Athletics > Weekly Lyon > 2006--07 > April 30, 2007
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Baseball (27-10, 9-3) Wins Eighth NEWMAC Tournament Title in Nine Years
The top-seeded Wheaton College baseball team swept through the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament to capture its eighth league crown in the nine-year history of the league and qualified for its seventh NCAA Tournament to cap a 4-1 showing last week. Wheaton, which is ranked first in New England and seventh nationally by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), fell to visiting Rhode Island College by an 11-6 count on Tuesday before downing 11th-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University, 7-6 in 11 innings on Thursday in a battle between the top two teams in the region. On Saturday in the NEWMAC Tournament, Wheaton downed fourth-seeded Babson College, 6-1 and number three Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2-0. In Sunday's championship game, the Lyons downed Babson again, 5-3.
Wheaton will begin play in the NCAA New England Regional Tournament on Wednesday, May 16, as the tournament will be held at Whitehouse Field in Harwich for the third straight year, and for the fifth time overall. Head coach Eric Podbelski, the only coach the program has known in its 10 years of varsity existence, is currently three wins shy of 300 for his career.
Rhode Island College sprung the upset with eight runs over the final three innings. Senior Joe White (Bedford, NH/Manchester West) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning before not figuring in the decision, as the five relievers who immediately followed him yielded only one earned run with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Sophomore Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata) went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while classmate Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) had two hits, including a double.
Senior Jeff Martin (Marblehead, MA/Marblehead) ripped a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to send Wheaton past visiting Eastern Connecticut State. Martin finished with two hits as the Lyons pounded out 20. Pecora, senior Travis Anthoine (Portland, ME/Portland) and junior Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) each collected three hits, and junior Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) had two, including a two-run homer. Foote joined seniors Adam Laplante (Harwich, MA/Harwich) and Brandon Leonard (Brockton, MA/Brockton) with two hits each. Junior Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA/Newton North) earned the win with a no-hit 11th.
In Wheaton's tournament opener with Babson, junior Chris McDonough (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth) fired a five-hit shutout while striking out four and not issuing a walk. With his second shutout of the year, McDonough won his fifth straight decision. Foote had two hits, while Guillerault and Yagjian each drove in runs. Junior Ken Depasse (Holden, MA/Saint John's) stole a pair of bases.
Junior Louie Bernardini (Gray, ME/Gray-New Gloucester) pitched into the ninth against MIT without allowing an earned run, and sophomore Jared Barnes (North Attleboro, MA/Bishop Feehan) recorded the final three outs to push Wheaton into the finals. Foote went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a home run, while Antoine and Pecora had two hits apiece.
The Lyons faced Babson for the second time in two days during the championship game, as junior Josh Moore (Manchester, NH/Manchester Memorial) pitched into the ninth before sophomore Josh Simmons (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) got the final three outs for his sixth save. Moore gave up two earned runs while striking out six in eight-plus innings, and Yagjian finished 3-for-4 with two runs. Anthoine drove in a pair on a two-run double in the second inning to put the Lyons up for good.
A number of Lyons continue to climb the program's career charts. Guillerault is second in home runs (22), third in RBI (128), tied for eighth in doubles (36) and is ninth in runs (107), while Leonard is tied for second in stolen bases (59), is fourth in runs (140), fifth in games (158), sixth in hits (188) and ninth in RBI (96). Moore is fourth in wins (18), while McDonough is third in complete games (9), tied for fourth in strikeouts (166), sitting just 13 shy of the school standard, and is fifth in victories (16).
McDonough and Pecora Corral Honors from ECAC and NEWMAC
McDonough and Pecora captured league pitcher and hitter honors for the week ending on Sunday, April 22. Pecora picked up his first career Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and NEWMAC player-of-the-week awards, as he shared the ECAC honor. McDonough earned his third career league honor after being named NEWMAC Co-Pitcher of the Week. Pecora went 11-for-17 for a .647 average with eight RBI and a .765 slugging percentage. Pecora matched the program's single-game hits record at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on April 20, as he was 6-for-6 with four RBI. He also went 2-for-4 with two RBI in a loss at Babson College on April 19 and completed the week by going 3-for-7 with two runs and two RBI during a split at Brandeis University on April 21. McDonough spun a two-hit shutout over nine innings at WPI to help Wheaton capture its ninth straight regular season conference crown. McDonough fanned seven and walked none while tossing just 84 pitches.
Men's Lacrosse (4-10, 4-4) Goes 1-2 to Fall Out of Pilgrim League Tournament Contention
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team went 1-2 in Pilgrim League play last week, dropping one narrow decision before holding close with the third-ranked team in the country during a loss, as the Lyons were eliminated from postseason contention. The Blue and White kicked the week off with a 13-5 decision over visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Monday before falling at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 7-6 on Wednesday. The Lyons capped the week with a 19-5 loss to nationally-ranked Western New England College in Mirrione Stadium.
Sophomore Marco Barbone (Newton, MA/Newton North) scored a career-high five goals and helped Wheaton overcome an early deficit against Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Down by a 4-3 count with 9:40 left in the third quarter, the Lyons tallied 10 of the game's final 11 goals. Barbone finished with six points, senior Markus Ricci (Wayland, MA/Wayland) had a hat trick and an assist, and freshman Drew Schaffer (New Haven, CT/Loomis Chaffee School) scored twice. Junior Richie Rasamny (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) tallied once and had three helpers, while freshman Tim Horan (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) also notched a trio of assists. Freshman Schuyler Horn (New Hartford, CT/Kingswood-Oxford School) made seven saves in recording his first collegiate victory.
Wheaton saw MIT erase a tie with the straight tallies, and the Lyons never caught up. Barbone and Rasamny scored twice apiece, while senior Trey Helms (Cockeysville, MD/Saint Paul's School) had a goal and an assist. Schaffer finished with three assists, and Horn made nine saves.
Against Western New England, the Lyons trailed 2-1 midway though the second quarter before the Golden Bears pulled away to wrap up the Pilgrim League regular season title. Wheaton, which was facing one of three remaining undefeated teams in Division III, received a goal from Helms with 3:01 left in the first quarter to knot the contest, but the visitors tallied the next 11 markers. In his final collegiate game, Helms also had an assist to complete his 57-game career with 94 points. Horan scored twice, Rasamny had a goal and an assist, and Schaffer assisted two tallies. Horn made 13 saves.
Women's Lacrosse (4-12, 3-3) Falls in Opening Round of NEWMAC Tournament
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team's season came to an end on Wednesday when the third-seeded Lyons fell on Keefe Field to number six Smith College, 10-7. The teams stood tied at three midway through the opening half before the Pioneers went on a 5-0 run that stretched into the second stanza. Three straight Wheaton goals made it 8-6 with 18:05 left, but the hosts came no closer. Junior Meredith Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) netted a hat trick, while sophomore Caitlin Grant (Walpole, MA/Walpole) tallied twice. Senior Kristin Konig (Montecito, CA/Cate School) made 11 saves.
Softball (25-16, 11-5) Falls Twice in NEWMAC Tournament as Season Draws to a Close
The second-seeded Wheaton College softball team went 1-2 in NEWMAC Tournament play last week, as the Lyons' season drew to a close following a record-setting home run display this spring. Wheaton fell to number six and eventual tournament champion Wellesley College, 11-8 at Clark Field on Wednesday before splitting a pair of games on Saturday. The Blue and White downed number five Smith College, 12-3 in five innings before dropping a 9-7 decision to third-seeded Babson College. Wheaton set a school record with 44 longballs, surpassing the 10-year-old program standard by six in 11 fewer games. Entering this season, that home run total would be good for 10th in Division III history.
The Lyons twice rallied to tie Wellesley, only to see the Blue score four times in the sixth to go up for good. Senior Nicole Lachance (Rochester, NH/Spaulding) had two hits, two runs, two RBI and a double, while junior Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Senior Jessica DePolito (Taunton, MA/Coyle and Cassidy) added two hits, and freshman Merry MacDonald (Braintree, MA/Braintree) launched a two-run homer. Junior Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) fanned seven in 5.2 innings, and Poulton took the loss in relief.
Against Smith in the elimination round, Wheaton scored in all four innings it batted. During a five-run first, junior Alix Brozman (Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) had an RBI single and classmate Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) smacked a two-run double. MacDonald cracked a two-run homer in the second, Marini sent a solo shot in the third, and DePolito added an RBI double in the fourth before sophomore Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) capped the frame with a three-run longball. MacDonald finished 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBI, while Benton and Marini each drove in three runs. DePolito was 2-for-3, while Brozman stole a trio of bases. Freshman Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) earned the win after going the route.
In Wheaton's loss to Babson, the Lyons led 5-0 after one and 6-1 heading into the third before the Beavers scored eight of the game's final nine runs. DePolito and Marini each drilled two-run home runs in the first inning, and sophomore Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) smacked Wheaton's 44th and final dinger of the campaign with one down in the seventh. Kelleher finished 3-for-4 with two runs.
With 14 home runs, DePolito leads the NEWMAC and had the third-highest single-season total in program history. Lachance finished with 10 home runs, as she and DePolito were the second teammates ever at Wheaton to reach double digits in the same season, and the first since 1999. DePolito finished her career third in program history in home runs (24), sixth in slugging percentage (.640) and total bases (286), seventh in RBI (110), eighth in batting (.389) and ninth in doubles (32), and her .894 slugging percentage this spring was the fourth-highest single-season total. Lachance is tied for sixth in career longballs (15), stands eighth in slugging (.569) and is tied for 10th in triples (6), while her .754 slugging this year is ninth in a season. In the circle, Moynagh is third in career strikeouts (332) and fourth in wins (35), while Poulton is fourth in strikeouts (166) and eighth in wins (21).
Men's Tennis (11-5, 4-1) Advances to Third Consecutive NEWMAC Tournament Final
The second-seeded Wheaton College men's tennis team won its NEWMAC Tournament semifinal match with number three Springfield College, 5-0 on Saturday before falling in the championship to top seed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 5-3. The teams met for the third straight year in the final, and MIT remained the only champion in the league's nine-year history. Wheaton is ranked 12th regionally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), while MIT is ninth.
In the match against Springfield, Wheaton's doubles teams earned a trio of points. Seniors Brad Dressler (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) and Payum Payman (Pleasant Valley, NY/Arlington) won in the top spot, while classmates Brian Danishevsky (Hamden, CT/Hamden Hall Country Day School) and Raymour Radhakrishnan (Amherst, NH/Bridgton Academy) were victorious at two. In the third position, senior Will Stoddard (Huntington, VT/Mount Mansfield) and freshman James Little (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) won. During singles, Payman and Dressler won their matches to give the Lyons a team victory by decision in the first and third positions, respectively.
Wheaton took two doubles points from MIT before coming up short in its quest to hand the Engineers their first NEWMAC loss in regular season or tournament competition. Danishevsky and Radhakrishnan won in the second doubles position, while Little and Stoddard were triumphant at three. During singles play, Payman downed a player in straight sets at the top spot who was ranked 12th in the nation and third in the region, but that ended up being the Lyons' lone singles point. That was Payman's 11th straight victory, while Dressler completed the spring season 15-0 after his incomplete singles match was halted upon MIT's team victory by decision.
With the team's season now complete, Payman looks to be selected for the NCAA Championship. After being the Northeast region's lone national tournament alternate a year ago, Payman has defeated the region's current third-ranked player twice and the 17th-ranked player once en route to compiling a 19-5 mark this spring. Selections will be announced Monday evening.
Payman Earns Fifth NEWMAC Honor of the Season, 12th of His Career
Payman earned NEWMAC Singles Player-of-the-Week laurels for the week ending on Sunday, April 22, which was Payman's fifth weekly accolade this spring and 12th of his career. Payman began the week with a triumph over Tufts University on April 17 before downing the 17th-ranked player in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Northeast poll during an April 19 sweep of Salve Regina University. He capped the week with a win over an Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) player ranked 12th in the nation and third in the region.
Men's and Women's Track and Field Nab 14 All-Conference Honors at NEWMAC Meet
The Wheaton College men's and women's outdoor track and field teams each competed at the NEWMAC Championship on Saturday at the United States Coast Guard Academy after a quintet of female Lyons took part in the prestigious Penn Relays on Thursday. Wheaton's 4x400-meter relay team won its heat at the Penn Relays, while the Lyons placed second at the league meet, seeing their search for 10 consecutive conference championship titles halted. Wheaton's men came in fifth.
At the 113th Penn Relays, sophomores Lily Calderwood (Harvard, MA/Bromfield School), Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy), Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and freshman Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver) completed the 4x400M relay in 3:54.04, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championship. Senior All-American Jennifer Harlow (East Bridgewater, MA/East Bridgewater) participated in a high jump competition for athletes from Eastern colleges. Her height of 5' 4 1/2" was tied for fourth, as she finished eighth among 15 jumpers. Out of the 27 athletes who jumped during a pair of competitions, Harlow's showing was tied for eighth.
After winning the past nine league crowns, including each in the NEWMAC's first eight years, the Lyon women took second behind 12 all-conference performances, as Harlow and Thompson had four apiece. Harlow won the high jump with a provisional height of 5' 5" and was on the winning 4x100-meter relay quartet, and she placed second in each the 100M hurdles and long jump. Thompson won the 400M while running legs on the victorious 4x100M and 4x400M relay teams. She also finished second in the 200M dash. Joining Harlow and Thompson on the 4x100M relay quartet were Ezeigwe and sophomore Samira Sanders (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls). For the 4x400M relay foursome, Thompson sided with sophomores Celeste Karpow (Wilton, CT/Wilton) and Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) and freshman Kelly Libert (New Haven, CT/James Hillhouse). Ezeigwe also won the 100M and 200M, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA meet in the 200M. Calderwood won the 800M, Jules placed second in the 400M, and sophomore Danica Peterson (Westwood, MA/Westwood) took second in the high jump. For the men, freshmen Merzudin Ibric (Revere, MA/Phillips Academy) and Howard Powell (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) captured the 400M dash and 110M hurdles, respectively.
Montes Represents Synchronized Swimming at US National Championship
The Wheaton College synchronized swimming team was represented at the US National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, over the weekend by freshman Laura Montes (San Juan, PR/Academia San Jose), who turned in an 18th-place performance among the top solo competitors in the nation. Montes was 17th in the solo routine portion of the event, finishing second among collegians from the region, and became the first Lyon to compete at the national competition since 2005.
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