sports
April 8, 2009
the Etownian
etown baseball
15
Rowan provides tough matchup; Jays lose game 11-4 T. Gavin Nevill Staff Writer
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nother weekend, another dominant performance by the Blue Jays, another sweep of a conference opponent. Elizabethtown baseball entered its three game set against Albright College with a 5-1 record in its last six games. Sitting atop the Commonwealth Conference standings, Etown looked to extend its lead against fourth place Albright. The Jays welcomed the Lions to Etown for a windy Saturday doubleheader. Senior Sam Heaps was on the mound for the first game, seeking his fourth win of the year. The Jays fell behind 2-0 in the top of the third inning but never hit the panic button. “We have a lot of confidence as a team,” senior Adam Sheibley said. “We know when we get down that we have the ability to score a bunch of runs at any point to put us right back in the game.” Etown wasted little time in responding, and with a two-run home run by Sheibley and an RBI single by junior Brian Kiernan, the Jays took a 3-2 lead. Tacking on three more runs over the next three innings, the Blue Jays won the game 6-3. Heaps went the distance striking out 12 batters while giving up just one earned run. Junior Adam Hartzell followed up Heaps’ performance with a gem of his
Photo: Matthew P. Butera
Taking a pitch, senior Sam Heaps earned the win against Albright in game two of the series Saturday. Etown won both games and then continued to sweep the series Sunday with a 16-2 win.
own. The Jays again fell behind, this time 1-0 after four innings. It would be the only run Harzell would yield all day. He gave up just three hits in the entire game. Etown was able to manufacture a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior Eric Luff singled and stole second. Sheibley knocked him home for the tying run with a single to the outfield. The game stood deadlocked at one apiece until the
bottom of the seventh inning. Junior Matt Vinagro doubled to center to get the rally started, and Luff came up big again with an RBI single to win the game for Etown 2-1. The two teams met again Sunday for a game at Albright, but, as Hartzell pointed out, the Jays came into the game with a leg up on the competition. “Winning both games gives us the edge and confidence to
know that this team is beatable,” Hartzell said. Etown hitters punished Albright, pitching early and often, as the Jays held a 9-1 lead after three innings. Vinagro earned the victory for the Jays with five strong innings. When it was all said and done, Etown had an impressive 16-2 win. The Blue Jays hammered out 19 hits in the win as 18 different players saw the field for Etown. After a quiet start to the series, senior Tom Semanek came through, reaching base and scoring four times in the blowout. “It didn’t matter what we did yesterday,” Semanek said. “We knew Albright was going to try and salvage a win and play their hardest. We just proved we wanted it more.” The three game sweep helped improve Etown’s record to 16-8 overall, and, more importantly, 8-1 in the Commonwealth Conference. It was the Jays’ second straight sweep of a conference opponent, and Semanek was proud of how his team played. “I can’t say enough about the effort we all put in during the series,” Semanek commented. Adding to their win streak, Heaps was named Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week for the week ending April 5. Heaps is currently 4-1 this season. Yesterday, the Jays lost to Rowan University with a score of 11-4.
etown softball
Ladies bounce back with six straight wins at home Thomas D. Hagerty Staff Writer
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arch was a rough month for the Lady Jays’ softball team. Their ability to perform at home has held strong throughout their season. They must love that Marketplace cookin’ because they are 7-1 at home this season. Junior shortstop Paige Tanner said, “We just perform better at home. I don’t know quite what it is, but we sure play well here.” She put things into perspective when she added, “We know we got to protect ‘The Nest.’” Their home dominance includes a doubleheaded sweep of Franklin & Marshall, a non-conference— but still intense— matchup. The Lady Jays had a huge day against the Diplomats, which included complete game shutouts for two of their first-year pitchers. In the first game, first-year pitcher Julie Sebastian took the mound. She gave up only six hits in seven innings, including two strikeouts. “Throwing my first shutout was an amazing feeling. It was such an adrenaline rush. I am so lucky to have such amazing defense behind me as well. I trust everyone behind me to help me get through the inning. It wouldn’t have been a shutout without them,” Sebastian said. The offense was provided by Tanner in the third inning. Following a walk and an error, Tanner hit a triple to knock in two runs. That would be all Sebastian needed as she shut down the Diplomat bats for the rest of the game. The Lady Jays would tack on three insurance runs later to win the game 5-0. First-year Elaine Parr got the start for the second game of the doubleheader. She also pitched all seven innings, shutting out the Diplomats. Parr gave up five hits and struck out five in her first career shutout. “As a freshman, it’s hard to transition, but all the hard work from the first half of the season is starting to pay off,” she said.
The Etown bats got going again in the third to manufacture the only run scored in the game. A single by sophomore Shannon Marsico got her on the base paths. Senior Marian Guzik laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Marsico into scoring position. This set the table for senior Lauren Hoover, who delivered with a single into left center that allowed Marsico to score all the way from second base. Great team play combined with Parr’s overpowering pitching brought the Jays’ cross-county rivals to defeat. “Hopefully we can keep our win streak alive,” Parr said. Two days later, they did just that. The Lady Jays
Photos: Matthew P. Butera
(Right) Senior Lauren Hoover goes for a hit in game one as the Jays faced Franklin & Marshall in a doubleheader April 2. The ladies swept the series winning game one 9-5, and game two 6-2. (Above) Heading home, Hoover looks to add another point on the scoreboard after a hit from junior Sarah Church.
were back in action, hosting a doubleheader against conference rival Albright College. They brought their first-year pitchers back out to the mound as Sebastian pitched all of the first game and Parr the second. Both girls earned wins as they swept another team at home. The offense is what helped earn the Blue Jays the win in game one. Seven different women scored in the 15-hit effort. Sarah Church went 4 for 4 in the 9-5 victory. In game two, Tanner led the offense with three hits, three runs and three RBIs. Parr was dynamite on the mound, giving up only four hits and striking out eight. The Jays won 6-4 and are currently riding a sixgame winning streak. They look to keep that streak alive today as Juniata visits this afternoon for a doubleheader. The team does not play again until April 16 at DeSales University.