BEACON SPORTS
Strong
10 straight wins, 9-0 at home
By Sara Kamber
co-sports editor
The baseball team has won its last 10 straight
and are 9-0 at home. Playing nine games over the
last five days, the blue and white improved their
record to 16-10, 7-3 in the conference. Behrend is
now third in the conference after beating Pitt-
Greensburg, Hilbert and Medaille all in the last
week.
“The league is ultra competitive,” said Head
Coach Paul Benim. “We must be successful on
our home field and our wins this week have been
enormous for us. The league is why our guys
work so hard and are so committed to each other.
We expect to do well and put ourselves in a posi
tion to compete beyond the AMCC.”
Over 14 innings on Wednesday, Behrend pitch
ers fanned 14 with no walks and no runs in two
complete game shutouts against Medaille
College.
Senior Jason Shaffer took the hill for game one
in his second shutout game of the week. He con
trolled Medaille’s offense, holding them to only 2
hits while striking out 8.
Behrend followed up with solid at bats, feeding
off contributions from pretty much every hitter in
the lineup. Junior Shane Elzer led the team with
2 hits, 2 runs and 3 RBIs. The Lions won 11-0.
Junior Chris McCartney pitched in game two
allowing three hits, with 5 K’s, no runs and no
walks.
At the plate, sophomore Mike Stetz was 4 for 4,
scoring twice with 1 RBI and three stolen bases.
Senior Vince Canzano was 3 for 4, all singles,
with one stolen base.
‘ We had outstanding pitching performances by
Jason and Chris,” said Benim. “Stetz was 4 for 4
and made things happen.”
Tuesday’s match up had Behrend facing off
against Westminster in a single game. Senior
Matt Szymanski started on the mound for the blue
and white, pitching seven innings. He struck out
5, walked 5 and allowed 7 hits. Junior Greg
Samson took over for Szymanski and was tagged
with the save in Behrend’s 9-7 win.
Hilbert rolled onto the field as Monday’s oppo-
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pitching leads baseball to
nent in another conference double-head
er. Everybody had a good day at the plate
for the blue and white with the team as a
whole working for 16 hits, 13 RBIs and
14 runs. Pitching for the Lions was jun
ior Ray DeVaul. DeVaul gave up 5 runs,
11 hits, walked 2 and struck out 7, pitch
ing a complete game.
Sophomore Brian Binder took the
mound for game two against Hilbert. He
also pitched a complete game, with no
walks, no runs on two hits and fanned 8.
“Binder was dynamite in game two,”
said Benim. “It was great stuff for our
guys.”
Stetz scored twice in game two, with 1
hit and 3 RBIs. Samson also scored twice
and earned 2 RBIs. Sophomore Gabe
Stephenson hit a solo home run in the
bottom of the fifth. Behrend took both
wins easily over Hilbert, 14-5 and 10-1.
“Stetz has been a great tabic setter, as
has Samson at the bottom of the linc-up,”
said Benim. “Right now wc arc really
clicking and everyone is contributing.
That is the best thing about being a coach,
when everyone is contributing to the pro
gram’s success. Lots of different guys arc
stepping up.”
Sunday welcomed Case Western lor
another double-header. Sophomore Eric
Nachriener pitched in game one, going a little
more than 5 innings, striking out 3, walking one
and giving up 2 runs. McCartney took over earn
ing the save in Behrend’s 5-2 victory.
Freshman Shane Scott started in game two,
pitching for four innings with 2 strike outs before
sophomore Brian Hart took over. Hart came in
and pitched four innings of scoreless relief.
With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the
eighth and two outs on the board, Eddie George
kept the Lions alive with a pinch-hit single.
Szymanski came in to pinch-run for George. Next
up was Elzer. He tripled Szymanski home, win
ning the game for the blue and white.
Underclassmen saw a lot of action in the games
against Case Western. Freshman Cody Thull had
irst home game of the sea
affer dominated on the
igainst conference foe Pitt-
against Mt. Aloysius at home on
Friday for a 1 p.m. double-header.
Housing and Food Service Athlete of the
Week is selected by the Sports Information
Staff
2 {Qj
Men's tennis wins three conference matches
Over the weekend, the Men’s tennis
team won all three conference matches
to improve their conference record to
5-1 and improve their overall record to
11-8. Since the Lions won all three
conference matches, the team moved
into a tie with Penn State Altoona for
the best record in the conference.
:e-hitter
walks,
game
“It was a tough weekend to play
three matches one right after the
other,” said Head Coach Jeff Barger.
On Friday the team traveled to Pitt-
Greensburg and won 9-0. The Lions
won two matches, third doubles and
sixth singles by forfeit. In number one
doubles Freshman Miles Boyea and
Freshman Todd Guarnieri won their
match by the score of 8-0. Sophomore
Brian Espin and Sophomore Matt
Meyer won their doubles match 8-1.
In singles matches, Freshman James
Myers won his match in straight sets 6-
2, 6-2. Freshman Steve Rohm won his
match in straight sets 6-1, 6-0. Also
winning for the Lions was Freshman
Brian Kaleta 7-6, 6-1, Freshman Daryl
Nowacki 6-4, 7-5 and Senior Jeremiah
Women’s track wins with warm weather
Saturday the Women’s Track team competed at Mt. Union
and which resulted in some outstanding accomplishments.
With warmer weather on their side, the Lady Lions broke
four records.
“We had a great weekend. The weather finally allowed
the athletes to perform to their abilities,” said Coach
Cooper.
Junior Staci Banaszek won two of events, shattered two
records and also qualified for ECAC’s in all of them. By
almost a foot, Banaszek broke the triple jump record.
Jumping 36’8” she is the first Behrend Woman to eclipse
the 36 foot mark outdoors. Banaszek also leapt 17’ 1” in the
long jump, clearing the old record. This 17 foot jump was
also the first one ever in Behrend history. Banaszek also
finished second in the high jump. Her contributions to the
team this meet were indispensable.
Banaszek was not the only one to break records.
Freshman Leisl Soergel finished second and broke the 800-
meter record with a 2:22.8 time. Soergel teamed up with
junior Nikki Mineweaser and freshmen Erica Smith and
Becky Gonzalez to compete in the 4 x 400 relay. These
ladies placed third with the time of 4:10.00 and broke the
Behrend record. As well as qualifying for ECAC’s, the
Sophomore Mike Stetz leads the team in batting average at .361. For the season, he has 15 RBl’s, 26 hits
and 16 runs over 72 at bats.
two runs and two hits over three at bats in game
one with Brent Sullivan earning an RBI and hit in
game two. Bchrcnd defeated Case Western 5-2
and 4-3.
“Our staff is pleased with the young guys,” said
Benim. “We have several talented younger play
ers and we are getting contributions from a lot of
different people.”
Last Friday, Behrend opened the home season
with two conference wins over Pitt-Greensburg,
5-0 in game one and 3-2 in game two.
In game one, Shaffer dominated on the mound.
He threw a three-hitter, striking out one and walk
ing four in a complete game, shutting out Pitt-
Greensburg’s offense.
"Jason was outstanding,” said Benim. “He
threw strikes, kept hitters off balance and shut-out
By Mike Tomko
staff writer
By Stephen Wingerter
staff writer
Gutherie 6-0, 6-0
On Saturday, the Lions visited
Frostburg State and left with a victory
by the score of 6-3. The pairing of
Boyea and Guarnieri lost their match
8-4. The Lions took their next two
doubles matches behind strong play
from the teaming of Espin and Meyer,
as well as the pairing of Myers and
Freshman Trevor Dougherty.
In singles action the Lions took four
of the six matches. Winning for the
Lions were Espin in straight sets 6-2,
6-3, Meyer 6-1, 6-1, Myers 6-2, 6-1
and Dougherty 6-4, 6-2.
On Sunday the Lions defeated Penn
State Altoona 5-4. With the win, the
Lion moved into a tie at 5-1 with PS
Altoona. The Lions lost all three dou
bles matches on Sunday. Boyea
Guarnieri lost 9-7, Espin and Meyer
lost 8-4 and Myers and Kaleta fell by
the score of 8-3.
Despite being down in doubles play
the team came roaring back to take
five of six singles matches and capture
the victory. Boyea won in three sets 0-
6, 6-1, 6-3. Espin won in straight sets
6-4, 6-3. Guarnieri, Meyer and Myers
also won their matches each in straight
same four women also had a Behrend All Time Top Ten per
formance in the 4 x 100 relay.
Smith finished second and lowered her 400 IM hurdle
record to 68.15. She only needs to drop one second to qual
ify for ECAC’s.
Freshman Natalie Romano recorded the second fastest
100-hurdle time in Behrend history, finishing seventh in
17.14. She is the third Behrend hurdler to the old record set
by Mineweaser in 2003.
“Over the past four months, the team has grown together
like a tight-knit group of friends. I think our camaraderie
will be one of our greatest strengths in upcoming competi
tions,” said Soergel.
Soergel couldn’t have been more right because the team
has now come together and are proving themselves by drop
ping times and qualifying for ECAC’s nonstop.
Freshman Samantha Baldensperger has also been facing
the difficulties of the weather. At Mt. Union she was able to
toss the javelin 86’7,” finishing in eighth place
“I threw javelin for three years in high school. The
biggest difficulty has been the weather for the meets. It has
been cold and rainy for the first two but with the weather
improving I hope to be as well,” said Baldensperger.
This Saturday the women gear up for the Slippery Rock
Invitational beginning at 9 a.m.
The Behrend Beacon I 10
Friday, April 15, 2005
a solid offensive club. We needed him Friday and
he was dynamite."
During game two, Behrend was down 2-1 in the
bottom of the seventh. Leading off for the blue
and white was Canzano. Canzano came up big
with a double. Next up was Samson who got on
with an error at second. Junior Tony Kordecki
was then walked. With the bases loaded and
Behrend trailing one, Stephenson’s sacrifice fly
tied the game and advanced Samson from second
to third. Then Stetz’s deep sacrifice fly gave
Behrend the win.
More conference action heads this way on
Saturday against Mt. Aloysius. The game will be
broadcast on Image Sports. The blue and white
will then hit the road for four straight dates.
sets. The Lions fall in singles play was
Kaleta 7-5, 3-6, 1-6.
“I think my two sophomore kids,
Brian Espin and Matt Meyer, both
made some comments toward the team
about picking up their games and
stuff,” said Barger, “Both of them
played real well in singles this past
weekend.”
With only the AMCC tournament on
April 17 and a match versus Thiel on
April 19, the Lion season is coming to
a close. The Lions have the momentum
to win the conference tournament.
“We should have like three number
one seeds in singles. Our four, five,
and six guys should all be seeded
because they’re undefeated in the con
ference,” said Barger.
Even without an AMCC title, this
team had a successful season.
“I would definitely at this point (call
the season a success); we could end up
with 12 wins with a lot of yoilng guys,
with basically an inexperienced team,
especially the last few weeks '.yre’ve
been playing better in singles,” said
Coach Barger.