Athletics > Weekly Lyon > April 14, 2008
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Baseball (23-6, 8-2) Posts 4-2 Mark, Falls into Second Place in NEWMAC Standings
The Wheaton College baseball team, ranked ninth in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) poll, went 4-2 while losing twice last week in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action, as the Lyons fell into second place. Wheaton had its 17-game winning streak snapped with a 4-2 loss at Babson College on Tuesday before the Lyons rebounded with home triumphs of 11-2 and 11-5 against Bridgewater State College and Curry College on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Wheaton picked up a 4-2 win at Western New England College on Friday before splitting a Sunday twinbill at Clark University, winning by a 2-1 score but losing the nightcap, 14-10. The Lyons reached the 20-win plateau for the 11th time in the program's 11-year history.
Junior Brian Hughes (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) yielded just two hits in six innings, but Babson scored three times in the first. Classmate Robert Foote (Walpole, MA/Walpole) and sophomore Paul Malaguti (Andover, MA/Andover) each had two hits, including a double.
Wheaton scored the final eight runs to break open a 3-2 game against the Bears. Malaguti, senior Scott Guillerault (South Portland, ME/South Portland) and junior Nick Pecora (Highland Park, NJ/Immaculata) each homered, while Guillerault also doubled, drove in three runs and scored twice. Pecora had four RBI on two hits, including the 100th of his career, Malaguti added two hits and two runs, while freshman Sean Munley (Trenton, NJ/The Hun School of Princeton) was 2-for-3. Sophomore Nick Kostaras (North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) fanned six during seven innings for the win.
The Lyons rallied from an early 4-1 deficit against Curry, as Guillerault and sophomore Jeff Lieneck (Foxboro, MA/Xaverian Brothers) each went 3-for-4 with two runs. Guillerault doubled twice, sophomore Sean Buckley (Webster, MA/Bartlett) was 2-for-3 with three RBI off the bench, and senior Jake Yagjian (Brewster, MA/Nauset Regional) had two hits. Freshman Kevin Calabro (Andover, MA/Andover) went 2.2 one-hit innings of relief for the win, while junior Josh Simmons (Cranston, RI/Cranston West) fanned two while earning a six-out save.
Foote's eighth-inning RBI single put Wheaton on top for good as the Lyons rallied from an early 2-0 deficit at Western New England. Foote and Munley had two hits apiece, while Lieneck and Munley each scored twice. Senior Keith Pescosolido (Newton, MA/Newton North) earned the win with 1.1 shutout innings of relief, and Simmons pitched 1.1 no-hit frames for the save.
Foote's solo home run leading off the sixth created the final margin as the Lyons took game one from Clark. Foote finished the opener 2-for-3 with two runs, the home run and a double, which was the 100th hit of his career, while junior Adam Gingras (Woonsocket, RI/Woonsocket) yielded one unearned run over 6.1 innings for the win. Simmons got the final two outs for the save. Wheaton took a 5-0 lead in game two behind Lieneck's program-record-tying second grand slam of the season, but Clark outscored the Lyons, 14-5 over the final six-and-a-half innings. Lieneck was 2-for-5 with four RBI, Foote went 4-for-4 with two runs, and Malaguti finished 3-for-6 with three runs, three RBI, two doubles and a home run. Pecora and Yagjian each had two hits.
Thanks in large part to Gingras and senior Chris McDonough (Weymouth, MA/Weymouth, who have each tied a program record with two shutouts this season, Wheaton has notched five shutouts in 2008, one short of the school standard. McDonough is just the second Lyon to record a pair of two-shutout campaigns, having also done so last year, while Simmons has moved into fourth at Wheaton with eight saves this spring. The Lyons have tied a program record with 24 sacrifice flies this season.
Guillerault is among the top five in a number of career categories at Wheaton, ranking first in games played (170) and hit-by-pitch (33), second in home runs (24), walks (112) and sacrifice flies (12), third in RBI (159) and doubles (50) and fifth in runs (141). Yagjian is tied for third in sacrifice flies (11), fourth in bases on balls (71) and is tied for fourth in times hit by a pitch (24). McDonough is first in strikeouts (215) and complete games (11), tied for second in shutouts (4), tied for third in wins (20) and fourth in innings pitched (235). Simmons is second in saves (16) and fourth in pitching appearances (53), while Pescosolido is fifth in appearances (50).
Closer Simmons Draws Initial Career NEWMAC Pitcher-of-the-Week Honor
Simmons was named NEWMAC Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career for the week ending on Sunday, April 6. Simmons contributed to three of Wheaton's five wins during the week, recording all 12 of his outs via strikeouts in four innings while saving three games in as many attempts. Allowing just one hit on the week, opponents batted .077. He fanned all five Suffolk University batters over 1.2 innings in helping the Lyons win 3-2 on April 2 before striking out four in 1.1 frames during a 7-4 victory at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on April 3. In a 6-5 come-from-behind win against regional power University of Southern Maine on April 5, Simmons fanned the side in the ninth.
Men's Lacrosse (3-7, 1-3) Splits Pair, Wins First Pilgrim League Contest of Season
The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team split a pair of contests at home last week, dropping a 14-11 decision against Roger Williams University on Wednesday before downing Clark University, 9-7 on Friday for the Lyons' initial Pilgrim League win under first-year head coach Mike McCaffrey.
Against Roger Williams, Wheaton rushed out to a 5-2 lead early in the second quarter before succumbing to a 7-0 run that put the hosts behind for good. Senior Richie Rasamny (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) scored four goals, junior defender Marco Barbone (Newton, MA/Newton North) tallied twice, and sophomore Tim Horan (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) had five assists, the most by a Lyon since May 2006. Junior Jeff Gomer (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) went 11-of-16 on face-offs, and sophomore Schuyler Horn (New Hartford, CT/Kingswood-Oxford School) made nine saves.
Wheaton broke out of a 3-3 tie with Clark by scoring twice in 26 seconds during the third period. Horan had three goals and two assists, while freshman Chris Landers (Manchester, MA/Proctor Academy) turned in a hat trick. Sophomore Drew Schaffer (New Haven, CT/Loomis Chaffee School) added two goals and an assist, Gomer went 9-of-12 on face-offs, and Horn made 12 saves.
Rasamny is six points shy of being 10th in program history. In addition to 56 goals, Rasamny is sixth at Wheaton in assists (48), as he could become the fourth Lyon with 50 career goals and assists.
Women's Lacrosse (5-7, 1-3) Falls to 2007 NEWMAC Runner-Up Wellesley in Only Game
The Wheaton College women's lacrosse team dropped its only contest last week, a 13-5 decision at 2007 NEWMAC Tournament runner-up Wellesley College on Tuesday. The Lyons trailed 7-4 at halftime before allowing six of the second half's seven goals. Senior Sara Dimick (Cumberland, ME/Greely) scored twice, and freshman Annalisa Carson (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) made 12 saves.
Senior Meredith Hurd (Bath, ME/Hyde School) remains fourth in program history in career goals (143), as well as tied for fifth in points (160).
Softball (27-9, 11-3) Wins Six of Eight, Posts 4-0 NEWMAC Mark to Move into Second
The Wheaton College softball team went 6-2 last week, including 4-0 during NEWMAC play to move into second place in the conference standings with two games left. During a twinbill at Eastern Connecticut State University on Tuesday, the Lyons corralled a sweep with 2-1 and 3-0 wins before twice downing visiting United States Coast Guard Academy, 10-0 in five innings and 7-3 on Friday. Wheaton twice defeated host Clark University by a 3-0 score on Saturday before losing twice on Sunday during a three-team tripleheader against regional heavyweights at Western Connecticut State University. The Lyons fell to the host Colonials, 7-1 before being edged by nationally-ranked Tufts University, 4-2. Wheaton completes its NEWMAC slate on Friday by hosting 2007 league champ Wellesley College, as a Lyon sweep would put them in prime position to win their seventh regular season crown in 10 years.
Senior hurler Jodi Moynagh (Worcester, MA/Holy Name Central Catholic) yielded a total of one run on nine hits in 14 innings while recording a pair of complete-game victories at Eastern Connecticut State. Classmate Erika Marini (Pawtucket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy) and junior Stacey Kelleher (Brockton, MA/Brockton) had two-out RBI singles in the third and fifth innings, respectively, during game one before the Warriors scored once in the seventh, but Moynagh induced a game-ending popup with runners on second and third. Marini's RBI single and junior Lynn Cotto's (Brookfield, CT/Brookfield) two-out, two-run double in the first inning of game two accounted for all of Wheaton's runs, and Moynagh blanked the hosts on three hits with three strikeouts. It was the first time Eastern Connecticut State had been shut out in 57 games since 2006. Kelleher finished 2-for-3.
Against Coast Guard, Cotto's grand slam highlighted an eight-run first inning during the opener. Junior Brady Benton (Concord, NH/Concord) also homered and finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while freshman Nicole DeRosa (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich Academy) was 2-for-2 with a double. Moynagh yielded one hit with six strikeouts in three innings. During the second contest, Kelleher slugged a tying home run to spark a three-run rally with two down in the fifth, and Wheaton plated six of the game's final seven runs. All seven of the Lyon runs came with two out. Kelleher finished 2-for-3 with two runs, the home run and a double, while freshman Rachel Merrick (Methuen, MA/Central Catholic) was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Sophomore Andrea Bagley (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) yielded one earned run over five innings for the win, while senior Audrey Poulton (Charlestown, RI/Chariho Regional) notched a two-inning save and rapped her 100th career hit.
Moynagh spun 12 innings of shutout ball on nine hits during a sweep at Clark, and Poulton earned a save in each contest. In game one, Benton led off the first inning with a solo homer, and two more runs came around on Kelleher's two-run shot in the sixth. Moynagh yielded four hits in six innings with 12 strikeouts, the most by a Lyon since 2003, while earning her 50th career win. Poulton pitched a no-hit seventh and joined Benton and freshman Kristen Hunt (Milford, CT/Jonathan Law) in going 2-for-3, while Benton added a double for her 100th career hit. Kelleher finished 3-for-3 with two RBI. In game two, Benton and Poulton each knocked two-out RBI singles in the third to back six innings of five-hit ball from Moynagh, who struck out six. Poulton pitched a one-hit seventh. Cotto and freshman Julie Murray (Canton, MA/Canton) each went 2-for-3.
Wheaton was swept on Sunday. Kelleher's two-out RBI single in the top of the first inning gave the Lyons a lead over Western Connecticut State, and Bagley tossed three shutout frames before the Colonials went ahead in the fourth. Bagley struck out five during the loss, while Kelleher was 2-for-3. During Wheaton's contest against Tufts, which is ranked 17th by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), Hunt and DeRosa launched back-to-back home runs to give the Lyons a 2-1 lead in the second, but the Jumbos scored three times in the fourth. Hunt finished 3-for-3, while Merrick added two hits. Moynagh suffered just her second loss in 18 decisions.
Already this season, the Lyons have hit 17 triples, tying for third in program history behind the record of 19, and their 23 home runs are fifth in school annals. Wheaton's pitching staff has a school-mark eight saves, thanks in part to Poulton's program-high four this year, including three this past week. Moynagh has become just the third Lyon pitcher to post three 100-strikeout seasons, and she is seven shy of reaching the 150-strikeout barrier. At 16-2, she is tied for 10th at Wheaton in single-season wins and stands 10th with six shutouts. At bat, Poulton is tied for fourth with 12 sacrifice bunts, while DeRosa has seven home runs, which is one shy of the program's freshman record, set in 1997. The Class of 2011 already has the highest long ball total for any freshman class in program history with 14.
Senior Alix Brozman (Chappaqua, NY/Horace Greeley) is eighth in program history in career sacrifice hits (25), Benton is ninth in home runs (11) and Marini is tied for 10th in long balls (9). Marini is also tied for eighth in sacrifice flies (6), tied for ninth in times hit by a pitch (5) and 10th in doubles (30). Moynagh is tied for second in saves (3), third in each wins (51), strikeouts (475), pitching appearances (90) and innings pitched (500.1), and fourth in shutouts (14) and complete games (49). Poulton is first in saves (7), fourth in strikeouts (176), fifth in appearances (67) and tied for eighth in wins (22), while Bagley is seventh in strikeouts (106) and 10th in wins (18).
Kelleher and Moynagh Corral Weekly Softball Honors
Kelleher and Moynagh earned player-of-the-week and pitcher-of-the-week honors, respectively, from the NEWMAC for the week ending on Sunday, April 6, while Moynagh was also named New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) Pitcher of the Week. Moynagh went 4-0 with a 1.02 ERA and two shutouts, completing four of her five starts and reaching the 10-strikeout plateau three times. She fanned 40 and walked five in 34.1 innings. Kelleher batted .524 with a .952 slugging percentage in eight games, recording seven runs, eight RBI, six doubles and a home run while walking three times and striking out only once in 24 plate appearances. She hit safely in the final seven contests.
Men's Tennis (8-4, 2-2) Goes 1-2 During Week, Falls Twice in NEWMAC Play
The Wheaton College men's tennis team, ranked 18th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Northeast poll, went 1-2 last week, falling twice in NEWMAC play. The Lyons began the week with a 6-3 victory over visiting Salem State College on Tuesday before suffering a 6-3 loss at Babson College the next day. On Saturday, Wheaton fell by a 7-2 count at Springfield College, as the Blue and White lost twice in NEWMAC play for the first time since the 2003 campaign.
Against Salem State, the Lyons finished off a six-match homestand while winning four times in singles and twice in doubles. Junior Nii Manfoi Davies (Town & Country, MO/The Principia) won in straight sets during his first collegiate singles match, while sophomores Kyle Hudgins (Uxbridge, MA/Uxbridge) and James Little (Mount Desert, ME/Mount Desert Island) and freshman Brian Krantz (Milford, CT/Joseph A. Foran) also each won in two sets. In double play, the tandems of Hudgins/Krantz and freshmen Harry Altman (Riverdale, NY/The Dwight School)/Cullen Garrity (Middletown, MD/Saint James School) were both victorious.
For the first time since 2004, Wheaton lost to a NEWMAC foe other than nine-time league champion Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) when it fell at Babson. It was also the Lyons' initial regular season loss against a team other than MIT since 2003. Hudgins and Krantz each won in straight sets during singles after the pair combined for Wheaton's lone doubles victory.
With a loss to Springfield, the Lyons suffered consecutive NEWMAC setbacks during regular season action for the first time since losing three straight in April 2002. Against the Pride, Davies and Hudgins each won in straight sets, while two other Wheaton players battled to three-set losses.
Krantz Named NEWMAC Singles Player of the Week for First Time in Career
Krantz earned his first career NEWMAC Singles Player-of-the-Week selection for the week ending on Sunday, April 6. In Wheaton's lone match of the week, Krantz picked up a 6-2, 6-0 decision in the fourth position against the United States Coast Guard Academy on April 5.
Track and Field Teams Split Up, Travel to Saturday Meets at Miami and Northeastern
The Wheaton College men's and women's track and field teams split up on Saturday, with some Lyons competing at the University of Miami Elite Invitational and others taking part in the Solomon Husky Invitational at Northeastern University. Both meets were non-scoring competitions.
Competing against some world-class athletes in Miami, Wheaton's women's 4x400-meter relay team sprinted to the fastest Division III time in the nation this spring. Juniors Chizoba Ezeigwe (Brockton, MA/Thayer Academy) and Natana Jules (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) and sophomores Kelly Libert (New Haven, CT/James Hillhouse) and Renee Thompson (Hartford, CT/Weaver) recorded an NCAA Championship automatic qualifying time of 3:47.27. Four other national meet provisional marks were met, including Ezeigwe's and Thompson's 25.04 and 57.18 finishes in the 200M and 400M, respectively. Freshman Erin Neville (North Providence, RI/La Salle Academy) came in third in the high jump with a provisional height of 5' 5". Junior Amanda Rawson (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional) blew away a nine-year-old school record in the 3,000M, as her time of 10:37.99 was nearly 10 seconds faster than the previous program standard. Sophomore Howard Powell (Brooklyn, NY/Boys and Girls) was Wheaton's lone male to reach an NCAA provisional qualification, doing so in the 110M hurdles in 14.77. At Northeastern, junior Christine Moreau (Lincoln, RI/Lincoln) won the 400M hurdles, while the men's 4x800M relay team was also victorious.
This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 4/14/08.
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Women's Soccer: Hough's tally sends Wheaton past Emmanuel, Leddy notches third shutout (more)
Women's Tennis: Geocaris and Teague draw weekly tennis honors from NEWMAC (more)