in the 400-meter dash event at the Brown Invitational. She sprinted to an NCAA Division III national meet automatic qualifying time of 55.59.
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