Sports
Page 12
April 4, 2012
Softball has home-field advantage for wrong reasons By Spencer Hunt Sports editor
Softball players love the smell of fresh-cut grass and the sight of a freshly painted infield. At the start of a new season players take in the view from the clean dugout and look out at the recently dragged dirt and bright yellow fence surrounding the field. The bad news is that if players are enjoying these simple pleasures, they are not playing at the Mercyhurst University softball field. The field the Mercyhurst softball team calls home has paint falling from its dugout, bleachers warped from seeing too many games and uneven grass where patches were attempted but didn’t take right. There are even two different style benches in the dugout. After four years of waiting, changes are on the way. “We have been told for four years that the school was going to make changes,” senior Emily Redig said. “It’s nice that they are finally happening.” As part of a five-year renewal of the lease with the city of Erie, Mercyhurst plans to spend $200,000 on the field. The project includes redressing the infield, planting grass in the outfield, upgrading the dugouts and bleachers and installing a scoreboard and flagpole.
Caitlin Kelly photos
The Mercyhurst softball field is in urgent need of renovations. With graffiti in the dugout and a rock-filled infield, the team will welcome the changes with open arms. The sad news is that when the softball team first took the field this year, the field was better than normal. “It was actually better this season then in past years,” said senior Sydney Cuscino. “There were less rocks, and they tried to patch the outfield.” Cuscino has had to play 35 games on the field in her four years, and as an outfielder she deals with the
Basketball loses four By Spencer Hunt Sports editor
The Mercyhurst men’s basketball team finished up a solid 18-11 season on March 2, but it is still making headlines. Four players have been dismissed from the team for violating team rules. Sophomores Matt Lee and Andrew Rickard, junior Steven Coleman, and freshman Arnis Libazs are the four players in question. The losses came less than a month after they were heavy contributors to the playoff run by the Lakers. Lee started 25 of 28 games he played in and averaged 15.8 points.
He was named second-team allPSAC West following the season. As a sophomore, he was expected to take on a larger role next season. Rickard played in 28 games and averaged 10 points a game. Coleman started in 13 of the 21 games he played in and averaged nine points per game. Libazs had a limited role off the bench. All four were underclassmen with bright futures on the team. Now Coach Gary Manchel will need to replace graduating seniors and starters Jamal Turner and Bill Weaver, along with the four dismissed. This leaves at least three holes in the starting lineup. Senior Luis Leao, who led the team in scoring and rebounding, will have to carry more of a load next season.
worst parts of the field. “The outfield goes up and down in stretches,” said Cuscino. “You can’t go all out, but if the ball happens to take a bad hop we are used to it.” Home field advantage has a different meaning at Mercyhurst. The team has a record of 22-13 at home over the last four seasons. “We play cautious on it,” Redig said.
Redig, an infielder, admits her job is a little easier than what Cuscino and the outfielders deal with. “As an infielder its not ideal conditions, but it’s definitely better than the outfield,” Redig said. Visiting teams accustomed to playing on turf or well-kept fields are in for a surprise. Before practices the team takes time to pick up rocks around the infield. This is a chore that should
not have to be done that frequently. The team also picks up trash around the field. A number of these issues are because the field is open to the public. “Part of it is just damage from being a city field,” said Cuscino. “After people play on it they don’t do the necessary clean-up.” To make matters worse, there isn’t a scoreboard to follow during games or even electricity. The team couldn’t host a tournament because the field isn’t up to the necessary standards. “It’s unfortunate to have to play collegiate softball on this field,” Redig said. “We have to play on it, but it makes the school look bad.” The changes came at a poor time for Cuscino and Redig as they will never get to play on the new field, but they are still pleased for the change. “I’m happy the underclassmen will finally have the field they should,” Redig said. “I think it will help build the program and really adds to what we have been doing the last few years,” Cuscino said. Despite the poor conditions, the team has been on the rise over the last four years. It had a .500 record two years ago and improved to 24-20 last year for its first winning season since 1991. Who knows how well the team can do with a brand new field?
Men’s lacrosse slips by No. 12 C.W. Post By Spencer Hunt Sports editor
Another week and another ranked opponent down for the men’s lacrosse team. Following a 7-6 victory over No. 3 Dowling, the Lakers endured their closest game of the season. Instead of rolling over a topranked opponent, the Lakers had to battle from behind. A sense of urgency can be beneficial before heading into a game against a rival like C.W. Post. C.W. Post brings a number of different memories to the Lakers. Despite losing 4-3 to C.W. Post in the regular season, that game is a happy memory. The team hasn’t lost since.
Thirteen games and a championship later, the Lakers have come full circle. They even had to beat C.W. Post to get to the championship. But the regular season is where the Lakers have a problem with C.W. Post. This season, C.W. Post hasn’t been as dominant, but the team is not to be underestimated. Maybe this season’s matchup would end differently. The Lakers hadn’t beaten C.W. Post in the regular season since 2008. Post got out to a one goal lead for most of the first period, but the Laker offense is hard to stiffle. Senior Kyle Kallay evened the score, and the team tacked on two more for a 3-1 lead. It was a back-and-forth game with both teams countering with goals. But this one ended differently
for the first time in four years. The Lakers won 8-5. The victory marks the second over a ranked opponent in as many weeks. With a 6-0 record, the Lakers have a tight grip on the top spot in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll. Junior Brian Sheetz was the star of the day as he scored two goals and had three assists. Sophomore Michael Grace made four saves and is second in goals against average in Div. II. The Lakers hope to continue their momentum as they hit the midpoint of their season. Sitting at 7-0, every team will be aiming to knock off the No. 1 team. The Lakers’ next home game is Wednesday, April 11 at 4 p.m. against Lake Erie College.