Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2005--06 > April 17, 2006
For Prospective Student-Athletes
Weekly Lyon
Baseball (21-6, 9-1) Runs Program-Record Win Streak to 14, Maintains First in NEWMAC
The nationally-ranked Wheaton College baseball team completed its third straight perfect week, breaking the 2001 squad's program record by extending its winning streak to 14, as the Lyons went 5-0 and maintained its hold on first place in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). With a win over Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Tuesday, the Blue and White will clinch its eighth regular season conference title in the NEWMAC's eight-year history.
Wheaton, which is ranked 26th in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division III poll, opened the week with three wins in three days, including a 5-0 victory over the United States Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday, a wild 13-7 win against Bridgewater State College on Wednesday, and an 8-7 triumph in 10 innings versus Worcester State College on Thursday. The Lyons capped their week with a doubleheader sweep of Clark University, 8-5 and 17-8 on Saturday. Junior catcher Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich) was a catalyst all week for the Lyons, cracking four home runs in five days while batting.600 and slugging 1.500, going 12-for-20 with 14 RBI and nine runs.
At Coast Guard, Wheaton tossed its second straight shutout for just the fourth time in program history and blanked consecutive NEWMAC teams for the first time. Senior Chris Martin (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) fired a complete-game two-hitter with five strikeouts for his first career shutout. Wheaton broke a scoreless stalemate in the fifth when Laplante reached on an infield single, sophomore Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) doubled and senior Mark Brown (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) delivered a sacrifice fly. The Lyons doubled their lead in the seventh thanks to a Laplante home run. Sophomore Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester Regional) added an RBI single in the eighth, and the Blue and White scored a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. Laplante finished 3-for-4 with three runs, while Yagjian had two hits.
Wheaton put together a stunning rally to notch its program-record-tying 11th straight victory over visiting Bridgewater State. Down 6-0 and hitless heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Lyons plated seven runs on four hits during the frame and scored 13 of the contest's final 14 runs. Laplante highlighted Wheaton's big inning with his first career grand slam, senior Andy Koocher (Portland, ME/Portland) singled home Yagjian for Wheaton's fifth run, and the Lyons tacked on a pair of unearned runs to take the lead for good. Laplante went 4-for-5, finishing a double shy of the cycle, with five RBI and three runs. Sophomore Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) batted 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, a home run and double. Freshman reliever Jared Barnes (North Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) picked up the win after yielding one run in 2.1 innings, while sophomore Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA/Newton North), freshman Josh Simmons (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) and senior Jamie Baker (Boxford, MA/Masconomet Regional) combined for the final three scoreless innings.
The Lyons broke their former consecutive wins standard in dramatic fashion, as Koocher smacked a game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th against Worcester State. Wheaton turned a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 lead by the fifth, with Laplante hitting his third home run in as many days. However, the Lancers battled back with one run in the sixth and three in the seventh to forge a 7-5 edge before Koocher and Guillerault posted consecutive RBI singles with two down in the eighth to knot the score. O'Connor led off the 10th with a walk, junior Travis Anthoine (Portland, ME/Portland) laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached on an error, and junior Brandon Leonard (Brockton, MA/Brockton) loaded the bags with a bunt single before Koocher ripped his game-winner with nobody out. Koocher finished 5-for-6 with three RBI, Leonard was 3-for-5 with two runs, and Guillerault went 2-for-4. Simmons, who entered the contest in the eighth, retired six straight batters in the final two innings to collect the victory.
At Clark, the Blue and White won a pair of back-and-forth contests. In the opener, the Lyons sprinted to a 5-0 lead behind a three-run fifth inning keyed by Laplante's two-out, two-run triple, but the Cougars tallied three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to even the score. However, senior Mark Baumer (Durham, ME/Greely) doubled home the eventual winning run in the seventh. Baker, who entered the game in the sixth, set down the Clark side in order in the seventh for the victory. Yagjian was 3-for-4, while Baumer and Guillerault each went 2-for-4, with Guillerault hitting a solo homer in the first. Game two was a seesaw battle that witnessed five ties and four lead changes. Guillerault and Laplante led the Lyons with four runs, three hits, two runs and a home run apiece. Wheaton scored the game's first run, trailed 4-1 in the third and knotted the game in the fourth before Clark took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the inning. Guillerault's two-run homer tied the score the following inning, and Laplante's RBI double put the Lyons on top, 7-6, but the Cougars took the lead back at 8-7 during the home half. Guillerault forced another deadlock with an RBI single in the sixth, and the Lyons began to pull away with another run in the seventh followed by Laplante's solo shot in the eighth. Wheaton opened the flood gates in the ninth with seven runs on six hits, including a two-run double from Laplante and Anthoine's first collegiate home run, a two-run drive. Koocher went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Leonard was 2-for-5 with three runs. Sophomore Josh Moore (Manchester, NH/Manchester Memorial) earned the win after firing three shutout innings of relief.
Yagjian Earns NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week Honor
Yagjian was named co-player of the week by the NEWMAC for the week ending on Sunday, April 9. He batted .571 during Wheaton's 4-0 week and posted a trio of multiple-hit games, four runs, three RBI and two stolen bases. Yagjian came up with his biggest hit at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on April 6, lifting Wheaton to a 6-5 come-from-behind win thanks to a go-ahead RBI double with two down in the ninth inning. During a 9-3 win over Suffolk University on April 4, Yagjian was 2-for-3 at the plate and went a combined 5-for-7 with three runs and two RBI in an April 9 doubleheader sweep of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Yagjian successfully converted all 11 chances during his 34 innings as second base.
Men's Lacrosse (5-5-1, 3-2) Uses Pair of League Wins to Stay in Playoff Hunt
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team edged past .500 and moved from a tie for sixth in the Pilgrim League into a share of third place thanks to a pair of conference victories last week. In an effort to be one of four teams to receive league tournament bids, the Lyons downed Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 10-7 on Wednesday before defeating Lasell College, 11-10 on Saturday. With three games remaining, Wheaton is seeking its first conference tournament appearance since 1998. Following a 1-4-1 start, the Blue and White has won four of its last five games.
Wheaton scored the final seven goals of the first half at Massachusetts Maritime to take a comfortable 7-1 halftime lead. Sophomore Richie Rasamny (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) started the run by knotting the game with 2:06 remaining in the first quarter, and the Lyons outscored the Buccaneers, 6-0 in the second period. Rasamny assisted senior Adam Cohen's (Montpelier, VT/Montpelier) go-ahead tally at 12:33, while Rasamny scored again and junior Andrew Rohan (South Hadley, MA/Avon Old Farms) notched a pair of markers during the stanza. Massachusetts Maritime crept back into the game with a 3-0 third quarter, but the Lyons never led by fewer than three the rest of the contest. Rohan paced Wheaton with a hat trick, while Cohen and Rasamny each finished with two goals and an assist. Junior Larry Nussbaum (Glastonbury, CT/Avon Old Farms) contributed a pair of assists, while sophomore goalie Jeremy Beech (West Newbury, CT/Governor Dummer Academy) made nine saves.
At Lasell, Rasamny scored the game-winning goal with eight seconds remaining in regulation to cap a back-and-forth final period. The Lyons jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one quarter, and Wheaton went up by a 7-3 count just five minutes into the second half. From there, the Lasers netted five of the game's next six goals to knot the score at eight with 7:04 to go in regulation. Cohen put Wheaton back on top 43 seconds later, but Lasell notched the equalizer with 5:38 remaining and a go-ahead marker at 4:24 for a 10-9 lead, its first of the contest. However, Cohen completed his hat trick 47 seconds later, and Rasamny netted the late game-winner for the Lyons. Senior Taylor Jackson (Middlesex, VT/Union 32) also contributed a hat trick, while Rasamny and senior Ellis Reavey (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) each scored twice. Rohan contributed a pair of helpers, while Beech picked up 11 saves.
Women's Lacrosse (5-5, 3-1) Wins Lone NEWMAC Game During 1-1 Week
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team split a pair of contests last week, picking up a win during its only NEWMAC game. The Lyons downed Wellesley College, 13-12 on Tuesday before falling in a non-conference meeting with Wesleyan University, 20-12 on Thursday at Keefe Field.
At Wellesley, the Lyons took an 8-5 halftime lead and held on for victory. The hosts took a 5-3 edge before Wheaton responded with five straight goals to close the first half, including tallies by sophomore Meredith Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) and senior Caitlin Tierney (Wellesley, MA/The Rivers School) during the final minute to extend a one-goal lead. Wellesley used a 6-1 run to begin the second half for an 11-9 lead with 16:20 remaining, but senior Kate Weston's (Bedford, MA/Bedford) first goal of the season started a 4-0 stretch over a 5:18 span that gave the visitors the lead for good. Sophomore Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) knotted the game at 9:52, classmate Alexa Jurczak (Davidsonville, MD/Miss Porter's School) notched the go-ahead tally at 6:05, and Dimick netted the eventual game-winner 53 seconds later. Hurd finished with five goals, Dimick had a hat trick, Tierney scored twice, and junior goalie Kristin Konig (Montecito, CA/Cate School) made 11 saves.
In the squads' first meeting in Norton since April 20, 1993, visiting Wesleyan picked up a non-conference win. The Cardinals used early offense for a quick lead, depositing five goals during a 3:44 span to grab a 6-1 advantage by 23:46 of the opening stanza. Freshman Caitlin Grant (Walpole, MA/Walpole) brought Wheaton within 6-2 at 18:33, but Wesleyan rattled off three more goals over a 43-second stretch with a little more than 10 minutes remaining in the half for a 9-2 cushion, and the visitors eventually took a 14-6 lead into intermission. Wheaton kept pace with the Cardinals during the second half, as each team scored six times. Down by an 18-9 count, the Lyons tallied three straight goals to cut into Wesleyan's lead, but the Cardinals tallied the final marker with less than a second remaining. Hurd led the Lyons with four goals, while freshman Madeline Williams (Annapolis, MD/Key School) scored twice. Freshman Bridget Thornton (Southington, CT/Cheshire Academy) tallied a goal and two assists, Jurczak added a goal and a helper, and Konig stopped 11 shots.
Softball (21-11, 9-5) Remains Second in NEWMAC with 3-4 Week
The Wheaton College softball team went 3-4 last week but remained second in the NEWMAC standings. The Lyons began play by splitting a non-conference doubleheader with Eastern Connecticut State University, losing by a 2-1 final in 10 innings during the opener before pulling out a 3-2 win in eight frames on Tuesday. In the resumption of a suspended game, Wheaton knocked off Babson College, 5-1 on Thursday before dropping both ends of a conference twinbill to the United States Coast Guard Academy, 3-1 in eight innings and 4-2 on Friday. The Lyons split a double dip at Clark University on Saturday, winning by a 3-0 final and losing, 6-0. Wheaton has now gone to extra innings seven times in the last 22 games, matching its total from the previous 136 contests dating back to 2003.
At Eastern Connecticut State, sophomore pinch-hitter Audrey Poulton's (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) two-out RBI single in the sixth broke a scoreless tie in the opener, but the Warriors responded with a two-out run in the bottom of the inning and the game-winning tally during the 10th. Sophomore Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) matched her career high with 11 strikeouts while walking one and allowing only one earned run on four hits during nine innings. Moynagh was saddled with the loss after Poulton allowed the game-winning hit. In the nightcap, Wheaton grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second when freshman Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) and junior Nicole Lachance (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) plated runs, but the Warriors countered during the third inning with two runs on two hits. With the bases loaded and one down in the eighth, sophomore Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) singled in freshman Katelynn Hanewich (Bradenton, FL/Lakewood Ranch) with what held up as the winning run. It marked the third time this season Marini came through in the Lyons' final at bat by driving home the game-winning run, including the second straight extra-inning contest. Poulton went the route for the Lyons, striking out nine batters and walking only two while yielding two earned runs on six hits. Marini and junior Jessica DePolito (Taunton, MA/Coyle and Cassidy) each went 2-for-3, while DePolito smacked a pair of doubles.
In a game suspended after four innings on April 7, the Lyons traveled back to Babson and notched a NEWMAC win. Lachance led off the contest with a home run, and the visitors tacked on three runs in the fourth behind junior Keely Nowosacki's (Shrewsbury, MA/Shrewsbury) RBI single and Marini's two-run triple. Babson cut Wheaton's lead to 4-1 in the fourth, but rain followed the completion of the inning. Six days later, Lachance led off the fifth by taking the first pitch of resumed play over the right field fence for the game's final run. Wheaton's only other hit during the final three innings came off the bat of sophomore Abby Taylor (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley), who stroked a single into left field in the seventh for the starting center fielder's first collegiate hit. Lachance's two-homer display was the first for a Wheaton player since March 12, 2002, and the first in conference action since April 30, 2000. Lachance and Poulton each went 2-for-4, while Moynagh allowed one run with seven strikeouts
Against Coast Guard at Clark Field, the Bears took a 1-0 edge in the fifth inning of the opener before the Lyons responded in the home half, as Lachance's pop into shallow right center field allowed sophomore Meredith Gorton (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) to score from third with two down. However, Coast Guard struck with a pair of runs on two hits during the eighth inning. Freshmen Jessica DeRico (Griswold, CT/Griswold) and Emily Hildreth (Reading, MA/Reading Memorial) each went 2-for-2, and Poulton was tagged with the loss after yielding two earned runs on seven hits while striking out six batters and walking none. The Lyons grabbed the initial lead in game two, as Hanewich launched her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot over the left field fence, with one down in the third inning. However, Coast Guard put together a pair of two-out, nobody-on rallies in the fifth and sixth innings, as the Bears plated a single run in each frame to knot the contest. The visitors then came through with two runs on two hits in the seventh. Poulton picked up the loss in relief during game two, yielding two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings. Moynagh allowed two runs on two hits over the first 5.2 frames.
Wheaton swapped shutouts with Clark during a NEWMAC doubleheader. The visitors rode Moynagh's two-hit shutout to victory in the opener, as she returned to her hometown and yielded two walks while striking out six. Nowosacki trotted home on an infield miscue during the first inning, and Wheaton tacked on two more runs in the third. Lachance led off with a walk, moved to third on DePolito's one-out single and stole home. Hildreth later brought in DePolito on a two-out hit. Lachance finished 3-for-3, while DePolito was 2-for-3. Already up 1-0 after scoring in the second inning of the second contest, Clark put the game away with four runs on six hits during the third. Poulton was tagged with the loss after surrendering five earned runs in six innings while walking one and fanning four.
Lachance and Poulton Nab Weekly Conference Accolades
Lachance and Poulton were named player of the week and pitcher of the week, respectively, by the NEWMAC for the week ending on Sunday, April 9.
Lachance played a key part in Wheaton's 5-0 week as the Lyons' leadoff hitter and was integral in a number of comeback efforts, beginning with a game-tying RBI double in the seventh inning of the April 7 contest at Babson College with one out. Wheaton eventually won, 3-2 in 10 innings. Against Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on April 9, she singled home the opening contest's first run during the fifth inning of a 5-3 win. In the second game, Lachance led off with a home run before tallying the go-ahead run with two down in the fifth during a 3-2 victory. During the week, Lachance recorded a .474 on-base percentage, walking five times and striking out only once, while slugging .643.
Poulton, one of two hurlers on Wheaton's roster, posted a 3-0 mark and 1.75 earned run average despite receiving only 11 runs of support. She completed all three games which she started, limiting opposing hitters to a .141 average (11-for-78) while striking out 19 batters in 24 innings and walking only five. Poulton took a shutout into the seventh inning of game two at MIT on April 6 before yielding only one hit over the final 9.1 innings of a 10-inning affair at Babson the following afternoon. On April 9, she carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of game one versus WPI.
Men's Tennis (9-3, 4-0) Remains in First-Place Tie in NEWMAC with 2-0 Week
The Wheaton College men's tennis team remained perfect in the NEWMAC and in a first-place tie atop the conference standings with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) after a pair of league wins last week. The Lyons downed Babson College, 7-0 on Wednesday before notching a 6-1 victory at Springfield College on Saturday. The Lyons and Engineers, who each have 4-0 league marks, face off for the NEWMAC regular season title on Saturday at MIT. However, the Engineers are 59-0 during regular season and postseason contests against league teams since the conference was established in 1999 and have won all seven regular season and postseason crowns.
During a sweep at Babson, five Lyons picked up straight-set wins in singles, as sophomore Sean Daly (Miami, FL/La Salle), juniors Brian Danishevsky (Hamden, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day School) and Brad Dressler (Cranston, RI/Cranston West), and seniors Nick Potter (Concord, NH/Concord) and Mike Moss (Needham, MA/Needham) won at the second through sixth positions, respectively. In the top spot, junior Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) won his match in a third-set super tiebreaker. Wheaton won all three doubles matches, as Daly and Payman finished with a victory at number one. Danishevsky and Dressler were victorious at the second spot, while Potter and senior Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) won in the third position.
Wheaton notched five more straight-set singles wins at Springfield, with Payman highlighting play by remaining undefeated in 11 dual singles matches this season. Payman, Daly, Dressler and Potter picked up wins in the first through fourth positions, respectively, while senior Jeff Selesnick (Concord, NH/Concord) notched a sixth singles victory. The Lyons swept doubles play, led by Daly and Payman combining for a win at number one. Dressler and Sheers notched a victory in the second position, while Potter and junior Will Stoddard (Huntington, VT/Mount Mansfield Union) won in the third slot.
Wheaton Sweeps Weekly NEWMAC Tennis Awards
Payman earned NEWMAC Singles Player of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, April 9 and joined Daly on the doubles team of the week as the Lyons swept the weekly honors. Payman won all three of his singles matches during the week, dropping a total of 11 points. The tri-captain picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win against nationally-ranked New York University on April 7, as well as a 6-2, 6-3 victory during NEWMAC play on April 8 versus the United States Coast Guard Academy. Payman notched one of Wheaton's two singles points, 6-3, 6-1, during the Lyons' loss to regionally-ranked Tufts University on April 9. Payman and Daly earned the award for the second straight week after going 2-1 at first doubles, including an 8-4 win against Coast Guard. The pair closed out the week with a 9-7 win over a tandem from Tufts for Wheaton's lone doubles victory. Against NYU, the duo suffered a narrow 9-7 loss.
Women's Tennis (8-6, 4-3) Springs Back into Dual Action with 9-0 Win
The Wheaton College women's tennis team swept Johnson & Wales University, 9-0 at the Clark Tennis Courts on Saturday during the Lyons' first dual match since October. Freshman Meghan Doyle (Hingham, MA/Hingham), sophomore Briana Jackson (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow), freshman Mallory Farmer (Washington, CT/The Gunnery), sophomore Maya Milic-Strkalj (Philadelphia, PA/Friends' Central School) and junior Jessica Otto (Atlantic, IA/Atlantic) each picked up straight-set wins at the first through fifth spots. Freshman Oriana Federico (Andover, MA/Lawrence Academy) notched a sixth-slot win by default. In doubles, Doyle and Jackson notched an 8-0 win at the first spot, while Farmer and Milic-Strkalj captured an 8-3 victory at the second position. Federico and Otto corralled a third-slot win by default.
Cunha Breaks Pair of School Records as Men's and Women's Track Compete at Brown
The Wheaton College men's and women's outdoor track and field teams competed at the Brown Invitational on Saturday when freshman Jonathan Cunha (Lexington, MA/Lexington) broke a pair of school records in a field chiefly comprised of Division I athletes. The Lyon women placed sixth out of seven teams, and the men came in seventh of seven.
Cunha's best showing came in the 400-meter hurdles, as he paced an 18-athlete field that included 12 Division I runners with a time of 54.66. The time eclipsed the former mark of 55.46 set in 1996 by Jeremy Nichols, which was the oldest-standing program record. Cunha placed fifth in the finals of the 110-meter hurdles in 14.76, breaking Luke Marsters' 1999 record of 14.94 and provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championship. Junior Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) highlighted the women's portion of the day, winning the high jump competition with a 5' 7" leap, good for provisional qualification to the NCAAs and just 1/4" off an automatic height. During the 100-meter hurdles, Harlow placed fifth in the finals at 15.57. Freshmen Amanda Rawson (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) and Lauren Reddy (Walnut Creek, CA/Carondelet) and junior Jennifer Ziello (Litchfield, CT/Litchfield) had the third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishes in the 3,000-meter run, respectively, while sophomore Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) and freshman Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) finished fifth in the mile run and 400-meter hurdles, respectively. Sophomore Joell Whitley (Magnolia, NJ/Triton Regional) came in fifth during the long jump and seventh among triple jump competitors, and classmate Cassandra Migani (Brooklyn, CT/Norwich Free Academy) set a personal record during a sixth-place finish in the discus.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/30/07.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.
Men's Tennis: Men's tennis players Beekman and Hudgins named ITA Scholar-Athletes (more)
Women's Soccer: Hough's tally sends Wheaton past Emmanuel, Leddy notches third shutout (more)