Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2002-03 > May 5, 2003
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Baseball (25-8-2, 10-2) Runs NEWMAC Championship Streak to Five Straight Years
The Wheaton College baseball team ran its New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament championship streak to five straight years, as the Lyons defeated Coast Guard, 7-0 in Wednesday's elimination game held at Sidell Stadium. The Bears forced a game seven with Wheaton, as Coast Guard upset the Lyons, 11-7 on Tuesday. Ranked 27th in the nation according to the latest American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) poll, Wheaton wrapped up its regular season over the weekend with three straight victories over Western New England and St. Joseph's. The Lyons beat WNEC, 7-4 on Friday and then swept the Monks, 3-2 and 9-2 on Saturday.
On Tuesday, Coast Guard exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the top of the first inning and never looked back, as the fourth-seeded Bears forced an elimination game with Wheaton. Coast Guard didn't waste any time offensively, as the Bears chased Wheaton starter Matt Ponte (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven) in the first inning. Coast Guard added a run in the second and two more in the fifth to take a commanding 10-0 advantage. In the bottom of the sixth, the Lyons loaded the bags with no outs en route to a four-run inning. After scoring its first run off a double-play ball, Wheaton used three straight hits from senior Scott Beattie (Springvale, ME/Sanford), sophomore Keith Cooper (Swampscott, MA/The Pingree School) and freshman Bryan Duplissie (East Swanzey, NH/Monadnock) to cut the deficit to 10-4. The two teams traded runs in the seventh to make the score 11-5, which remained that way until the bottom of the ninth. Wheaton then began a two-out rally with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second, followed by back-to-back RBI singles from Beattie and Cooper to narrow the gap to 11-7. The Bears ended Wheaton's threat by forcing a fly ball.
The Lyons avenged their loss on Wednesday, as sophomore Jon Jackson (Ipswich, MA/Hamilton-Wenham) tossed eight scoreless innings with seven strikeouts while senior Brett Edmunds (Wolfeboro, NH/Kingswood Regional) and sophomore Rob Cipolla (South Windsor, CT/Kingswood Regional) each posted a two-run homer in the second and third innings. Following an inning and a half of scoreless play, Beattie triggered the Lyon offense with a single to open the second frame. Three batters later, Edmunds launched his first home run of the season over the left field fence to give the Blue and White an early 2-0 advantage. Cipolla doubled the lead in the third on a single swing of the bat, as he delivered a deep shot to center for a 4-0 cushion. First-year Rafael Castillo (Queens, NY/Christ The King), who reached safely on a walk, also scored on the play. Aside from the first inning where the Bears had two runners in scoring position, Jackson kept the Coast Guard offense at bay, as the visitors were unable to get past first base in the second through eighth innings. In the ninth, the Bears put two runners on base with only one out, however junior hurler Trevor Alexander (Wilton, ME/Mt. Blue) put a halt to any potential threat, retiring his next two batters on strikes to end the contest. Wheaton posted three multiple-hit performances on the day, led by Edmunds' 3-for-4 performance with three RBI and two runs scored.
Against Western New England, Wheaton used a four-run fifth inning and home runs from Cipolla and Beattie to defeat the Golden Bears. Wheaton wasted no time getting on the board, registering two runs in the first inning. Western New England clawed back, scoring a pair of runs in the next inning to tie the score at two apiece. The Lyons took the lead for good in the fifth, as Castillo led off the inning with a single, followed by a base hit from junior Tim Ziakas (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury). Cipolla followed by getting hit by a pitch and two batters later an error off the bat of Beattie led to the inning's first run. A sacrifice fly from Cooper and a two-run double by Edmunds plated three more runs in the inning, giving the Blue and White a commanding 6-2 advantage. The Golden Bears pulled within two in the top of the seventh, but Beattie put the Lyons up three in the bottom of the inning, as he notched his second home run of the year for a 7-4 Lyon lead. WNEC threatened in the top of the ninth, putting two runners on with two outs, however freshman pitcher Mark DeMasse (Reading, MA/Reading) forced a fly out to end the game. On the mound, senior Mike Hunsinger (Fall River, MA/Durfee) picked up his seventh victory of the year, tossing seven innings, yielding four runs (two earned) and eight hits with four strikeouts. DeMasse earned his fourth save of the season.
At St. Joseph's, the Lyons used single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to secure the game one victory. Tied at two apiece in the sixth, Beattie hit a one-out single and later scored on a single from Edmunds to give Wheaton a 3-2 lead. Beattie finished the game 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Junior Matt Parlato (Bethlehem, CT/Nonnewaug) picked up the win, tossing 1.1 innings of relief and striking out two batters, while DeMasse notched his fifth save of the year with a scoreless seventh. In game two, the Lyons found themselves down early, as the Monks took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Wheaton however erupted for six runs in the fifth inning, batting around the order to put the game out of reach. Cipolla posted a two-run double followed by an RBI double by Cooper three batters later to highlight the inning. Cooper finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, while Beattie, Cipolla and Ziakas each recorded two hits. Ponte picked up the win, tossing four innings, striking out three and yielding two earned runs. Alexander tossed three perfect innings, fanning five, to pick up his first save of the year.
Four Baseball Players Selected to NEWMAC All-Conference Teams
Wheaton had four players selected to the NEWMAC All-Conference teams Thursday morning, as the postseason awards were announced at WPI. Hunsinger, Cipolla and Cooper were named to the first team, while Ablondi was selected as a second-team honoree. Seventh-year head coach Eric Podbelski was voted NEWMAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season and fourth time in the last five years.
Earning his first selection to the all-conference squad, Hunsinger became Wheaton's all-time winningest pitcher this season by posting a 6-1 record. He is among the conference's elite in earned run average and strikeouts, ranking third in ERA (2.43) and fourth in strikeouts (45). Starting in eight games this season, Hunsinger has limited his opponents to a .245 batting average in 59.1 innings of work. He also has completed three games, including firing a complete-game shutout against Coast Guard in the conference tournament.
Starting in 31 games at third base, Cipolla ranks among the league's elite in several categories. He currently ranks in a tie for first in triples (3), is second in triples per game (0.10), third in doubles (11), fourth in doubles per game (0.37) and tied for fifth in RBI (28), eighth in RBI per game (0.93) and a tie for 15th in batting average (.350). He leads the team in RBI and doubles, is tied for the team lead in hits (44) and is second in slugging percentage.
Cooper has been flawless defensively in Wheaton's 32 games from his outfield position with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Offensively, Cooper has been just as solid from the middle of the lineup, tying for the team lead in hits (44) while hitting .344, a mark good enough for third overall. He also is second on the squad in triples (2), tied for second in stolen bases (7), third in runs batted in (20), tied for third in runs scored (24) and tied for fourth in doubles (7). Cooper is tied for second in the conference in stolen bases, fourth in stolen bases per game (0.23), tied for fourth in triples and sixth in triples per game (0.07).
Splitting time between the DH and outfield positions, Ablondi has played in 27 games with 23 starts. He leads Wheaton with a .370 batting average and a slugging percentage of .533. In the NEWMAC, Ablondi currently ranks ninth in batting average and is in a tie for 10th in home runs (3). He has posted 17 RBI, 12 runs scored, 34 hits and six doubles.
Women's Lacrosse (10-3, 5-1) Captures First NEWMAC Championship
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team took an early 3-0 lead in the opening 12 minutes of play Monday and never looked back, as the Lyons captured their first NEWMAC Championship with a 10-7 victory over Springfield College at Keefe Field. Wheaton avenged last year's conference championship game loss to the Pride and in the process will advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 1986.
Junior Lauren Maynes (Woodstock, VT/Woodstock Union) triggered Wheaton's offensive attack with the game's first two scores. Sophomore Vanessa Pisano (Vineyard Haven, MA/Martha's Vineyard), who finished the contest with three goals and two assists, set up Maynes' second score six minutes into the game. Down 3-0, Springfield slowly cut into the deficit, getting as close as 4-3 with just under three minutes remaining in the stanza, however Pisano posted an unassisted goal with 12 ticks on the clock to give Wheaton a small cushion heading into the break. Sophomore goalie A.J. Vasiliou (Middletown, CT/Mercy) kept the Pride at bay, stopping an impressive 12 Springfield shots in the stanza.
In the second half, the Pride again trimmed their deficit to a single goal, but that's as close as they would get, as the Lyons put together a string of three consecutive goals to put the game away. Maynes, Pisano and freshman Julia Coit (South Portland, ME/South Portland) all scored during that spurt. Springfield tallied two straight goals and cut the margin to 8-6, but Maynes responded with two consecutive scores of her own to push the lead back to four. Maynes finished the day with five goals, while Vasiliou recorded 20 saves.
Maynes Voted NEWMAC Women's Lacrosse Player of the Year, Four Players Named to All-Conference Teams
Maynes was selected as the NEWMAC Player of the Year for the second straight season and the women‚s lacrosse team had four players garner postseason honors as announced Tuesday by the league's coaches at WPI. In addition, third-year head coach Rebecca Begley was named NEWMAC Coach of the Year. Joining Maynes on the NEWMAC All-Conference first team was Pisano and Vasiliou. Sophomore defense Andrea Davis (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) rounded out Wheaton's award winners by being selected to the second team.
Named all-conference for the third straight year, Maynes has been tabbed with three major conference awards in as many years, as she was named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year as a freshman. Maynes is ranked 12th in the nation and second in the conference in goals per game with a 4.00 average and is second in the NEWMAC in scoring with 4.58 points per game. She also ranks eighth in caused turnovers per game at 1.58. Starting in 13 games, she currently has a team-high tying 53 goals and seven assists on the season. Earlier this year, Maynes was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and NEWMAC Player of the Week.
Pisano, who was voted NEWMAC Rookie of the Year last season, is once again leading the conference in scoring. Ranked eighth nationally in goals per game with an impressive 4.17 average and 18th in points per contest at 5.17, Pisano is among the league's elite in several categories. In addition to being on the top of the list for points per game and goals per contest, she ranks third in caused turnovers per game (2.08), sixth in caused turnovers (25), tied for sixth in assists per game (1.00) and ninth in assists (12). She also leads the team in draw controls (48). Pisano earned NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week laurels on Monday, March 31.
Starting in net since her freshman year, Vasiliou has garnered conference accolades for the second straight year. Playing in every minute of action this season, Vasiliou has been stellar for the Lyons, leading the conference in goals against average (8.75) and win percentage (.750), while ranking second in save percentage (.590) and third in saves per game (12.58). She was also named NEWMAC Player of the Week in early May. Named NEWMAC All-Conference for the first year, Davis ranked ninth in the league in caused turnovers per game (1.50). She finished third on the team in ground balls (32) and caused turnovers (18) with two goals in 13 starts.
Softball (33-7, 14-2) Secures Third Consecutive NEWMAC Tournament Title
Meeting in the NEWMAC Tournament title game for the fourth consecutive season, Wheaton and Springfield made this final round one to remember as the Pride forced an elimination game with a 1-0 win in game one. In the second game, junior Amanda Dow-Allen (Greenfield, MA/Stoneleigh-Burnham) launched a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to turn a 1-0 Lyon lead into a comfortable 5-0 cushion and propel the Blue and White to their third consecutive NEWMAC title and third straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. Wheaton is currently ranked seventh in the country according to the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll.
Game one was a pitcher's duel, as Wheaton's Jackie Demling (Norwood, MA/Norwood) along with the Springfield pitcher kept the game scoreless through four innings. In the top of the fifth, SC broke through with the game's only run. The Lyons threatened in the bottom of the sixth, as they loaded the bases with one out, but a line drive off the bat of junior Lori Hill (Chestnut Hill, MA/Newton North) was snagged and the runner at third was doubled off to end the Wheaton threat. Demling tossed a five-hitter, striking out five batters in the loss.
Game two started as another classic duel between the pitchers. Despite the Pride getting two batters on in the bottom of the first, SC was unable to push any runs across the plate. The Lyons continued to struggle offensively, managing only two hits through the first five innings of play. The momentum began to change in the third however, as Springfield put the first two batters on base on two Wheaton errors. With Springfield's three, four and five hitters coming to bat, Demling induced a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Pride off the board.
In the sixth, Wheaton scored its first run of the afternoon as junior Carmella Ranieri (Framingham, MA/Framingham) hit a one-out single into right field and then stole second base. Senior co-captain Maren Schrader (Canby, OR/Canby) followed with a single that advanced Ranieri and junior Brianna Shawah (Pompton Plains, NJ/ Pequannock Township) brought home Ranieri with a sacrifice fly to give the Blue and White its first lead of the day. After retiring the Pride in order in the bottom of the sixth, the Lyons opened the seventh with a single by senior co-captain Rachael Powers (Quincy, MA/North Quincy). Powers advanced to second on a groundout and Wheaton loaded the bases when Hill walked and pinch hitter Jessica Foster (Sidney, ME/Messalonskee) beat out a bunt. That set up Dow-Allen's heroics, as the left fielder cleared the bases with an opposite field home run to right. Demling took the win on the mound, pitching a three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts.
Demling Voted NEWMAC Softball Player of the Year, Four Lyons Named to All-Conference Teams
Demling was named the NEWMAC Player of the Year in all-conference voting conducted at WPI Wednesday morning. In addition to being named player of the year, Demling was named to the all-conference first team along with Ranieri. Dow-Allen and sophomore infielder Sarah Malloy (Cumberland, RI/Cumberland) were named to the all-conference second team, while head coach Gina Loudenburg was selected as NEWMAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Demling, named all-conference for the second consecutive year, is the national and conference leader in victories, as she currently sports a 22-4 record. She also is among the nation's elite in earned run average and strikeouts, ranking 17th in ERA (0.82) and 19th in strikeouts per seven innings (7.6). In addition to her 22 victories, Demling leads the NEWMAC in ERA and strikeouts (167).
Making her second appearance on the All-NEWMAC squad, Ranieri is one of the league's best in a number of categories. She currently ranks second in stolen bases (19) and stolen bases per game (0.54), tied for second in runs scored (33), third in batting average (.434) and fourth in runs scored per game (0.94).
Earning NEWMAC honors for the first time in her career, Dow-Allen is hitting .392 with six doubles and a pair of home runs, including a game-clinching grand slam in the conference championship game. She is tied for seventh in the league in triples (2) and is tied for second on the team in RBI (22).
Malloy has started in 39 games for the Lyons this season and is the team leader in home runs (4). She also is tied for second on the team in doubles (9). In the league, Malloy is tied for third in home runs, tied for sixth in runs scored (27), seventh in home runs per game (0.11), tied for seventh in doubles and tied for ninth in RBI (22).
Five Men's Tennis Players Selected to NEWMAC All-Conference Second Team, Peck and Potter Earn Singles and Doubles Recognition
Wheaton had a strong showing following Tuesday's announcement of the NEWMAC postseason awards by the league's coaches at WPI. Five players were named to the NEWMAC All-Conference second team, led by junior Ian Peck (Mount Vernon, NH/Souhegan) and freshman Nick Potter (Concord, NH/Concord). Peck and Potter earned both singles and doubles recognition, as Peck captured honors in fourth singles and third doubles while Potter was selected at fifth singles and second doubles. Joining Peck and Potter on the NEWMAC All-Conference second team was freshman Mike Moss (Needham, MA/Needham) at number-six singles, junior Adam Wright (West Bloomfield, MI/West Bloomfield) at second doubles and first-year Jeff Selesnick (Concord, NH/Concord) in the third doubles position.
Peck posted an impressive 11-5 record in the fourth singles slot and sided with Selesnick in 11 matches in doubles play, as the tandem recorded an overall mark of 7-4 together. Potter had a phenomenal standing in both singles and doubles play, leading the way with a 12-3 record at fifth singles and a 12-2 mark at second doubles, including a nearly unblemished record of 11-1 with Wright. Wright also was solid in the third singles position at 12-4. In the sixth singles spot for most of the spring, Moss finished the year with a record of 9-2.
Women's Track Witnesses Several Qualifying Standards at Delaware Invitational
Eight Wheaton College women's outdoor track and field athletes posted a total of nine NCAA Division III national meet provisional qualifying standards in addition to two automatic qualifying marks at the Delaware Invitational competed at Delaware Stadium Saturday afternoon. No team scores were kept at the meet. The 4x400-meter relay team consisting of senior Jana Bromell (Spencer, MA/David Prouty), juniors Amber James (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) and Vernick Smith (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) and sophomore Tessa Donoghue (Springfield, MA/Cathedral) finished the race in an automatic qualifying time of 3:46.56. Donoghue also posted an automatic qualifying mark in the triple jump, leaping 12.37 meters.
In the sprint events, Smith dashed to a provisional time of 12.09 in the 100-meters, while James and Smith posted provisional times of 24:82 and 24.94, respectively in the 200-meter dash. In the 400-meter dash, Bromell finished the sprint in a provisional time of 56:95. In the hurdles, three women recorded provisional times, starting with senior co-captain's Kristen Cullen (Stoneham, MA/Stoneham) and Noreen Kordzeil (Chittenango, NY/Chittenango). The senior duo finished in provisional times of 14.80 and 14.98, respectively. Junior Kim Spence (Barrington, NH/Dover) rounded out the provisional times in the hurdle events, finishing the 400-meter hurdles in 1:04.28. In the field events, Donoghue posted a provisional mark in the long jump with a leap of 5.66 meters in addition to her automatic distance in the triple jump. In the high jump, sophomore Kathrine Wallace (Glenmoore, PA/The Hill School) leapt to a provisional height of 1.68 meters.
Junior Adam Walker (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) was Wheaton's lone scorer on the men's side, earning top honors in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.58.
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