March 24, 2008

Monday, March 24, 2008

This Week in Walsh University Athletics

Mon. 24 Baseball (H) Mount Union College 3:30 pm

Tues. 25 Softball (H) Shawnee State University (DH) 3 pm

Wed. 26 Women's Tennis (H) Malone College 3:30 pm

Thurs. 27 Baseball (H) Point Park University (DH) 1 pm
Softball (H) Ursuline College (DH) 3 pm

Fri. 28 Men's Tennis vs. Waynesburg College at Lexington, OH 1:30 pm
Softball at Mount Union College (DH) 3:30 pm

Sat. 29 Baseball at Point Park College (DH) 1 pm
Men's Golf at Kenyon College Invitational 9 am
Women's Golf at Mount Union College Invitational 12 pm
Softball at Ursuline College (DH) 1 pm
Men's & Women's Track at College of Wooster Invitational 11 am

Sun. 30 Men's Golf at Kenyon College Invitational 9 am
Women's Golf at Mount Union College Invitational 12 pm
Men's Tennis at University of Findlay 3 pm

Schedules subject to change

BASEBALL: Cavs (7-7, 2-0 AMC) Open AMC Slate with Sweep

Walsh (7-7, 2-0 AMC) opened American Mideast Conference play with a double header sweep of Cedarville University last Thursday.  This week, they host Mount Union College in a single game on Monday (3:30 pm) and meet Point Park University in home and home AMC games on Thursday (H) (1 pm) and in Pittsburgh on Saturday (1 pm).

Walsh took both ends of the double header with the Yellow Jackets by identical 11-0 scores.  Chris Norris (Sr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) went the distance in game one, tossing a three-hitter to earn the win and improve to 3-0. Jason Pettigrew (Sr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) drove in two runs with two doubles, Jeff Nicholas (Sr., Navarre, OH/Perry) tripled and drove in a run and Mark Kelly (So., Norton, OH/HS) had two singles and an RBI.

Mike Dougherty (Jr., Canton, OH/McKinley) pitched a complete game in the nightcap to pick-up his first win of the season (1-2).  Tim Hromada (So., North Royalton, OH/Padua Franciscan) doubled, singled twice and drove in two runs and Matt Marshall (Sr., New Boston, OH/Glenwood) homered and doubled.  Mike Suliks (So., Norton, OH/HS) had two singles and three RBI.

Jason Pettigrew is hitting a lofty .417 for the Cavs and leads the team with 20 hits.  He is tied for the team lead in doubles with Jeff Nicholas (5) and is riding a seven-game hitting streak.  Pettigrew also has 10 RBI, as does Nicholas, who is batting .295.  Matt Marshall (Sr., New Boston, OH/Glenwood) is batting .381 and Ryan Indorf (Sr., Massillon, OH/Washington) is hitting .368 with a team-leading three homeruns and 18 RBI.  The Cavs are batting .309 as a team.  Chris Norris is 3-0, with a 2.66 ERA in four starts and a team-leading 23.2 innings pitched.  Left-hander Eric Shimko (Fr., Canton, OH/McKinley) is 0-1, but has a fine 1.80 ERA out of the bullpen in four games.  Steve Weirich (So., Minerva, OH/HS) is 1-1 with a 2.19 in five games.

SOFTBALL: Cavs (9-3, 2-0 AMC) Sweep Malone, Hartings Perfect

Walsh improved to 9-3 overall and to 2-0 in the American Mideast Conference, with a sweep of Malone College last week. This week, they host Shawnee State on Tuesday (3 pm), play a home and home AMC North twin bill with Ursuline College on Thursday (H, 3 pm) and Saturday (A, 1 pm) and play at Mount Union College (DH) on Friday (3:30 pm)

The Cavs defeated Malone 8-0 in five innings in game one, and 12-4 in game two.  The day belonged to Dana Hartings (Sr., Chicksaw, OH/Marion Local), as she pitched a perfect game against the Pioneers in the opener.  Hartings fanned eight, as she improved to 6-1 on the season.   She also helped herself with a two-run homerun (3) in the first inning.  Laura Schmidt (So., Canton, OH/Jackson) doubled and drove in three runs and center fielder Alyssa Knupp (Fr., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw) homered.  In game two, Hartings was 3-3 with a homerun (3) as the offense supported Krystal Sherry (So., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name) who picked-up the win to improve to 3-2.  Sherry also helped her cause by going 3-4 with a homerun (3) and four RBI.  Second baseman Shannon Spellacy (So., Brunswick, OH/HS) had two hits and two RBI, Knupp had two hits and two RBI, and right-fielder Rachel Harter (Fr., East Canton, OH/HS) had two hits and two RBI.  Walsh banged out 13 hits in the nightcap.

The combination of Hartings and Sherry has spelled disaster for the opposition through the first 12 games.  Hartings is 6-1 in nine games, with a 1.26 ERA.  She has started six games and has completed all six.  She has fanned 48 in 43 innings and walked only five.  At the plate, Hartings is second on the team with a .485 average and with 14 RBI.  She is also on a ten-game hitting streak.  Sherry is hitting a team-leading .488, is tied with Hartings for the homerun lead with three and leads the Cavs with 20 RBI.  She also has a team-leading three triples.  Shannon Spellacy is hitting .429 and has hit safely in her last 11 games.  She also leads the team with five stolen bases.  Freshman Alyssa Knupp is batting .429 and is tied for the team lead in doubles (4).  Walsh is batting a lofty .373.

MEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (2-5) on the Road Twice

Walsh (2-5) is on the road twice this week, as they look to snap a two-match losing streak.  The Cavs play Waynesburg College in Lexington, OH on Friday (1:30 pm) and travel to the University of  Findlay on Sunday (3 pm.)  Walsh dropped its only match last week, falling 8-1 to Aquinas College.

Number one singles Stephen Webster (Sr., Lexington, OH/HS) is 6-4 on the season and 6-1 at number doubles with Gary Innes (Fr., Randburg, South Africa).  Innes is 4-6 at third singles.  Greg Kerschbaum (Sr., Elyria, OH/HS) is 4-6 at second singles and 5-2 at second doubles with Jake Allmaras (Fr., Powell, OH/Olentangy).

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (1-5) Lose to Ashland

Walsh fell to 1-5 on the season, after losing 7-2 to Ashland University last week.  This week, the Cavs open defense of their American Mideast Conference championship against Malone College (H) on Wednesday (3:30 pm).  Weather permitting, it will the first match played on Walsh's new courts behind Giant Eagle at Washington Square.

Jenamarie Ianni (Jr., North Canton, OH/Hoover) has played well at first singles, but has yet to win (0-6).  Lindsey Cady (Jr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) is 0-6 at second singles.  Cady and Hilary Rossi (So., Warren, OH/JFK) are 3-2 at second doubles and Rossi is 2-5 at fourth and fifth singles.

MEN'S TRACK: Cavs Fourth at Muskingum Invitational/McKee, Beichler Take First Place Finishes

Walsh finished fourth (88) at the Muskingum Invitational on Saturday.  Ohio Wesleyan University won the meet.  This week, the Cavs compete at the College of Wooster Invitational on Saturday.

Brendan McKee (Jr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) won the 1500m (4:10.08) and finished fourth in the 800m (2:04.83) and Kevin Beichler (Fr., Smithville, OH/HS) won the 100m (11.65).  Beichler was also one fourth of Walsh's first place 4 x 100 team (45.65), which also included Jeff Tallman (So., Canton, OH/Perry), Tyler Pierce (So. Salem, OH/HS) and Chris Weirtz (Fr., Hudson, OH/Western Reserve).  Pierce also finished third in the high jump (5-10) and fourth in the triple jump (36-09.00) and Weirtz fifth in the 400m (52.85).

Chad Rankin (So., Salem, OH/HS) took second in the shot put (43-09.75) and Mike Groholy (Sr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge) second in the 5000m (15:43.83).  Andrew Saris (Jr., Smithville, OH/HS) also placed fifth in the long jump (18-04.50).

WOMEN'S TRACK: Cavs Tie for 2nd at Muskingum, Cofojohn, Heck Take First

Walsh finished tied for second with Ohio Wesleyan University at the Muskingum Open on Saturday. Baldwin-Wallace finished won the meet.  This week, the Cavs compete at the College of Wooster Invitational on Saturday.

Danielle Cofojohn (So., Diamond, OH/Southeast) took first place in the shot put (38-04.75) and second in the discus (129-10).  Emma Heck (Fr., Canton, OH/Central Catholic) was also a winner, capturing the pole vault (9-0.00).  The Cavs also took numerous second place finishes; Kristen LeFever (So., Alliance, OH/Marlington) in the 800m (2:32.32), Holly Gospodinsky (Fr., Wadsworth, OH/HS) in the shot put (37-06.50) and Brenna Kirkbride (Jr., Atwater, OH/Waterloo) in the 100m (13.64). Casey Fischer (Jr., Aurora, OH/HS) placed third in the 100m (13.66), Ashley Lewis (Fr., Louisville, OH/HS) fourth in the long jump (14-11.50), Megan Case (Fr., Louisville, OH/HS) fourth in the 400m (1:03.81), Abbie Sullivan (Jr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) fifth in the 400m hurdles (1:15.23) and Jessica Swihart (Jr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) fifth in the long jump (4-07.75).