For Release: April 14, 2008
BASEBALL HAS 4-0 WEEK
The Middlebury College baseball team played four games in Vermont last week, winning all four to up their record to 8-9 on the season. The week began as Middlebury defeated Plymouth State for the second straight season in the team’s home-opener, as the Panthers picked up a 6-3 victory.
Plymouth State took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo homer to left by John Pogorzelski. Middlebury took a 2-1 advantage in the bottom of the inning on an RBI ground out by senior Nick Lefeber (Branford, Conn.) and an RBI single to right by senior Gabe Broughton (Barrington, R.I.).
Plymouth’s Kevin Levandowski singled in Grant Livington to tie the game at two in the top of the third inning.
Middlebury opened the game up a bit in the fourth, with four runs on just a pair of hits. Broughton had a two-run single to spark the inning, plating junior Andrew Matson (Coventry, R.I.) and sophomore Erich Enns (Lansdale, Pa.).
Plymouth added a run in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as senior Jack Britton (Carmel, Calif.) earned the save with two innings of scoreless work. Junior Steve Shortle (Rutland, Vt.) picked up the win for the Panthers, allowing two runs over four innings. Senior John Lanahan (Jacksonville, Fla.) had a 3-4 day with a double and triple, Broughton ended the game 2-5 with three RBI, while rookie Donald McKillop (Poway, Calif.) had a pair of hits.
Middlebury won its second straight game as they topped in-state foe Saint Michael's 9-5. Junior Mark Shimrock (Lansdale, Pa.) singled, doubled, tripled, and scored two runs to lead the Panthers. Lefeber tripled and singled twice, driving in two runs, while Lanahan singled twice, scored twice, and tallied two RBIs. Senior Christian Hansen (Laramie, Wyo.) pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.
Saint Michael's led 4-0 through three innings before Middlebury scored five runs in the fourth inning to take the lead for good. The Panthers increased their lead to 6-4 in the sixth inning, and 9-4 in the top of the seventh inning. The Purple Knights scored once in the bottom of the seventh inning, and brought the tying runner to the plate that inning, but sophomore Matt Lowes (Houston, Texas) struck out McLaughlin to preserve the four-run margin for Middlebury.
Middlebury swept a pair of games from Bates on a cold and blustery afternoon at Forbes Field. The Panthers took game one 4-1 before holding on for a 10-9 victory in the second contest.
Middlebury struck for three runs in the first inning of game one on a three-run shot from Shimrock, plating Lefeber and Broughton. Alex Egelson drove in Brian Mahoney with a ground out in the fourth to put Bates on the board. The Panthers added a run in the fifth as Shimrock drove in Broughton with an RBI double. That’s all Britton would need as he earned the complete game win, allowing just three hits while striking out six over seven innings of work.
Shimrock ended the game 2-3 with four RBI for Middlebury, while junior Peter Bourdon (Simsbury, Conn.) had a double. Three different players singled for Bates, as Sean VanderVliet took the loss on the mound.
Middlebury jumped out early again in game two, scoring four in the first to take the lead. An RBI double by Bourdon and a run-scoring single by Enns sparked the inning. The Panthers led 5-0, but Bates would score in each of the next five innings. Three of those runs came in the third, behind a two-run single from Jake Simon.
Middlebury led 5-4 before scoring twice in the fifth on a two-run blast by Enns. Bates answered with two of their own to cut the lead to 7-6 after five innings. The Panthers gained some breathing room in the sixth, as RBI singles from Shimrock and Bourdon gave them a 10-6 lead.
Bates would not go away, striking for two in the sixth on a two-run homer by Denis Hogan. Trailing 10-8 in the seventh, the Bobcats loaded the bases with nobody out. Bates would score just once in the inning and leave them loaded, as they fell 10-9.
First-year hurler Nick Angstman (Williston, Vt.) earned the win for Middlebury, with relief from junior Matt Joseph (Alexandria, Va.) and a save from McKillop. Enns went 3-4 with three RBI, Broughton was 3-4, while Shimrock and Bourdon each went 2-3 with two runs scored and two driven in.
• Baseball record: 8-9
• Up next: 4/15 vs. St. Michael’s – 3:30, 4/16 @ Skidmore, 4/18 vs. Amherst – 4:00, 4/19 vs. Amherst (2) – 12:00
WOMEN’S GOLF OPENS SPRING SEASON
The Panther women’s golf team opened up the spring season with a third place finish at the 10-team, two-day, Vassar Invitational. Middlebury came in with a two-day total of 695, trailing Williams (685) and St. Mary’s (691).
Leading the Panthers and finishing ninth overall was junior Julie Ellenberger (Concord, Mass.), who shot an 83 on day two for a combined total of 172. Placing 12th with a 172 was first-year player Jessica Bluestein (Tucson, Ariz.) followed by classmate Courtney Mazzei (Larkin Valley, Calif.) in 19th with a 175. Senior Karen Levin (Morton Grove, Ill.) shot a 178, while rookie Elizabeth Hirsch (New City, N.Y.) came in with a 192 to round out the squad.
• Women’s golf opens spring
• Up next: 4/19-20 @ Amherst
WOMEN’S LACROSSE TOPS TRINITY
First-year player Sally Ryan (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) scored the game-winning goal with 5:32 left in the game and junior goalie Blair Bowie (Washington, D.C.) made 21 saves to lead visiting Middlebury to a 13-11 win over Trinity in NESCAC women’s lacrosse action.
Trinity opened up a 10-6 lead with 13:28 left to play on the fifth tally of the game by freshman attacker Caitlin Irvine, but the Panthers closed the game with a 7-1 run including six goals over the next 11 minutes to take the lead for the first time since early in the first half. Middlebury possessed the ball for all of the final 5:32 of the game, except for one short stretch after a point blank save by Michelle Smith with just over two minutes on the clock. Smith passed the ball up to Kristina Scontras, who advanced the ball into Panther territory only to be swarmed by three Middlebury defenders before losing the ball.
Trinity trailed 3-1, early but rattled off four goals in seven minutes to take a 5-3 lead with 8:46 remaining before the break. The Panthers scored two in a row to tie the contest at 5-5 with 1:37 on the clock, but Irvine answered 13 seconds later to give Trinity a one-goal advantage at intermission. Irvine scored two of four Bantam goals that gave the home team a 10-6 lead, before Middlebury began its comeback with the first of three scores in the second half by senior Katherine Entwisle (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.).
Smith matched Bowie in the cage with 21 saves, while Rachel Romanowsky scored twice and added four draw controls, and Jenn Calver provided a goal and an assist off the bench.
Sophomore Dana Heritage (Cheshire, Conn.) paced the Panthers with five goals, while Ryan and fellow rookie Chase Delano (Greenwich, Conn.) each added a goal and an assist.
• Women’s lacrosse record: 7-2
• Up next: 4/16 vs. Union – 4:15, 4/19 vs. Wesleyan – 11:00
TRACK & FIELD HOST AGAIN
The Panther track and field teams hosted their second meet in as many weeks as Division I University of Vermont visited the Dragone Track & Field Complex. Senior Jennifer Currie (Milton, Vt.) set a new school record and qualified for the NCAA’s in the hammer throw with a toss of 162’3”.
Three Middlebury women and six men also won events where at least five athletes were competing. First-year athlete Connor Wood (Chicago, Ill.) won the 400 in 52.48, senior Ian O’Reilly (Meriden, N.H.) was a victor in the 800 (1:59.43), while first-year runner Jack Terrett (Sherborn, Mass.) won the 5000 (16:09.10). Other winners on the men’s side included rookie Adam Dede (West Chester, Ohio) in the pole vault (13’1.5”), senior Greg Bassell (West Nyack, N.Y.) in the hammer (127’) and first-year thrower Nicholas Plugis (Bedford, Mass.) in the javelin (158’4”).
Earning a win in the 5000 for the women was first-year athlete Hannah Meier (Charlotte, Vt.), who won the event with a time of 18:58.88. Sophomore Laura Dalton (Simsbury, Conn.) was a winner in the 400 hurdles (1:05.47), while rookie Allison Astolfi (Merrimack, N.H.) won the long jump (16’6”).
On Friday night, senior Jimmy Butcher (Garden City, N.J.) and junior Alexandra Krieg (Wellesley, Mass.) competed in the 10K race at Bucknell. Both racers qualified provisionally for nationals, with Butcher earning a time of 30:47 and Krieg finishing in 36:01.
• Track& Field hosts meet
• Up next: 4/12 – Host Vermont & St. Michael’s – 11:00
MEN’S TENNIS EARNS THREE NESCAC WINS
The Middlebury College men’s tennis team saw its 45-match NESCAC winning streak (regular & post-season) come to an end as they dropped a hard-fought 5-4 match at Williams on Wednesday. The Panthers had not lost to a NESCAC opponent since a set-back to Bowdoin in the '02 NCAA Tournament. The loss also snaps a 39-match NESCAC regular season winning streak. The Ephs entered the match ranked fourth in the latest national poll, while the Panthers were in the ninth slot.
When darkness forced the match indoors, Williams led 4-3 with both number one and number two singles tied at one set each. When Middlebury's Filip Marinkovic (Toronto, Ont.) defeated the Ephs' Nick Lebedoff 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 the match came down to the result at one singles.
The Panthers' Andrew Lee (Eden Praire, Minn.) won the first set from Greenberg 6-2, but the Eph senior responded with a 6-4 win in the second set and closed out the match with a 6-3 win in the third set. Middlebury was playing without one of its top singles players, Andrew Thomson, who is out with an injury.
The ninth-ranked Middlebury men’s tennis team moved to 5-1 in NESCAC play and 11-4 overall with a 7-2 victory over Bowdoin. The Polar Bears, ranked 21st nationally, fall to 3-2 in the league and 6-4 overall.
The Panthers led 2-1 after doubles play with three 8-5 matches. The Panthers won four of five singles matches in straight sets, as they cruised to the win.
For complete match summaries, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/mens/tennis/
• Men’s tennis record: 11-4
• Up next: 4/15 @ Skidmore, 4/19 vs. Amherst – 1:00
MEN’S LACROSSE SPLITS A PAIR OF GAMES
The Panther men’s lacrosse team played twice last week, as they travelled to Rensselaer before hosting Trinity on Saturday. Junior goalkeeper Pete Britt (Summit, N.J.) made 14 saves, including several key stops in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, to lead #3 Middlebury College to an 11-8 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in non-conference men’s lacrosse action.
Britt stopped two shots in the first quarter, four in the second, six in the third and two in the final stanza. He also had five ground balls in the game. His counterpart, Ryan DeJordy posted nine saves, including six in the opening quarter, to shoulder the loss.
Holding a 4-1 lead after the first half of action, the visiting Panthers continued to press, scoring three of the next four goals for a 7-2 lead at 11:04 of the third quarter. Junior Skyler Hopkins (Easton, Md.) led the way with a goal and an assist.
RPI refused to back down, scoring three goals of its own to close the gap to 7-5 with 6:07 remaining in the stanza. Devin Arnold had two goals for the Red Hawks, which saw Middlebury regain a two-goal lead with just over three minutes remaining.
The fourth quarter saw each team score a pair of goals, including Josh Secora’s game-high fourth tally, but the Red Hawks were unable to close the gap.
Leading Middlebury was junior Mike Stone (Boston, Mass.) with three goals and an assist. Hopkins added two goals and two assists, while senior Frank Granara (Norwell, Mass.) had two goals. Four other players tallied a goal for the Panthers.
Middlebury dropped its first game of the season 6-5 to Trinity Saturday afternoon. The third-ranked Panthers (9-1, 6-1 NESCAC) own a 19-3 series lead over the Bantams, but have lost the last two, including last season’s 11-10 double-overtime thriller in Hartford, Connecticut. Middlebury out-shot Trinity 40-25 on the day, but were held in check by the Bantam defense.
The Panthers got on the board less than a minute into the game when senior Jim Cabrera (Old Greenwich, Conn.) drilled a low shot past Alex Palma for a 1-0 lead at the 14:13 mark. Trinity answered on a shot by Zachary Trudeau, who rolled in from behind the cage for the equalizer with 12:54 left. Middlebury took its second lead of the game at 11:39 on a transition goal by junior Tom Petty (Newburyport, Conn.). The Bantams regained the lead later in the first with goals by Rob Mountain and Harper Cullen for a 3-2 advantage after one quarter. Neither team scored in the second, as Trinity took their 3-2 lead into halftime.
Junior Matt Ferrer (Darien, Conn.) tied the game at three apiece off a feed from sophomore Pete Smith (Wilton, Conn.) at the 10:25 mark in the third. The Bantams responded with a pair of goals a few minutes later when Cullen tallied a man-up goal with 6:24 on the clock. Connor Wells won the ensuing face-off and raced down for the go-ahead goal just 14 seconds later. Ferrer cut it to 5-4 at the 5:03 mark for the Panthers, catching a pass from Stone in front of the net and dodged to the right side for the score.
Trinity built the lead back up to two in the fourth when Cullen struck again, scoring from the right side for a 6-4 lead with 8:23 left in the game. Smith cut the deficit to 6-5 for Middlebury with 7:10 remaining on a man-up goal. With the Bantams trying to clear, he scooped up a ground ball and fired a quick shot into the net.
Palma made five of his 17 saves down the stretch, including a shot by Cabrera with less than 20 seconds on the clock. The Panthers maintained possession, but the potential game-tying shot by Stone sailed wide.
Ferrer paced Middlebury with two goals, as Smith added a goal and an assist. Britt stopped eight shots and allowed six goals for the Panthers, while Palma made 17 saves and gave up five goals for Trinity.
• Men’s lacrosse record: 9-1
• Up next: 4/16 vs. Skidmore – 4:30, 4/19 @ Wesleyan
WOMEN’S TENNIS PLAYS THREE MATCHES
The ninth-ranked Middlebury College women’s tennis team dropped a 7-2 NESCAC contest at third-ranked Williams on Tuesday afternoon. Senior Claire Smyser (Houston, Texas) picked up an impressive 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 win in the #1 singles slot, while junior Clare Burke (Summit, N.J.) was a 6-2, 6-7 (10-7), 6-3 winner at #4.
Middlebury bounced back as they picked up a tight 5-4 win over NESCAC foe Bowdoin (15th ranked) on Saturday afternoon.
Middlebury held a 2-1 lead early after winning a pair of tightly contested doubles matches. Bowdoin tied the match at two before the teams went back and forth, leaving the contest in a 4-4 tie as the #6 singles match was being played. Middlebury junior Elizabeth Stone (Cohasset, Mass.) earned a 6-4, 6-5 win over Elizabeth Pedowitz, to seal the victory for the Panthers.
The Middlebury women's tennis team had little trouble with Connecticut College as they topped the Camels 9-0. The Panthers move to 9-3 overall and 3-1 in NESCAC conference play.
For the complete match summaries, see: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/sports/womens/tennis/
• Women’s tennis record: 9-3
• Up next: 4/15 vs. Hamilton – 4:00, 4/20 @ Amherst
SOFTBALL PLAYS NINE GAMES
The Middlebury College softball team played nine games in six days last week, including five NESCAC West league games. The week began as the Panthers dropped a pair of tightly-contested games at Rensselaer, falling 5-3 and 2-1.
Jen Bach had a pair of home runs, including her team-leading fifth of the season, to lead RPI to the wins. Bach, who played first base and right field, put the home standing Red Hawks up in game one, sending a line-drive blast over the left field wall for a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Rensselaer led 5-0 through five innings before Middlebury got onto the scoreboard, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh inning, but it wasn’t enough.
Leading the Red Hawks was Bach, who finished 2-3 with two runs scored and four RBI. Sara Finkbeiner was 2-4 with a run scored while hurler Michelle Bianchetti improved to 5-1 in the circle. She allowed three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and just two walks through 6.1 innings.
Middlebury saw senior Brittany Burke (Medfield, Mass.) allow five runs on six hits with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings. She also went 2-3 at the plate with a run batted in.
The Red Hawks scored a run in the bottom of the first two innings for the early lead, but sophomore Kristin Maletsky (Kinnelon, N.J.) drove in a run to close the gap to 2-1 after three innings. RPI added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning and Street remained dominant through the final three frames for the victory.
Rookie Ali McAnaney (Northbrook, Ill.) shouldered the loss for the Panthers, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out two in 6.0 innings pitched.
Middlebury shut down in-state foe Castleton 7-0 and 6-0, in sweeping the double-header. The Panthers allowed only five hits in the two shutout wins.
In the first game, Burke helped her own cause with a one-out double in the bottom of the second. First-year player Carlie Crawford (Mount Vernon, Wash.) followed, driving in Burke with an RBI double. Later in the inning, rookie Kelsey Chisholm (Lynnfield, Mass.) laced a two-out, two-run double for a 3-0 lead. The Panthers extended their lead to 6-0 in the sixth when rookie Megan Margel (Ridgewood, N.J.) collected two RBI on a bases-loaded single. Later in the inning, first-year player Geena Constantin (Pelham, N.H.) added an RBI single and senior Allison Bard (Jenkintown, Pa.) chipped in with a RBI sacrifice fly for the 7-0 lead.
Burke was strong in the circle, allowing just one hit over four innings of work for the win, evening her record at 4-4. McAnaney relieved Burke in the fifth, pitching three innings of no-hit ball for her first save of the season.
Margel went 2-4 in the game, adding two RBI, while Constantin went 2-4 with one RBI. Chisholm and four others added hits for the Panthers.
Game two followed a similar script with Middlebury’s offense striking early and a strong defense holding down the Spartans. The Panthers batted around in the first inning scoring four runs on four singles.
Middlebury added a pair of insurance runs later in the game when rookie Emily Burbridge (E. Greenwich, R.I.) smacked a triple to left center in the third, scoring on a throwing error during the play. Constantin, the starting pitcher for the Panthers, made it 6-0 in the sixth inning with a RBI single to centerfield.
Constantin scattered four hits and struck out three for the complete game shut-out win, improving her record to 2-2 on the year. Starter Angie Carpenter took the loss for Castleton, giving up three earned runs and seven hits over four innings of work. Tosha Wittemore relieved Carpenter in the fifth, striking out two without allowing an earned run in her two innings of work.
Constantin excelled at the plate for the Panthers, going 3-4, including a triple, and collecting two RBI, while Burbridge went 2-3 with a triple. Rogers went 2-4, collected two of the four Spartan hits in game two.
Wesleyan moved to 8-1 in NESCAC West league play as they took three games from Middlebury on Saturday afternoon.
Wesleyan broke open a 2-2 game in the fourth inning of game one, by plating five runs on four hits and a pair of errors. The Cardinals added a run in the fifth and a pair in the seventh to pick up a 10-4 victory.
Wesleyan pounded out 14 hits in the game, led by a 3-5 day from Marcia Whitehead, who scored a pair of runs. Becca Feiden went 2-5 with two runs scored, while Taylor Zavadsky and Joanna Brownson each had a pair of hits. Meaghan Dendy picked up the complete game win, allowing two earned runs and striking out three.
Bard went 2-4 with two runs scored to lead the Panthers, first-year player Leslie Crawford (Mount Vernon, Wash.) scored a pair of runs, while Maletsky doubled. Burke suffered the loss, allowing just one earned run over four innings of work.
Wesleyan struck for four runs in the top of the first inning of game two, on its way to a 7-1 victory. An RBI double from Brownson and a run-scoring single by Molly O’Connell sparked the inning.
An RBI bunt single by Middlebury’s Margel put the Panthers on the board in the third, before the Cardinals sealed the game with a three-run seventh inning.
Marcia Whitehead went 4-4 with two runs scored to lead Wesleyan, Brownson and O’Connell each went 2-4 with an RBI, while Dendy had a pair of hits, including a double. Karla Hargrave earned the complete game win, striking out eight over seven innings of work.
Five different players had hits for Middlebury, including a double from McAnaney, who suffered the loss.
Wesleyan completed the three-game sweep by breaking open a 1-1 game with four runs in the sixth inning to earn the 5-1 victory. Dendy picked up her second win of the day, allowing six hits and no earned runs over seven innings.
A two-run triple by O’Connell was the big blow for the Cardinals in the sixth, as she plated Brownson and Lily Thalheimer. Brownson had a 2-3 game, while Dendy went 2-4 with a double.
Constantin took the loss for Middlebury, while pacing the team with a pair of hits in three at-bats. Burke earned a pinch-hit double for the Panthers in the seventh.
Middlebury ended the week by splitting a pair of NESCAC West league games at Amherst on Sunday afternoon. The Jeffs picked up a 9-0 win in a five-inning first game, while the Panthers came back to win a 6-5 12-inning contest in the second game of the day.
After a three-pitch 1-2-3 inning for Alex Chang-Graham in the top of the fourth, Amherst tacked on another four runs when Emily Neill came up with the bases loaded and cleared them with one swing of the bat for her second home run of the season and the third of the game for the Jeffs.
Neill’s grand slam gave Amherst a 9-0 lead, but that was more than enough for Chang-Graham, who threw just 63 pitches in her one-hit shutout to move to 5-4 on the season. Burke picked up the complete-game loss for the Panthers, striking out three and walking none through four innings.
The second game was a completely different story that began with Middlebury chalking up four runs in the top of the first inning. Chisholm, Crawford, Margel, Constantin and Bard reached on consecutive singles to start the game, with all but Bard coming around to score.
Those would be the only runs the Panthers would score until the 12th inning, as the Lord Jeffs slowly chipped away at their deficit and picked up one run in each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to send the game into extra frames. The game-tying run came when Kelly King singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth and was moved around to third base before scoring on a wild pitch with two outs, diving into home to just beat the throw for the crucial run.
Junior Amelia Magistrali (Torrington, Conn.) had a stellar day at third base for Middlebury, and twice turned inning-ending double plays by stepping on third for a force out before firing the ball to first for the second out. Amherst turned a momentum-killing double play of its own in the seventh inning when starting pitcher McAnaney sent a hard line drive back to the pitcher. The ball bounced off of Chang-Graham’s glove and right to Neil at shortstop, as she made the catch and threw to first for out number two.
Both teams had several chances to score the go-ahead run, including a crucial play in the bottom of the eighth that saw Neill get gunned down at the plate by Crawford in right field, but it was not until the top of the 12th that either side was able to capitalize. After Bard was placed on second base to start the inning, McAnaney and Magistrali singled to load the bases with no outs. Maletsky singled through the left side to bring in the go-ahead run, and Chisholm capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field to give Middlebury a 6-4 lead.
Amherst got one back in the bottom half of the frame but left Tyler stranded on third base, as the Panthers held on for the 6-5 win, with Crawford's throw in the eighth proving to be the game-saver.
Chisholm, Crawford, McAnaney and Magistrali each had three hits in the second game for the Panthers, with Margel going 4-for-6 with an RBI and run scored. McAnaney allowed three earned runs on eight hits through five innings but picked up the no-decision, as Constantin pitched the final seven innings to earn the victory. Constantin (3-3) surrendered two runs—none of which were earned—on four hits, striking out two and walking a pair.
• Softball record: 10-11
• Up next: 4/16 vs. Union (2) – 3:30, 4/18 @ Williams, 4/19 @ Williams (2), 4/20 @ Amherst
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