For Release: April 30, 2007

MEN’S TENNIS WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT NESCAC TITLE

The Middlebury College men’s tennis team won its fourth consecutive NESCAC Championship as they defeated Williams, 7-2. The win improves the Panthers to 18-1, while the Ephs move to 14-6. The Panthers are expected to host an NCAA Regional this weekend when the pairings are announced late Monday.

Senior Alex Scott (Mt. Kisco, N.Y.) and George Mayer (Merion, Pa.) teamed up to win the #1 doubles match, while senior Kevin Bergesen (Beverly, Mass.) and rookie Andrew Thomson (W. Bloomfield, Mich.) followed with an 8-5 win of their own in the #2 match.

Williams’ Ted Haley and Jeremy Weinberger kept the Ephs within striking distance by picking up an 8-6 win in the #3 doubles match, but it was all Middlebury in singles play. Scott, sophomore Conrad Olson (Waterloo, Belgium) and Mayer took home straight-set wins in the #1, #2 and #3 singles matches, respectively, while Thomson won the #5 match in straight sets to give the Panthers their fourth singles victory.

In the #6 singles match, junior Filip Marinkovic (Toronto, Ont.) dropped the first set to Williams’ Rick Devlin, 7-5, but won back-to-back 6-3 sets for the Panthers’ fifth singles win. Gary Simonette dropped his first set to Bergesen, 4-6, but battled back to pick up the Ephs’ lone singles victory of the day, winning 6-3 in the second and third sets.

In the semifinals, Middlebury picked up a 5-2 win over the host school from Amherst. Scott and Mayer picked up a win in the #1 doubles match, defeating Zach Lerner and Tal Avrahami 8-5. Olson and Marinkovic gave the Panthers a second doubles victory by earning a convincing win over Mike Mintz and Karti Subramanian, 8-2. Amherst’s juniors Jeff Wan and Geoff Schwartz kept the Jeffs close by edging out Thomson and Bergesen in the #2 doubles match, 8-6.

Lerner picked up a win over Scott in the #1 singles match, but Mayer and Bergesen won their respective singles matches to give Middlebury a 4-2 lead with three very close singles matches still going on. Dan Kim was able to take the first set from Marinkovic of Middlebury in the #6 match, but Marinkovic stormed back to win the next two sets, 6-4 and 6-2, to seal the victory for the Panthers.

In the #2 match, Olson took the first set from Mintz, 7-5, and led him 3-2 in the second set before Marinkovic finished off Kim to end the match. Subramanian and Thomson were involved in a very tight match in the #5 slot, with Subramanian taking the second set, 7-5, after Thomson cruised to a 6-0 first-set win. When Middlebury was announced victorious, Thomson and Subramanian were notched at 1-1 in the third set.
• Men’s tennis record: 18-1
• Up next: 5/4-6 – NCAA Regionals

BASEBALL HAS 5-0 WEEK

The Panther baseball team made it nine wins in its last 11 games as they enjoyed a 5-0 week. Middlebury finishes 7-5 in NESCAC west play, and will need a Hamilton sweep against Amherst next weekend to earn a spot in the NESCAC Tourney.

The week began as Middlebury scored seven runs in the middle innings on its way to a 12-6 win over St. Michael’s on Forbes Field. Senior Noah Walker (Oakland, Calif.) tripled in first-year player Erich Enns (Lansdale, Pa.) in the first for Middlebury, before Ryan Reather plated Tim Pilczak with an RBI single to center in the second for St. Michael’s.

Ed Fennessey executed a suicide-squeeze in the fourth to give the Purple Knights a 2-1 lead before the Panthers scored three in the fifth to gain a 4-2 advantage. St. Michael’s tied the game with a pair in the top of the sixth, with a two out single to left by Fennessey.

Middlebury came back in the bottom of the sixth with four runs to take an 8-4 lead. RBI singles from Enns and sophomore Mark Shimrock (Lansdale, Pa.), along with a two-run triple to right center from Walker drove in the runs.

St. Michael’s scored a solo run in the seventh on a Jack Owens triple, before Middlebury plated four more in the bottom of the inning. Walker had a two-run single to left to spark the rally. The Purple Knights scratched across a run in the eighth, making it a 12-6 final.

Rookie Matt Lowes (Houston, Texas) allowed one run over three and a third innings as Middlebury’s starter, while junior Christian Hansen (Laramie, Wyo.) picked up his first win of the season in relief. Walker went 4-4 with five RBI and three runs scored to pace the Middlebury hitters. Enns had two hits and four runs scored, junior Nick Lefeber (Branford, Conn.) had a pair of hits with two RBI, while junior John Lanahan (Jacksonville, Fla.) and junior Gabe Broughton (Barrington, Ill.) each had two hits.

In the first meeting between the schools since ’76, Middlebury topped Plattsburgh 4-2 in a 1:55 game on Forbes Field. Middlebury received three hitless innings from sophomore starter Robert Palladino (Belmont, Mass.), before scoring the game’s first run in the bottom of the third. Walker’s infield single drove in first-year player Alex Blair (Salem, Mass.) to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.

Plattsburgh took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a pair of runs, one of them earned. A single by Kyle Kowalowski and a double to right from Matt Kelley put runners on second and third. Matt Dahlin plated the first run with a ground out to short, while the next run scored on a fielding error.

Middlebury regained the lead in the sixth with three runs. Lanahan doubled to right center, scoring Walker who had been hit by a pitch. Enns followed with a double of his own to right, scoring Lanahan. A single to center by rookie Peter Bauman (Denver, Colo.) put runners on the corners for junior Tyler Lohman (El Cerrito, Calif.), who executed a suicide squeeze to plate Enns for the 4-2 lead.

First-year pitcher Emerson Tuttle (Concord, N.H.) threw two innings of scoreless relief to earn his first win of the year for the Panthers, while junior Jack Britton (Carmel, Calif.) tossed a perfect ninth for his first save of the season. Walker went 2-2 with a double, while Lanahan and Enns each had a hit, run scored and an RBI.

Middlebury took game one of a three game set with Hamilton by a score of 7-1 on Forbes Field. Panther junior Justin Wright (W. Simsbury, Conn.) moved to 3-1 on the season, lowering his ERA to 1.93, with a complete game win.

Middlebury got on the board in the fourth as Lanahan doubled to right center and moved to third on a single to right by Enns. Lanahan later scored on a sacrifice fly to right by first-year player Danny Seymour (Weston, Conn.).

The Panthers struck again in the fifth as Lanahan drove in Walker with a single through the left side. Hamilton’s Max Foster came on in relief of starter Ben Tomaszewski later in the inning, getting out of a bases loaded jam. The Panthers would leave 14 men on base in the nine inning win.

The lead grew to 4-0 in the sixth as Middlebury put a pair on the board. Seymour singled up the middle before Lohman reached with a bunt single down the first base line. The runners advanced on a passed ball before both scoring on a two-run single up the middle from Lefeber.

Back-to-back doubles from Lanahan and Enns plated a run in the seventh, while the Panthers scored for the fifth straight inning with a pair in the eighth. A bases loaded walk by Seymour and an infield single by Lohman plated the runs.

Hamilton broke up the shutout in the ninth as a single by John Porges set up a triple to right from Pat McGarry.

Lanahan went 3-5 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles for Middlebury, while Lohman was 3-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Enns had a pair of hits, while Lefeber went 1-3 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Middlebury completed a three-game sweep of Hamilton as the Panthers picked up 7-5 and 7-2 victories over the Continentals on Saturday.

Middlebury took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one as Lefeber scored on a throwing error with the bases loaded. A single through the right side by Broughton in the second inning scored Seymour to make it a 2-0 game. Lefeber followed with a similar hit to score Lohman to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.

Britton got out of a few jams in the early innings, allowing a run in the third to the Continentals on a SAC fly from Dan Hood that scored Patrick Suarez, who had doubled to left.

Hamilton rallied again in the fourth, scoring three times to take a 4-3 lead. The first run scored on a fielder’s choice before Suarez singled to center to score Alex Augustyn. Pat McGarry walked with the bases loaded for the third run of the inning.

Middlebury tied the game in the fifth as Enns scored on a SAC fly from Seymour, after leading off the inning with a triple down the right field line.

The Panthers scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth, as sophomore Tim Dillon (Dracut, Mass.) led off with a walk. Walker and Lanahan singled to load the bases. Each runner moved up on a wild pitch before Enns plated Lanahan and Walker with a single to left.

Hamilton threatened in the seventh, but could only score one as Suarez hit a SAC fly to left to score Augustyn to make it a 7-5 final.

Hansen earned the win in relief for the Panthers, allowing a run and four hits over two innings. Walker went 3-4 at the plate, while Enns was 2-3 with two RBI to lead Middlebury.

In game two, Middlebury scored one run in the first inning on a throwing error that allowed Lefeber to score from second base. The Panthers added another run in the fifth inning when Lanahan blasted a triple, scoring Lefeber from second base, giving Middlebury a 2-0 lead.

Hamilton threatened in the sixth inning with the bases-loaded and one out, but Palladino got out of the jam with a force out at home and first, both assisted by Lanahan at third base.

In the seventh, Hamilton’s starting pitcher Bryden Considine was relieved by Hood, leaving runners on first and second. Blair jumped on a fastball and stroked a one-hop double to left field, scoring both runners for a 4-0 lead.

Middlebury struck for three more runs in the eighth off of reliever Jake Saidman, who started the inning. A throwing error allowed Lohman to score from third for a 5-0 advantage. With first and third and two outs, Lanahan laced a double to deep left center for two RBI and a 7-0 lead.

In the ninth, Hamilton finally got to Palladino. A one out, bases-loaded single up the middle by John Porges scored two, cutting the Panther lead to 7-2. Palladino settled down and forced a game-ending double play on the next batter, securing the win.

Palladino went the distance, pitching nine innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out three, improving his record to 3-1 on the year. Lanahan went 2-5 with a triple, double and three RBI, while Blair, a fourth inning substitution, went 2-3 with a double and two RBI to lead Middlebury.
• Baseball record: 14-10
• Up next: 5/1 @ Castleton, 5/2 vs. Lyndon – 4:00, 5/5 vs. Bowdoin – 12:00 (2), 5/6 vs. Bates – 12:00 (2)

TRACK & FIELD HOSTS NESCAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Middlebury College hosted the 2007 NESCAC Championships at the Allan Dragone Track & Field Complex on Saturday. The Williams women won their seventh consecutive title, while Tufts and Williams shared the men’s title. The Williams women finished with 201 points, followed by the host school from Middlebury (147.5), Tufts (102), Bowdoin (88) and Amherst (79). Williams and Tufts both finished with 197.5 points on the men’s side, followed by Bates (95), Bowdoin (62) and Middlebury (53).

Four NESCAC records were set on the afternoon, while a dozen track records were broken. Four Middlebury women won NESCAC titles, while the 4x800 relay team was also victorious. Seniors Kara Plunkett (Topsfield, Mass.), Beth Butler (Bronxville, N.Y.), Claire Schultz (W. Barnstable, Mass.) and sophomore Susanna Merrill (Frederick, Md.) comprised the relay team that finished with a time of 9:21.32.

Senior Mary Frederickson (Florham Park, N.J.) won the javelin event for the fourth consecutive year with a toss of 40.57 meters. Senior Meira Lifson (Edina, Minn.) was victorious in the pole vault, clearing 10’8.75”. Senior Beth Butler (Bronxville, N.Y.) won the 800 with a time of 2:14.38, while Alexandra Krieg was a winner in the 10,000 in 36:49.15.

Schultz finished second to Butler in the 800 (2:14.47), while sophomore Kelley Coughlan (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) placed third in both the 100 hurdles (15.82) and the triple jump (35’9.25”). First-year athlete Laura Dalton (Simsbury, Conn.) came in third in the 400 hurdles (1:05.81), junior Jennifer Currie (Milton, Vt.) placed third in the hammer (151’), while senior Andrea Giddings (S. Portland, Maine) was third in the 3000 steeplechase (11:22.98). The women’s 4x400 relay team comprised of Dalton, sophomore Simone Weisman (Newton, Mass.) and first-year racers Claire Zutz (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Anjuli Demers (Dracut, Mass.) finished second with a time of 3:59.86.

Placing second for the men in the discus was senior Bobby Marcoux (Campbell Hall, N.Y.), who had a 157’3” effort. Finishing second was junior Patrick Sedney (Underhill, Vt.) in the pole vault (13’3”), while first-year racer Bruce Hallett (S. Londonderry, Vt.) was fourth in the 1500 (4:00.73).
• Track teams Host NESCAC Championship
• Up next: 5/4 @ D3 N.E.’s (Springfield)

WOMEN’S LACROSSE TO HOST NESCAC TOURNEY

The Panther women’s lacrosse team will serve as the host site for the NESCAC semifinals and finals for the seventh consecutive year. Middlebury will take on Williams Saturday at noon, while Colby meets Amherst in the second semifinal at 2:30. The winners meet for the NESCAC Championship at noon on Sunday.

Middlebury completed its eighth consecutive undefeated NESCAC regular season with a 15-7 win over Tufts on Kohn Field. The Panthers have also won 39 straight home games as they enter the NESCAC Tournament.

Middlebury scored the game’s first eight goals and never looked back as they increased their NESCAC winning streak to 68 games. Senior Claire Edelen (Sparks, Md.) had two goals and assisted on four others during the run, while senior Kim Walker (Ridgewood, N.J.) and rookie Dana Heritage (Cheshire, Conn.) each scored twice.

Jenna Abelli broke up the run for Tufts at the 8:59 mark, with Walker answering for Middlebury just 40 seconds later. The Panthers would close the half on a 4-0 run to lead 12-1 at the break.

The lead grew to 14-2 on a goal from junior Amanda Smith (Greenwich, Conn.) at 22:33 of the second half, with Tufts scoring five of the game’s last six goals to make it a 15-7 final.

Walker led Middlebury with four goals, while Edelen ended the day with a pair of goals and six assists for eight points. Junior Mimi Schatz (Baltimore, Md.) added three goals in the win, while Heritage scored twice. Sophomore Blair Bowie (Washington, D.C.) made six saves in 52 minutes, while junior Whitney Wildrick (Flourtown, Pa.) earned a save in the game’s final eight minutes.

Earlier in the week, Walker scored four goals as Middlebury held on for a 10-9 non-league win at Union. Smith and junior Katherine Entwisle (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) scored two goals each for Middlebury, while Edelen assisted on four Panther tallies. Bowie stopped eight Union shots.

The Dutchwomen jumped out to a 2-0 lead and a 4-0 shot advantage in the first nine minutes. Lawson opened the scoring at 25:19 and Toney followed up with an unassisted goal at 21:09. Walker tied it with two goals, with the second coming at 14:26, but Lawson gave Union the lead on a feed from Cuozzo at 13:40. After Keri Messa made it 4-2 Union at 10:34, the Panthers scored four straight for a 6-4 lead with 5:25 left. Walker scored her fourth of the half on a free position at 5:25. Union's Keelin Skurek scored on a free position shot with 1:03 for the 6-5 halftime score.

Union tied it on Lawson’s 15^th of the season from Cuozzo just 1:41 into the second half, and Toney converted from the right of Bowie with a nice 10 yard feed from Caitlin Cuozzo for Union’s final lead, 7-6 with 26:17 left in the second half.

Entwisle notched her 20^th at 24:57 to tie it, before Smith added insurance with goals at 23:15 and 20:48 for a 9-7 lead. With 18:45 left, Toney scored her 29^th of the year but Middlebury made it 10-8 on Entwisle’s 12:53 tally with an outside pass from Edelen.

Stephanie Cronan scored her team leading 36^th of the season on a free position shot with 1:27 left in regulation to make it 10-9 Middlebury. The Panthers won the draw but turned it over behind the Union net with 1:00 remaining. The Dutchwomen had a chance to tie but Messa’s shot five yards directly in front was stopped by Bowie with 38 seconds left in regulation.
• Women’s lacrosse record: 12-1
• Up next: 5/5 vs. Williams – 12:00 (NESCAC semifinals), Colby vs. Amherst – 2:30, 5/6 – NESCAC Championship – 12:00

WOMEN’S GOLF FINISHES SECOND AT WILLIAMS

The Middlebury College women’s golf team wrapped up its regular season with a second place finish at the Coed Invitational Tournament, hosted by Williams. The hosts shot a 666 in the two day event, followed by Middlebury (668) and Mt. Holyoke (693). Based on their ranking, the Panthers are expected to earn their first-ever bid to the NCAA Championships when the selections are announced early this week.

Senior Heather Gallagher (Toronto, Ont.) paced Middlebury with a two-day total of 161, four strokes off the pace. Senior Allison Ortega (Clinton, N.Y.) was next in ninth place (167), followed by senior Kerry Ortega (Clinton, N.Y.) in a 10^th place tie (169). Tied for 15^th was sophomore Julie Ellenberger (Concord, Mass.), who shot a 173, followed by junior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.), who tied for 17th with a 176.
• Women’s golf second @ Williams
• Up next: TBA

WOMEN’S TENNIS FALLS IN NESCAC SEMI’S

The Panther women’s tennis team dropped an 8-1 decision to Williams in the NESCAC semifinals at Amherst. The Panthers will hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when the pairings are announced on Monday.

Doubles
1) Roche/Smyser (M) def. Gibson/Schneidman (W) 8-5
2) Rottkamp/Balijon (W) def. Burke/Holick (M) 8-6
3) Parsons/Hancock (W) def. Stone/Emery (M) 8-4

Singles
1) Cary Gibson (W) def. Amy Roche (M) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
2) Grace Balijon (W) def. Claire Smyser (M) 6-1, 6-1
3) Ashley Parsons (W) def. Elizabeth Emery (M) 6-3, 6-1
4) Allison Rottkamp (W) def. Elizabeth Stone (M) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
5) Annie Hancock (W) def. Emily Holick (M) 6-4, 6-2
6) Anne Schneidman (W) def. Clare Burke (M) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
• Women’s tennis record: 11-4
• Up next: TBA

MEN’S LACROSSE HEADED TO NESCAC SEMIFINALS

The Middlebury College men's lacrosse team advanced to the NESCAC semifinals with a convincing 16-4 win at Trinity. The victory sets up a rematch with Tufts, who defeated the Panthers 7-6 in overtime on Saturday. The game will take place on Saturday, May 5th at Tufts, with a gametime of noon.

Sophomore Skyler Hopkins (Easton, Md.) totaled five goals and one assist to lead visiting Middlebury to the 16-4 victory at Trinity. Middlebury avenges an 11-10 loss to the Bantams in overtime just two weeks ago.

Trinity's Kris Tedeschi opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at the 11:04 mark of the first quarter, but the Panthers erupted for eight straight goals over the next 30 minutes of the game en route to the one-sided victory. Hopkins scored his first goal with 1:40 left in the first quarter and twice more in the second frame to lead the Middlebury spurt.

Tedeschi finished with one goal and one assist for Trinity, while Alex Palma made 26 saves for the Bantams. Senior Nick Bastis (Old Greenwich, Conn.) notched two goals and two assists, while junior Rory Sanborn (Glyndon, Md.) had two goals and one assist, and senior goalkeeper Alex Palmisano (Southport, Conn.) made 19 saves in goal.

On Saturday, the men's lacrosse team lost its fourth NESCAC overtime game of the season as they fell 7-6 at Tufts in the regular season finale. Chase Bibby scored 1:45 into the first overtime period to lift ninth-ranked Tufts to its first-ever NESCAC regular-season title with a 7-6 victory. With the victory, the Jumbos defeated the Panthers for the first time in 40 years, ending a 29-game losing streak. The last Tufts victory came during the 1967 season by an 8-5 score.

Bibby’s goal decided another hard-fought NESCAC contest for the Jumbos, who improved to 12-2 overall. They got a strong game from goaltender Matt Harrigan, who made 16 saves.

The teams were tied 1-1 at the end of the first period, and Tufts led 3-2 at the intermission after Matt Caple scored with 1:19 remaining in the second period. The Panthers scored the first three goals of the second half to go ahead 5-3 at 3:40 of the third quarter when Bastis scored The Jumbos responded with a three-goal run of their own and led 6-5 after Chris Connelly scored with 10:27 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Tufts held that lead into the final minute when sophomore Mike Stone (Boston, Mass.) scored a miraculous goal while lying on the turf with 47 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 6-6. Middlebury gained possession and called time-out late in the fourth, but it did not result in any chances.

In overtime, Tufts was awarded the face-off on a Middlebury infraction and soon Bibby was scoring one of the biggest goals in the team’s history.

Earlier in the week, the Panthers fell 10-6 at Williams. The victory was the first for the Ephs over the Panthers since the ’93 season.

Chris Merwin scored three times for the Ephs, while junior Jim Cabrera (Old Greenwich, Conn.) had a pair of goals for Middlebury.

Williams would never trail during the contest. Richard Reuter of Williams got his squad on the scoreboard first, after which Sanborn scored one of his own to tie the score at one early in the first quarter.

Neither team would score for the next 10 minutes of play. With just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Chris Merwin scored the first of his three goals on the day to give Williams a lead it would never relinquish. The Ephs would score three more after that, amassing a 5-1 lead, before Middlebury would score again.

Stone assisted Cabrera to give the Panthers the first goal of the second half. The teams would then trade goals before Williams went on another scoring run. Mike Vrla scored twice in a row for Williams as the Ephs went on a three-goal run that lasted into the fourth quarter. Dixon Hargrove assisted Richard Reuter to bring the Williams lead to 9-3 with just seven minutes remaining in the game.

However, Middlebury would not go out without a fight. Three different Panthers would score the next three goals to bring it to 9-6 with just under three minutes.

However, Williams would keep Middlebury off the board for the remainder of the game, and Chris Merwin scored again to put the game away for the Ephs.

Both goalies, Palmisano of Middlebury and Mike Gerbush of Williams, made 17 saves.
• Men’s lacrosse record: 8-5
• Up next: 5/5 @ Tufts – 12:00 (NESCAC semifinals), if win, 5/6 @ NESCAC Championships – 12:00

MEN’S GOLF HEADED TO NCAA’S

The Panther men's golf team finally opened its spring season at the Skidmore Invitational and at Williams this week. Middlebury will then make its first appearance at the NCAA Championships, after winning the NESCAC title this past fall. The Panthers wrap up the regular season next Saturday in the Quad Challenge at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown and will then take part in the NCAA Championship.

At Skidmore, the Thoroughbreds placed the first and second place teams, while Middlebury came in third with a 320 in the seven-team event. Chris DeJohn shot a two-under-par 70 to win it for the Thoroughbreds. Sophomore Harrison Bane (Marblehead, Mass.) paced Middlebury in fourth place with a 75. Sophomore Mike McCormick (Oak Park, Ill.) shot an 80, senior Chad Bellmare (Bedford, N.Y.) fired an 81, junior George Baumann (Mequon, Wis.) came in with an 84, while junior Jeff Patterson (Old Saybrook, Conn.) shot an 86.

The men’s golf team finished in a third place tie at the nine-team Coed Golf Spring Classic hosted by Williams. Skidmore won the event with a two-day total of 294, followed by Williams (303), Middlebury (307) and W.N.E.C. (307). Bane led Middlebury with a five-over-par 147, placing him in a third place tie. Finishing in a tie for sixth was McCormick with a 151, followed by Baumann and sophomore Ashley Miller (Williston, Vt.), who tied for 24th with 160's. Bellmare rounded out the Middlebury team with a 164, finishing in a tie for 29th place.
• Men’s golf competes twice
• Up next: 5/5 @ Williams Quad

SOFTBALL HAS A 3-3 WEEK

The Middlebury College softball team Middlebury won both games of a double-header against in-state foe Green Mountain on Tuesday. The Panthers won the first game 5-1 and rallied from a 5-1 deficit to win game two 6-5 in eight innings.

In game one, both teams were held scoreless until the top of the fifth when Green Mountain’s Melissa Wapshare scored from second base on a throwing error. Middlebury responded in the bottom of the frame, exploding for five runs on four hits including back-to-back RBI doubles by junior Allison Bard (Jenkintown, Pa.) and senior Ellen Sargent (St. Albans, Vt.). The 5-1 lead held up for Middlebury as senior starting pitcher Jennifer Williams (Scarborough, Maine) did not allow an Eagle base-runner past first in the final two innings.

Sargent led the way for Middlebury going 2-for-2 with a double and one RBI. Wapshire was 2-for-3, scoring the lone run for Green Mountain. Williams allowed no earned runs and just five hits in the win, improving her record to 8-6 on the year.

Game two saw Green Mountain get on the board in the first inning. An RBI single by Brittany Holden plated Kaitlin Patros who hit a lead-off triple. Middlebury answered with a run in the second on an RBI single by junior Carolyn Davis (Sparta, N.J.), tying the game at one.

The Eagles scored four in the third inning, highlighted by a two-out, two RBI single by Wapshare, giving Green Mountain a 5-1 lead.

Middlebury cut the lead to 5-2 in the fifth before scoring three in the sixth. A one-out triple by senior Susan Miranowski (St. Paul, Minn.) scored two runs as sophomore Amelia Magistrali (Torrington, Conn.) drove Miranowski in with an RBI single, tying the game at 5-5.

With neither team scoring in the seventh, the international tie-breaker rule was implemented in the eighth. With a runner placed on second base to start the inning, Green Mountain went down in order. In the bottom of the inning, Middlebury took advantage of the added base-runner when Miranowski hit a long RBI double, plating rookie pinch-runner Kristin Maletsky (Kinnelon, N.J.) for the extra-inning victory.

Eight of nine batters had hits for Middlebury, including Miranowski’s double and triple in a 3-for-5, three RBI performance. Bard added an RBI triple for the Panthers, as Sargent went 2-for-3 with a double. Petros led the Eagles at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double and a triple. Junior Brittany Burke (Medfield, Mass.) got the win, pitching all eight innings, striking out nine, as she moves to 11-3 on the year.

Hamilton's Amber O'Connor drove in Caitlin McCormick for the game-winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning as Hamilton defeated Middlebury 8-7 in a NESCAC West Division game played at Utica.

Liz Farrington led off the seventh with a double to deep center and later scored on a line out to left field by Rachel Rapoza. McCormick reached on a bunt single, stole second and went to third base on a fielder's choice. O'Connor lined a 2-1 pitch into right center to give the Continentals their first division win of the year. O'Connor homered and doubled earlier in the contest. She finished with three hits and two RBI. Rapoza went 2-for-3 with a run batted in and McCormick went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Megan Coughlin pitched all seven innings and struck out seven for her first win this year. Coughlin doubled in two runs in the sixth inning to pull Hamilton within 7-6.

Maletsky went 2-3 with two RBI for the Panthers. Sargent hammered a solo home run in the fifth inning. Junior Lily Hamburger (Silver Spring, Md.) doubled and scored during a four-run second inning that put Middlebury up 4-2. Senior Colleen Sullivan (Concord, Mass.) scored twice and drove in a run.

Middlebury dropped a pair of NESCAC west games at Wesleyan by scores of 9-3 and 4-1. Wesleyan jumped ahead 5-0 in the opener vs. Middlebury, getting a two-run double from Molly O'Connell in the first inning and adding three in the third on another double by O'Connell for an RBI and a two-run home run by Dayna Yorks, her third this year, to center field.

O'Connell finished the game 3-for-4 by adding a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. Marcia Whitehead also sparked the Cardinal offense with four singles to drive in three runs.

Middlebury got all its first-game run in the fourth, cutting the margin to 5-3 at the time, as senior Maura Casey (Garden City, N.Y.) lofted her third homer of the year over the center field fence. It was a three-run shot but one of only four hits yielded by pitcher Karla Hargrave for Wesleyan.

In the second game, both teams scored a run in the first inning as Bard singled up the middle to drive home junior Katelyn Cannella (Pleasantville, N.Y.) for Middlebury while Wesleyan countered with an RBI single from senior Molly Gaebe.

Wesleyan moved ahead in the second when a hard-hit ball by Megan Dendy was mishandled, allowing Allison Zoromski to score with two outs. Wesleyan got two more runs on O'Connell's single in the fifth as she finished the twin-bill 5-for-7 with six RBI.

Gaebe, who picked up her team-leading eighth victory on the mound, ran into trouble in the seventh as Middlebury loaded the bases with one out, but got a strikeout, her seventh of the game, and a fly out to right to squash the rally and end the contest.

Middlebury earned its third 20-win season as the Panthers took the third game of a three-game set by a score of 10-1 at Wesleyan in a five inning game.

Middlebury combined nine hits with four Wesleyan errors and several passed balls to rack up 10 runs, eight of them unearned. Of the six runs in the third inning, which broke the game open for the Panthers, only the first run coming on a Cannella triple, was earned. A second runner, who reached by error, also scored on the hit. Bard and Hamburger as well as Williams, who pitched for the victory, added RBI singles in the inning after the third out should have been recorded.

With four more runs in the top of the fifth to back the five-hit throwing of Williams, Middlebury was able to lock the game up early.

Williams, Hamburger and Bard all had two hits for Middlebury while senior Dayna Yorks had two of Wesleyan's five hits.
• Softball record: 20-12
• Up next: 5/1 @ Norwich – 3:00 (2)

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE SPORTS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: www.gomidd.com