Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2005--06 > April 24, 2006
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Baseball (27-6, 11-1) Clinches Eighth NEWMAC Title, Runs Winning Streak to 20
The nationally-ranked Wheaton College baseball team ran its winning streak to 20 games, clinched its eighth straight New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season title and completed its fourth straight perfect week behind six victories. The Lyons, who are seventh nationally and first in New England in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) polls, remained the only team in the NEWMAC's eight-year history to finish atop the regular season standings with a 6-3 win over visiting Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Tuesday.
Wheaton downed the United States Coast Guard Academy, 13-4 on Thursday to begin a stretch of five wins in four days. The Blue and White knocked off Johnson & Wales University, 15-6 on Friday, defeated Brandeis University, 4-1 on Saturday, and swept a doubleheader from the University of Southern Maine, 9-7 and 5-2 on Sunday. The Lyons have received a bye in the first round of the NEWMAC Tournament and will host the winner of Thursday's Coast Guard/MIT contest in a semifinal on Saturday. Wheaton will host the league tournament semifinals and championship for the sixth straight year, and should the Lyons advance to Sunday's title tilt, they will be seeking their seventh conference tournament crown and an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the sixth time.
Against MIT, the Lyons vaulted out to a 3-0 lead by the fifth inning. Senior Mark Baumer (Durham, ME/Greely) hit a sacrifice fly in the third, classmate Andy Koocher (Portland, ME/Portland) dropped in a two-out, run-scoring single in the fourth, and sophomore Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) doubled home Baumer in the fifth. After an MIT run in the sixth, the Lyons took a 6-1 advantage with three runs on five hits in the eighth, as Baumer, junior Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich) and sophomore Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) each drove in a run. Senior Chris Martin (Marshfield, MA/Marshfield) did not allow an earned run for the third successive outing, yielding just three hits while striking out three and walking one in eight innings. Yagjian led Wheaton by going 3-for-4, while Koocher and junior Travis Anthoine (Portland, ME/Portland) each added two hits. Baumer had two RBI, two runs and a triple.
Nine of Wheaton's 13 hits went for extra bases, and junior Brandon Leonard (Brockton, MA/Brockton) became the sixth Lyon to smack a pair of home runs in a game during a win over visiting Coast Guard at Sidell Stadium. Anthoine's RBI double in the fourth gave the Lyons the lead for good, and the hosts extended their lead with six two-out runs in the fifth inning. Leonard and senior Mark Brown (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford) each launched two-run homers, an error brought home the fifth run, and Baumer smacked a run-scoring double. Senior Rafael Castillo's (Queens, NY/Christ The King) sixth-inning double gave the Lyons an 11-2 lead before freshman Mike DiReda (Shrewsbury, MA/Saint John's) scored on an error in the seventh and senior Mike Miller (Abington, MA/Abington) delivered a sacrifice fly. Leonard went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs, while Koocher led Wheaton's six-double attack with a pair of two-baggers. Laplante scored three times, Anthoine was plated twice, and Brown had three RBI and two runs. Junior Joe White (Bedford, NH/Manchester West) limited the Bears to two runs on six hits in seven innings. White fanned four and did not yield a walk.
The Lyons scored 15 of the final 17 runs at Johnson & Wales. After the hosts plated four unearned runs on four hits and a pair of errors in the first, the Lyons scored once in the second before Guillerault hit a three-run homer in the third to knot the score. Yagjian singled home the go-ahead run later in the inning to give Wheaton the lead for good. The Lyons plated four more in the fourth, as Baumer and Laplante swatted back-to-back home runs with two down. Laplante went 2-for-3 and scored four times, while Koocher added three runs and two hits. Baumer and Guillerault each posted two hits with three RBI and two runs, while Castillo batted 2-for-3 with a double and sophomore Pat O'Connor (Mattapoisett, MA/Old Rochester Regional) drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore Josh Moore (Manchester, NH/Manchester Memorial) hurled the first five innings and yielded one earned run with five strikeouts and one walk.
Sophomore Chris McDonough (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) fanned nine and yielded only four hits and an unearned run during a complete-game win over visiting Brandeis. All of the scoring occurred during the first three innings, and four of the five runs went down as unearned. Wheaton used a three-run second to erase a 1-0 deficit, as the Lyons capitalized on a Brandeis defensive miscue with two down. Laplante scored on the error to knot the game before Anthoine and Leonard followed with back-to-back RBI singles, and Baumer doubled home Guillerault in the third. McDonough went to work in the third, retiring 21 of the final 22 Brandeis batters to collect his fifth win of the year, and the southpaw did not walk a batter. Baumer was the game's lone multiple hitter, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
The Lyons finished the week by sweeping two seven-inning games from Southern Maine with a pair of come-from-behind victories, the 13th and 14th such wins during Wheaton's streak. In the opener, the Blue and White scored twice in the second on Yagjian's RBI fielder's choice and Castillo's suicide squeeze, but the Lyons trailed, 4-3 heading into the sixth. Leonard knotted the contest during the sixth by driving in a run while reaching on an error and O'Connor took advantage of the miscue by launching a two-out grand slam over the center field fence. Baumer later scored Wheaton's fifth unearned run of the inning on a wild pitch. Martin earned the win on the mound with four strikeouts and no walks in 5.1 innings, and Baker tossed 1.1 scoreless innings while fanning one batter to collect his sixth save of the season. Castillo went 2-for-3, while Baumer, Koocher and O'Connor each scored twice. During the back end of the twinbill, Southern Maine grabbed a 2-0 lead after one inning only to see Wheaton plate five runs in the fourth. A walk and consecutive hit batsmen loaded the bases before Laplante's sacrifice fly put the Lyons on the board, and Yagjian and Brown followed with back-to-back RBI singles. Leonard capped the big inning with a two-run base hit. Leonard led the Lyons by going 2-for-4, while O'Connor was plunked twice, stole two bases and legged out a triple. Sophomore Louie Bernardini (Gray, ME/Gray-New Gloucester) spun a complete game, striking out seven and walking three.
Laplante Named National Co-Hitter of the Week, Earns ECAC and NEWMAC Awards Along with Martin
Laplante was named co-hitter of the week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) for the week ending on Sunday, April 16, becoming the first Lyon to ever draw the national honor, while he and Martin swept the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and NEWMAC player and pitcher weekly accolades. The junior catcher entered the week batting .288 with one home run and six RBI on the season before hitting .600 (12-for-20) with a 1.500 slugging percentage and .609 on-base percentage while driving in 14 runs and scoring nine more. Laplante also slugged four home runs, two triples and a pair of doubles, as he belted his four long balls over the course of five days after homering twice in his first 56 collegiate games. Martin turned in a fine pitching performance in a 5-0 win at Coast Guard on April 11, twirling a complete-game two-hitter with five strikeouts. Earning the first shutout of his four-year career, Martin limited the Bears to two singles in 28 total at bats.
Men's Lacrosse (7-5-1, 5-2) Clinches First Pilgrim League Playoff Berth Since 1998
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team picked up a pair of Pilgrim League victories last week to clinch its first conference tournament appearance since 1998 and most league wins since 1997. The Lyons downed Babson College, 6-5 on Wednesday at Mirrione Stadium, their first defeat of the Beavers in 16 series meetings, before racking up a 23-2 victory at Norwich University on Saturday. Since a 1-4-1 start, Wheaton has won six of seven.
Against Babson, the Lyons won consecutive games by one goal for the first time in program history. Behind senior Ellis Reavey's (Longmeadow, MA/Longmeadow) second-quarter goal, the hosts trailed by a 3-1 count at halftime before netting five straight goals to open the second half. Reavey tallied at 9:38 of the third to pull Wheaton within 3-2, and junior Trey Helms (Cockeysville, MD/Saint Paul's School) knotted the score just 3:21 later. Sophomore Richie Rasamny (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) scored off a Helms assist less than two minutes into the final quarter before making the score 5-3 with an unassisted marker 59 seconds later. Rasamny then lent a hand on Reavey's third goal with 4:02 left, which gave Wheaton a 6-3 advantage and stood up as the game-winner after Babson tacked on two late goals. Reavey finished with a hat trick, while Rasamny had two goals and an assist, and sophomore Jeremy Beech (West Newbury, MA/Governor Dummer Academy) made six saves.
Nine players recorded a point, and five tallied hat tricks during Wheaton's win over Norwich. The Lyons held a commanding 17-1 halftime advantage and matched their largest margin of victory since April 19, 1995. Seniors Adam Cohen (Montpelier, VT/Montpelier) and Taylor Jackson (Middlesex, VT/Union 32) turned in memorable performances during their first collegiate game in their home state, as Cohen notched four goals and two assists, while Jackson had a game-high five goals and a helper. Junior Markus Ricci (Wayland, MA/Wayland) recorded a game-best seven points with four assists and three tallies, while Reavey tacked on four goals and two assists. Sophomore Josh Daub (Coral Springs, FL/Saint Andrew's School) scored the first four goals of his collegiate career, while Helms added three assists and two goals. Wheaton outshot Norwich, 52-12 as Beech posted one save in one quarter. Junior Tristan Colglazier (Lutherville, MD/Saint Paul's School) finished with two stops in three periods.
Women's Lacrosse (7-6, 5-1) Clinches Second Place in NEWMAC During 2-1 Week
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team went 2-1 last week and clinched the second seed in this week's NEWMAC Tournament behind a pair of conference victories. The Lyons opened play with an 18-4 victory over visiting Babson College on Tuesday and completed their regular season slate with a 13-11 win against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Saturday at Keefe Field. On Wednesday, the Blue and White lost at nationally-ranked Amherst College, 18-3. This Thursday, the Lyons face seventh-seeded Smith College in the first round of the NEWMAC Tournament and look to advance to the semifinals for the seventh consecutive season and the 10th time in 11 years.
Sophomore Meredith Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) registered a career-high eight goals to go along with an assist as the Lyons knocked off Babson. Senior Julia Coit (South Portland, ME/South Portland) scored with 18:22 remaining in the first half to break a 2-2 tie and begin a seven-goal run. Wheaton reeled off five goals to start the second half for a 14-3 advantage with 17:15 remaining, as Hurd accounted for four goals over an 8:22 span, including two in 13 seconds. Coit finished the game with a hat trick and two assists, sophomore Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) turned in a three-goal performance with one assist, and freshman Madeline Williams (Annapolis, MD/Key School) recorded two goals. Junior Kristin Konig (Montecito, CA/Cate School) made 10 saves.
At Amherst, the Lyons fell to the eighth-ranked team in the latest Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll. Amherst scored the contest's first four goals by 24:02 of the first half before freshman Bridget Thornton (Southington, CT/Cheshire Academy) tacked on a free-position shot at 14:41 to cut into the Lord Jeffs' lead. The hosts responded with three straight tallies before Williams found the back of the net 23 seconds before halftime. Wheaton kept with Amherst early in the second stanza, as Thornton notched her second tally at the 23:17 mark to make the score 8-3. However, Amherst scored the game's final 10 goals. Thornton tallied twice, and Konig made 13 stops.
Against MIT, the teams went back and forth during the first half, as neither led by more than two goals. Five different players scored the Lyons' first five goals as Wheaton rallied twice from two-goal deficits to send the teams into halftime locked up at seven. After the Engineers went in front, 9-8 at 17:34 of the second half, Wheaton tallied five of the next six goals. Dimick knotted the score 1:25 after MIT's go-ahead goal, and Hurd gave the Lyons the lead for good at 12:36. Coit pushed the hosts' advantage to 11-9, while Thornton and Hurd scored within a 1:29 span late in regulation to ice the victory. Hurd led Wheaton with four goals and one assist, while Coit and Dimick each contributed hat tricks. Konig and junior Mary Catherine Boll (Columbus, IN/Miss Porter's School) combined for four saves, with Boll picking up her first collegiate win in relief.
Softball (24-14, 9-7) Splits Six Games During Final Week of Regular Season
The Wheaton College softball team completed its regular season schedule with a split of six games last week. The Lyons swept visiting Framingham State College, 12-0 in five innings and 4-2 on Tuesday before falling twice by 4-0 scores at the hands of Wellesley College during a NEWMAC doubleheader. Wheaton split a double dip at Endicott College on Saturday, winning 1-0 and falling 4-3 in eight innings. The Lyons did not win 10 league contests for the first time in the NEWMAC, and Wheaton will hit the road to open the NEWMAC Tournament for the first time. The Blue and White will find out their playoff fate Monday and will hit the road for a first round contest on Tuesday.
Sophomores Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) and Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) each spun three-hitters, and the Lyons smacked four home runs during a doubleheader sweep of Framingham State. In game one, Poulton fanned eight, walked four and yielded a trio of singles while blanking the Rams for the second time this season. The Lyons struck for a season-high 12 runs to go along with 10 hits, including three doubles and three home runs, the most long balls by Wheaton since March 27, 2003. Junior Keely Nowosacki (Shrewsbury, MA/Shrewsbury) finished 3-for-3 with five RBI and finished a triple shy of the cycle, sophomore Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) slugged a home run and scored twice, and freshman Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) launched her first collegiate roundtripper and scored twice. Junior Jessica DePolito (Taunton, MA/Coyle and Cassidy) had two hits, including a double. The second contest was much more a pitcher's duel, and Nowosacki broke the scoreless stalemate with a leadoff home run in the fourth. Moynagh had her no-hit bid spoiled with one down in the fifth, but junior Nicole Lachance (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) responded with a two-out, two-run single in the home half. Lachance went 2-for-3 with a double, while Moynagh fanned eight and walked one.
Against Wellesley, the Lyons dropped their final NEWMAC doubleheader. The visitors capitalized on a pair of defensive miscues in the opening inning by pushing two runs across, while the Blue tacked on two more in the sixth. Moynagh was saddled with the loss after allowing two earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Wellesley jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two and tacked on a trio of unearned runs in the final two frames to complete the scoring. Lachance and sophomore Alix Brozman (Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) each went 2-for-3, and Poulton took the loss after yielding just one earned run on eight hits while fanning three batters and walking one.
Moynagh pitched a four-hit shutout during a game one at Endicott before the Lyons fell in extra innings in game two. By going to extra frames eight times in their last 28 games, the Lyons matched their total from the previous 155 contests dating back to 2003. Wheaton scored the only run of the first game in the top of the first inning, as Nowosacki poked a double to left with two down and came around on DePolito's single to right. DePolito was the lone player with multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3. Moynagh tied her career high by striking out 11 batters, walking only two and yielding four singles. She left five runners stranded in scoring position during the first four innings, including three at third base, and fanned the final batter in each of those frames. The Lyons twice rallied from deficits in game two before falling. Benton ripped an RBI single in the second to knot the contest, while Wheaton scored a pair of runs in the seventh to force extra innings. Lachance led off with a single, moved to third on freshman Jessica DeRico's (Griswold, CT/Griswold) base hit and scored on a double steal attempt. With one down, Nowosacki launched her third home run of the week just beyond the reach of the leftfielder. However, Endicott pulled out the win on a run-scoring single with two down in the eighth. Freshman Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) led Wheaton's 12-hit attack with a 3-for-3 effort, while Lachance and Nowosacki each banged out a pair of hits. Poulton was the hard-luck loser, allowing only three hits and two earned runs in 7.2 innings while striking out six and walking three.
Men's Tennis (10-4, 4-1) Goes 1-1, Falls in Battle of Undefeated NEWMAC Teams
The nationally-ranked Wheaton College men's tennis team completed its regular season slate by splitting a pair of matches last week. The Lyons, ranked 25th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll, opened played with a 7-2 victory at Salve Regina University on Thursday before falling to eight-time conference champion Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 7-0 on Saturday in a meeting of nationally-ranked teams with spotless conference marks. By clinching the second seed in the upcoming NEWMAC Tournament, the Lyons have a bye in the first round and will compete in the semifinals on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Wheaton is set to host the semifinal and final rounds.
Against Salve Regina, the Lyons reached double-digit wins for the fourth straight season, as well as the seventh time in eight years while playing under the nine-point system employed by the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), to which the Seahawks belong. Sophomore Sean Daly (Miami, FL/La Salle), junior Brian Danishevsky (Hamden, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day), senior Matt Sheers (Beacon, NY/Beacon) and junior Brad Dressler (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) earned straight-set singles wins at the second through fifth positions, respectively. At number one, junior Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win. Danishevsky and Dressler notched an 8-2 win at second doubles, while Sheers and junior Will Stoddard (Huntington, VT/Mount Mansfield Union) posted an 8-4 win at number three.
At MIT, the Lyons fell to the 17th-ranked team in the nation and came within one match of clinching their first NEWMAC regular season title. Payman lost a close 6-4, 6-4 match at top singles, while Dressler went to three sets at number five before falling in a super tiebreaker. Potter and Sheers picked up an 8-5 victory at third doubles, but the Lyons lost the doubles points after falling by 8-3 and 8-5 scores at the top two positions.
Wheaton Notches Second Straight Sweep of Weekly NEWMAC Men's Tennis Awards
Daly and Payman earned NEWMAC accolades for the week ending on Sunday, April 16, as Daly was named singles player of the week while the duo drew doubles team honors. Daly notched a pair of straight-set victories from the second position with a 6-3, 6-3 win against Babson College on April 12 and a 7-5, 6-4 triumph against Springfield College on April 15. In doubles, Daly and Payman picked up two wins out of the top slot, knocked off a team from Babson, 8-5 and a twosome from Springfield, 8-3.
Women's Tennis (9-6, 4-3) Completes Spring Season with Second Shutout Victory
The Wheaton College women's tennis team completed its 2005-06 season with a 9-0 victory against visiting Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday at the Clark Tennis Courts. In singles play, the Blue and White dropped only nine total points in six matches. Sophomore Maya Milic-Strkalj (Philadelphia, PA/Friends' Central School) notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at number four, while classmate Briana Jackson (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow), junior Jessica Otto (Atlantic, IA/Atlantic) and freshman Oriana Federico (Andover, MA/Lawrence Academy) allowed one point apiece en route to victories at the second, fifth and sixth positions, respectively. Freshmen Meghan Doyle (Hingham, MA/Hingham) and Mallory Farmer (Washington, CT/The Gunnery) recorded triumphs at the first and third slots, respectively. Doyle and Jackson picked up an 8-3 win at top doubles, Farmer and Milic-Strkalj combined for an 8-0 victory at the second position, and Federico and Otto followed suit at number three.
Lyons Corral Eight Event Victories at MIT Coed Track and Field Invitational
The Wheaton College men's and women's outdoor track and field teams combined for eight event victories at Saturday's non-scoring Coed Invitational held at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A handful of Lyons will compete later this week at the prestigious Penn Relays before the Blue and White women go for their ninth straight conference meet title during the NEWMAC Championship at MIT this weekend. Wheaton's men look to improve upon last year's fifth-place showing.
Freshman Jonathan Cunha (Lexington, MA/Lexington) highlighted the men's portion of the meet with victories in the 110- and 400-meter hurdles. Cunha also broke his week-old school record in the 400M hurdles with a time of 54.63, eclipsing his standard by 0.03 seconds. The time was also 0.63 seconds shy of an NCAA Division III national meet provisional qualifying mark. Cunha posted a time of 15.04 in the 110M hurdles, 0.25 seconds faster than the closest competitor. On the women's side, Wheaton captured six victories. Senior Kendra Leith (Holden, MA/Wachusett Regional) won the 1,500-meter run, junior Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) bested the high jump field, sophomore Megan Brousseau (Attleboro, MA/Attleboro) earned the top mark in the 5,000M run, and freshmen Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School) and Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) were victorious in the 800M run and 400M dash events, respectively. Calderwood and Jules also ran legs for the winning 4x400-meter relay team, joining first-year athletes Celeste Karpow (Wilton, CT/Wilton) and Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln).
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