Page 10 - The Behrend College Collegian Thursday, April 17, 1997
Lions Keep Up Winning Ways
Burch, Headley combine to no hit Thiel, Lions win fifth straight game
by Matt Plizga
Sports Editor
Things are really starting to role
for the Behrend baseball team.
After sweeping two games from
Laßoche on Wednesday the Lions
found themselves the owners of a
five game win streak.
In the first game of the twin-bill
coach Paul Benim saw his team
trailing one to nothing heading into
the bottom of the fifth inning.
In the fifth the Lions erupted for
10 runs to take a commanding lead.
The inning started with walks to
Cory Walters and senior Bill
Vitron. Shortstop David Williams
then delivered a huge double
scoring Walters.
Senior Quinn McGuire followed
a walk to the nine hitters with a
RBI single to rightfield.
Freshman Jermey Brubaker
added an RBI single to give
Behrend an 6-1 lead.
Before the inning had ended the
Lions took a demading 10-1 lead.
Behrend eventually won the game
by a 13-1 count.
Freshman Rob Green had another
tremendous outing pitching six
innings
Green allowed only five hits
while striking out seven. Another
freshman Shaun Headley came on
in the seventh to close the game.
The Lions were able to earn a
win in the second game just before
the rain storms came.
Behrend won the game 9-4 in a
rain shortened five innings.
Freshman Dylan Stewart started
the scoring by walking and stealing
a base in the second inning.
Senior Bill Vitron singled
Stewart home with two outs to give
the Lions a 1-0 lead.
Intramural softball! With warm weather just around the corner the intramural softball season
is getting under way. Despite the poor weather of Erie a few games have already been
played. Unfortunately more have been canceled because of the rain. Be sure to check your
schedule so your team doesn't get charged with a forfeit.
Behrend pick up the scoring
again in the third as they rattled off
four runs. Stewart, Brubaker, and
Walters all had RBl's in the third.
The Lions finished their scoring
in the fourth with four more runs.
Stewart, Hortsman and
Burchanowski each brought in one
run.
Leading comfortably 9-Q pitcher
Ryan Frederick yielded four
insignificant runs to end the scoring
at 9-4.
Frederick pitched five solid
innings giving up seven hits while
striking out three batters.
Wednesday's action also saw
some milestones reached. Two
seniors Quinn McGuire and Bill
Vitron continued to move up in the
Behrend record books.
McGuire set the school record
when he played in his 112 game for
the Lions.
He also moved to second place in
career hits with 110 just 18 behind
leader Gary Simon.
Vitron continues to move up in
the books each time he delivers a
clutch hit to drive in a run.
He is currently fourth in career
runs batted in with 54.
Behrend received excellent
pitching Thursday against Thiel
and continued their winning ways.
The Lions won the first game 8-7
and the second game 9-0.
In the two game sweep of Thiel
the Lions gave up just seven runs,
only three of which were earned
runs.
"We've hit the ball consistently
all year, but the pitching has really
improved lately" said Coach Paul
Benim.
The first game of the double
header saw sophomore John Ronan
throw seven outstanding innings.
The complete game was his first of
the year and only the third for the
Lions.
"Ronan bounced back from a
tough start to pitch very well in the
first game" said Benim.
Ronan gave up just three earned
runs on six hits while striking out
five batters.
After falling behind 5-0 after an
inning and a half Behrend got their
bats out.
Catcher Marc Burchanowski and
outfielder Cory Walters led-off the
inning with singles for the Lions.
Freshman Dylan Stewart's single
plated Burchanowski for Behrend's
first run. Senior Bill Vitron's
sacrifice fly then scored Walters to
cut the deficit to 5-2.
After scoring two more runs in
the third inning the Lions erupted
for four runs in the fourth taking a
8-7 lead.
Stewart started the rally off with
a double. After a walk to Vitron,
shortstop David Williams singled
home Stewart.
A perfect squeeze bunt by
freshman Curt Rough scored
Walters and cut the Thiel lead to
one run. Centerfielder Quinn
McGuire then tied the game with
an RBI single.
Behrend took the lead when
Rough scored on a passed ball.
Offensively, third baseman
Dylan Stewart led the team with
three hits including a double.
Stewart also scored one run
while driving in another. McGuire
added two hits and a RBI for the
Lions.
The second game, a 9-0 win
featured both one of the best
individual performance and the
most complete team performance
of the year for the Lions.
Freshman Shaun Headley
combined with Burchanowski to
throw the first no-hitter in recent
Behrend history.
Headley threw five and two
thirds innings of hitless ball after
relieving Burchanowski in the
second inning.
"His change-up and curveball
worked really well He changed
speed effectively baffling and
dominating the Thiel batters" said
Benim.
Headley struck out 11 of the 19
batters he faced walking just two
hitters.
After a slow start offensively
Behrend broke through to take the
lead in the third with two runs.
Three runs in both the fourth and
fifth innings gave the Lions a
comfortable lead and helped pad
their hitting statistics.
Again Stewart provided the
offense with two hits including
another double. Williams also had
a pair of hits with a double and a
RBI.
Walters and Jeff Hortsman each
went two of three while McGuire
added a hit and two runs batted in.
Now that the pitching staff is
settling down Behrend appears to
be poised to make a late season run.
"The next 18 games will
determine what we get done this
year" said Benim.
The Lions won't have an easy
road ahead of them. Behrend will
play eighteen games in just sixteen
days.
"We expect to be competitive
and in every ball game. We are
looking forward to finishing
strong" said Benim.
by Haywoode Jabloeme
Contributing Writer
Cubbies Going Wrong Way
The Chicago Cubs have set a
new record for futility in baseball.
With the 10-7 loss Tuesday night
to the Colorado Rockies, the Cubs
dropped their eleventh straight
ballgame, falling to 0-11 on this
young 1997 season.
Their 0-11 records surpasses the
previous modern-day National
League record of 0-10 to start a
season set by the Atlanta Braves of
1988.
The major league record for
losses to start the season was also
set in the 1988 season by the
Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles
started the season 0-21 that season.
They were never able to recover
from the disappointing start. The
Cubbies are just 2-25 since last
September 14th, but they did begin
this season without starter Mark
Grace who will be returning this
week.
Cub's manager Jim Riggleman
said, "It will end. I'm not going to
feel good until we get over the
hump."
Shortstop Shawon Dunston is
just turning the other cheek trying
to get over the streak.
"It's going to change. We're
r
I
I
I
I
Congratulations Quinn McGuire and Bill Vitron on
your record breaking careers. Good Luck on your
quest to advance even further in the Behrend record
books.
Sports Bites and
professionals. We've got to stand
up to this and to the jokes," he
said.
None the less, you can imagine
how drunk Harry Carey is in the
third inning.
Yanks, Indians Start Slow
Though not as hapless as the
Chicago Cubs, the World
Champion New York Yankees have
struggled to begin the season
against the West Coast teams. By
blowing another ninth inning lead,
the New York Yankees fell to
Anaheim on Tuesday to drop to 5-8
(1-4 at home) on the young season
and into dead last in the AL East.
The Yankees also trail the 9-2
Baltimore Orioles by 5 games.
But the Yankees are gearing up
for an easier next couple of weeks
as they battle Central and Eastern
foes.
The Indians are also off to a very
slow start dispite all the offensive
power in the lineup. With an 8-4
loss to Seattle on Tuesday, the
Indians rapped up only 1/2 a game
better than the Yankees against the
West Coast teams, at 5-7. The
difference for the Indians is that
Milwaukee is 5-4 atop the Central
so the Indians are only 1 1/2 out of
the Central Division lead.
Milwaukee comes to town for a
three game set this weekend.
ith JACK NICKLAUS
Briefs
Robinson Honored
Tuesday night a hobbled
President Clinton helped a packed
house at Shea Stadium to honor
Jackie Robinson on the anniversary
of the 50th anniversary of his first
baseball game.
As part of the ceremony the No.
42 was retired from all of baseball.
So, after Mo Vaughn, Butch
Huskie, Buddy Groom, Tom
Goodwin, and Marc Sagmoen retire
from baseball (they wear the
number 42 now), no one will wear
number 42 again.
Jackie Robinson was the first
African-American to break the color
barrier in baseball. He was and is a
true hero to all.
NHL Playoffs
With the NHL regular season
ending last weekend, the playoffs
are ready to begin. The playoffs,
which some might argue are way
too long, feature sixteen teams in
the fight for one goal; The Stanley
Cup.
The Matchups
New Jersey -vs- Montreal
Philly -vs- Pittsburgh
Colorado -vs- Chicago
Detroit -vs- St. Louis
Buffalo -vs- Ottawa
Florida -vs- N.Y. Rangers
Dallas -vs- Edmonton
Anaheim -vs- Phoenix
"And another thing! Stop
yelling 'Ouch' every time
you get hit!"
$lOO million shoe
endorsement contract!"