Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2006--07 > April 16, 2007
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Baseball (21-7, 8-2) Goes 5-1, Closes in on Ninth NEWMAC Regular Season Crown
The Wheaton College baseball team, ranked first in New England and seventh nationally by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), won five of six games last week to finish up a program-record 14-game homestand. The Lyons began play with a 5-2 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Babson College on Tuesday before splitting a doubleheader on Wednesday with Bridgewater State College, winning game one, 2-1 before losing game two, 3-2. Wheaton then pulled out an exciting 4-3 triumph in 10 innings versus Keene State College on Friday before taking a twinbill from Clark University, 11-5 and 13-2 on Saturday. The Lyons are alone in first place and need one more win to clinch their ninth NEWMAC regular season title in the history of the nine-year-old league. Wheaton now has 20 wins for the 10th time in its 10-year varsity existence.
Against Babson, sophomores Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) and Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata) drove in two runs apiece, and senior Joe White (Bedford, NH/Manchester West) fanned seven batters in seven innings for the win. Pecora and senior Brandon Leonard (Brockton, MA/Brockton) each had two hits, sophomore Jared Barnes (North Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) fanned three in a no-hit eighth, and classmate Josh Simmons (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) closed the door with a no-hit ninth.
Junior Chris McDonough (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) pitched the Lyons past Bridgewater State in game one of a doubleheader, holding the Bears scoreless for the first 6.2 innings before finishing off a seven-inning complete game. He yielded five hits while striking out five, and junior Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) doubled home two runs while finishing 2-for-3. In the nightcap, sophomore Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) allowed three runs in six innings while striking out five, but the Lyons fell short by a run. Yagjian had two hits.
Senior Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich) stroked the game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning against Keene State after Pecora and senior Jeff Martin (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead) came up with back-to-back RBI singles with two down in the ninth to tie the game. Martin and Pecora each had two hits, while a quartet of Wheaton relievers held the Owls to one run on two hits over 7.2 innings. Freshman Pat Martin (Rockland, MA/Rockland) struck out three during 2.2 frames, classmate Jon Shepard (Salisbury, MA/Triton Regional) worked a perfect sixth inning, sophomore Brian Hughes (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) tossed one-hit ball for 2.2 frames, and junior Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA/Newton North) picked up the win after 1.1 no-hit innings.
Laplante went 3-for-4 with two runs and a double in a game-one win over Clark. Senior Travis Anthoine (Portland, ME/Portland) was 2-for-4 with two runs, Foote drove in a pair, and Leonard scored twice. Junior Louie Bernardini (Gray, ME/Gray-New Gloucester) notched the win. In the nightcap, Laplante and Pecora each went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Leonard had two hits and scored twice, Foote added two hits, and sophomore Karl Olson (Bethel, ME/Gould Academy) drove in a pair. Junior Josh Moore (Manchester, NH/Manchester Memorial) allowed four hits in seven innings for the win.
A number of Lyons continue to climb the program's career charts. Junior Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) is second in home runs (21), third in RBI (125), ninth in doubles (35) and 10th in runs (103), while Leonard is third in stolen bases (57), fifth in runs (131), sixth in hits (182) and tied for ninth in RBI (94). Moore is fourth in wins (16), while McDonough is tied for fifth in strikeouts (155) and sits just 24 shy of the school standard.
Jeff Martin Earns First Career ECAC and NEWMAC Accolades
Martin received the first Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and NEWMAC awards of his career for the week ending on Sunday, April 8, being named ECAC Player of the Week and NEWMAC Co-Player of the Week. Martin batted .533 during Wheaton's 4-1 week, going 8-for-15 with seven RBI, five runs and a .611 on-base percentage. The outfielder hit safely in all five games, including going 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs in a game-one win over Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on April 7. Martin also drove in three runs with two hits during a victory against Roger Williams University on April 6. He started the week with a pair of RBI versus Suffolk University on April 3 and capped the weekend with two runs and a pair of walks to help Wheaton complete its sweep with MIT.
Men's Lacrosse (3-7, 3-1) Splits a Pair, Slides Out of First Place in Pilgrim
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team went 1-1 last week, picking up a dramatic 7-6 overtime victory at Babson College on Wednesday before dropping a 14-10 decision at Lasell College on Saturday. Both contest were Pilgrim League games, and the Lyons currently sit third in the standings with half of their conference slate complete. Four squads qualify for the postseason tournament.
Junior Richie Rasamny (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) scored 1:39 into overtime against Babson to cap Wheaton's comeback from a 4-1 hole. Freshman Tim Horan (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) gave the Lyons a 6-5 edge with 3:37 left in the third quarter before the Beavers forced the extra session. Senior Trey Helms (Cockeysville, MD/Saint Paul's School) had two goals and an assist, classmate Markus Ricci (Wayland, MA/Wayland) scored twice, and Rasamny had his goal and two helpers. Freshman Drew Schaffer (New Haven, CT/Loomis Chaffee School) contributed two assists, while classmate Alex Lewis (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) made 11 stops.
Wheaton trailed by two in the fourth quarter before Lasell pulled away. Rasamny netted a career-high five goals while adding an assist, and Schaffer had a goal and two helpers. Helms and sophomore Jeff Gomer (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) recorded a goal and an assist each, and Lewis made six saves.
Women's Lacrosse (3-9, 2-2) Goes 0-3, Falls Twice Against Nationally-Ranked Foes
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team dropped all three decisions last week, including a pair against teams ranked in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) national poll. The Lyons fell to visiting Wellesley College, 19-7 on Tuesday before losing at 13th-ranked Wesleyan University, 11-6 on Thursday. The Blue and White capped the week with an 18-3 defeat at the hands of visiting 19th-ranked Colby College on Sunday.
Wellesley broke out of a 1-1 tie with six straight goals during a NEWMAC contest. Junior Alexa Jurczak (Davidsonville, MD/Miss Porter's School) tallied a hat trick, while four additional players scored once apiece. Senior Kristin Konig (Montecito, CA/Cate School) turned aside 10 shots.
Against Wesleyan, the Lyons hung tough and were in a 6-6 game with less than 20 minutes remaining before the Cardinals tallied the final five goals. Junior Meredith Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) and freshman Brittany King (Georgetown, MA/Proctor Academy) each had two goals, while Jurczak turned in a pair of helpers. Konig made 19 saves.
The Lyons fell against their fifth nationally-ranked opponent of the year when they faced Colby. The Mules tallied the first eight goals in a game that was eventually called with 10:25 remaining due to deteriorating field conditions. Sophomore Caitlin Grant (Walpole, MA/Walpole) had a goal and an assist, while Konig stopped seven shots.
Hurd Draws NEWMAC Co-Player-of-the-Week Laurels
Hurd earned NEWMAC Co-Player-of-the-Week laurels for the week ending on Sunday, April 8 after drawing co-honors once as a sophomore. Hurd had 14 goals and 15 points during a 2-1 week, connecting on 58.3 percent of her shots. Against Mount Holyoke College on April 7, she led Wheaton to victory behind five goals, an assist, and five draw controls. On April 5, Hurd scored seven times against Bridgewater State College, including twice in the final 47.7 seconds of regulation before netting the winner in overtime. She also tallied her 100th career goal during the contest. In Wheaton's setback at nationally-ranked Babson College on April 5, Hurd notched two goals.
Loudenburg Wins 500th Game as Second-Place Softball (20-12, 10-4) Goes 5-1
The Wheaton College softball team went 5-1 last week, as head coach Gina Loudenburg became the 15th coach in Division III history with 500 career victories. The Lyons first swept visiting Eastern Connecticut State University, 9-3 and 12-4 in five innings on Tuesday before taking both ends of a NEWMAC doubleheader at the United States Coast Guard Academy, 7-5 and 7-2 on Friday. On Saturday, the homestanding Lyons dropped their opener to Clark University, 11-5 before picking up a 14-7 win in game two of the league twinbill for Loudenburg's milestone win. Wheaton occupies second place in the NEWMAC, is still alive to win its seventh regular season crown in the league's nine-year history, and has clinched one of the six conference tournament berths. The Lyons have won 20 games for the 14th straight season and 10 contests in league play for the 13th time in 14 years.
Against Eastern Connecticut State, the Lyons yielded the first run in each game before totaling 21 runs on 26 hits in 10 innings of hitting. Freshman Merry MacDonald (Braintree, MA/Braintree) went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI and a home run in the opener, while sophomore Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) had three hits. Senior Jessica DePolito (Taunton, MA/Coyle and Cassidy) went 2-for-2 with two runs, and junior Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) and sophomore Lynn Cotto (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) had two hits apiece. Junior Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) fanned six for the win.
In the second game, junior Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) was 3-for-3 with three RBI, Marini went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a home run, and sophomore Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) was 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs. MacDonald added two hits and two runs, while freshman Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) picked up the victory.
DePolito homered twice and drove in three runs as Wheaton downed Coast Guard in the opener to begin a sweep. Senior Nicole Lachance (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) was 2-for-4 with a triple, while Moynagh struck out nine batters and allowed only two earned runs in seven innings. DePolito's third-inning home run put the Lyons up for good. In the nightcap, Wheaton scored the first seven runs, and Lachance finished 3-for-3 with three RBI. DePolito added two hits, while MacDonald drove in a pair of runs. Bagley allowed one earned run in a complete-game effort.
Against Clark, the Lyons fell in the first contest despite Lachance's second career multi-home run game, as she finished 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. DePolito and MacDonald added two hits apiece, while Moynagh struck out eight batters in relief. In the second game, Wheaton banged out 22 hits, one shy of a seven-year-old school record, and scored 10 times between the fifth and sixth innings. MacDonald went 4-for-4 with three runs, Lachance was 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBI while launching her third dinger of the day, and Kelleher went 3-for-5 with five RBI, three runs and a home run. Benton finished with three hits and two RBI, DePolito was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Marini and Poulton each contributed two hits. Bagley earned the win.
DePolito is now fourth in program history in home runs (19), eighth in RBI (100) and ninth in doubles (30), while Lachance is tied for seventh in roundtrippers (13). In the circle, Moynagh is third in strikeouts (311) and fifth in wins (34), while Poulton is fourth in strikeouts (165) and eighth in wins (21).
DePolito Repeats ECAC and NEWMAC Player-of-the-Week Honors
DePolito was named co-player of the week by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and NEWMAC for the week ending on Sunday, April 8 after being named the outright recipient of each organization's award the previous week. During Wheaton's 4-2 showing against NEWMAC competition, the senior first baseman batted .529 by going 9-for-17 while adding 11 RBI and seven runs. DePolito also socked two home runs and two doubles while walking twice and striking out only twice in 19 plate appearances, recording a 1.000 slugging percentage and .579 on-base percentage. In a split with first-place Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on April 7, DePolito went 2-for-4 with five RBI and a home run in the nightcap. During a split on April 6 with two-time defending league champ Babson College, DePolito scored twice during a win in the opener. On April 3 against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), she was 5-for-6 during a sweep with six RBI, three runs, two doubles and a homer.
Men's Tennis (9-2, 4-0) Goes 2-0, Remains Tied for First in NEWMAC
The Wheaton College men's tennis team went 2-0 at home last week, blanking Babson College on Wednesday before downing Springfield College, 7-2 on Saturday. With the Lyons remaining in a tie atop the NEWMAC standings, their final regular season match with co-leader Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will decide whether Wheaton wins its first regular season conference crown or if the Engineers win their ninth in the league's nine-year history. The Lyons have not lost a NEWMAC match since 2003 to any team other than MIT, which has won all eight tournament titles. The teams, which have faced each other in the past two NEWMAC finals, square off on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Against Babson, the Lyons won their fourth straight match via a sweep. Seniors Brian Danishevsky (Hamden, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day School), Brad Dressler (Cranston, RI/Cranston West), Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington), Raymour Radhakrishnan (Amherst, NH/Bridgton Academy) and Will Stoddard (Huntington, VT/Mount Mansfield Union) joined freshman Kyle Hudgins (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) in each winning their singles matches in straight sets. During doubles play, the tandems of Dressler/Payman and Danishevsky/Radhakrishnan were both victorious, while Stoddard teamed with freshman James Little (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) for the Lyons' third triumph.
Wheaton extended its winning streak to six with a victory over Springfield. Danishevsky, Dressler, Hudgins, Payman and Stoddard all won their singles matches in straight sets, while the duos of Danishevsky/Radhakrishnan and Little/Stoddard took doubles decisions.
Harlow Wins Four Events as Men's and Women's Track Compete at UMass-Lowell
The Wheaton College men's and women's outdoor track and field teams competed at the Davis Invitational at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell on Saturday, where senior Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) won three individual events and helped a relay to victory.
An All-American, Harlow's most significant win came in the high jump, where her leap of 5' 8" was the best in the country this year, set a meet record by two inches and automatically qualified her for the NCAA Championship. Her victorious time of 15.05 in the 100-meter hurdles missed a provisional qualifying mark by 0.05 seconds, while Wheaton's 49.33 finish as the top 4x100M relay team was 0.53 seconds shy. Harlow also won the long jump with a distance of 17' 1 1/4". Junior Joell Whitley (Magnolia, NJ/Triton Regional), sophomore Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy) and freshman Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver) joined Harlow in the 4x100M relay quartet, while Ezeigwe and Thompson ran legs on the Lyons' winning 4x400M relay, siding with sophomores Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) for a time of 3:59.60, which was 3.60 seconds short of a provisional standard. On the men's side, freshman Howard Powell (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) captured the 110M hurdles crown for the second consecutive weekend, as his time of 15:20 set a meet record and was 0.03 seconds faster than the closest competitor.
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