March 21, 2005

Walsh's national tournament run continued, as they used a second half blitz to defeat Concordia University 81-70, to win their first national championship last Tuesday night in Point Lookout, MO.  The Cavs won five games in six days to claim the crown.  Head Coach Jeff Young was named NAIA Coach of the Year and Rob Whaley (Sr., Benton Harbor, MI/HS) was named NAIA Player of the Year and Tournament MVP.  The Cavs fell behind by as many as eight points in the first half, when Whaley and Randy Sistrunk (Sr., Canton, OH/McKinley) shot them back into the game.  Whaley scored 10 first half points and Sistrunk nine, as the Cavs rallied to lead 32-28 at the half.  The Cavs led at halftime in every game of the tournament.  The second half was all Walsh, as they outscored Concordia 18-2 in the first four minutes to take a commanding 52-30 lead.  Walsh shot a blistering .696 (16-23) in the second half.  Concordia would begin to whittle away at the lead, but would come no closer than nine points.  A thunderous dunk by Whaley, on a lob intended for Sistrunk, brought the crowd of 3,281 to its feet and sealed the deal for the Cavs.  Whaley ended up with 25 points and nine rebounds.  He averaged 22.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, blocked 12 shots and shot .527 from the field for the tournament.  Sistrunk played his finest game of the tournament, scoring 18 points and shooting 7-11 from the field.  He also earned honorable mention NAIA All-American honors for the season.  Jason Hicks (So., Cleveland, OH/Villa Angela St. Joseph) played another solid game, with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.  He was named to the All-Tournament team, after averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and shooting .533 from three-point.  Corey Jones (Fr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) was 3-5 from three-point and finished with 13 points.  Adam Lesch (So., Newark, OH/HS)  finished with seven points and six rebounds and made a back-breaking three-pointer down the stretch. 

Walsh will lose Whaley, Sistrunk and Jason Farkas (Sr., Louisville, OH/HS) next season.  Whaley has already announced plans to tryout for the NBA. 

BASEBALL: Cavs (13-7, 3-1) Open AMC Play With Three Wins in Four Games

Walsh won three out of four American Mideast Conference North Division games, all at Saint Vincent last week.   This week, the Cavs host Myers University in a single game on Tuesday, and face Malone College four times in conference action on Thursday and Saturday.  The Pioneers are at Walsh on Thursday, and the Cavs are at Malone on Saturday. 

Walsh opened North Division play in the AMC with a sweep at Saint Vincent College on Friday.  Andy Steiner (Sr., Green, OH/HS) improved to 4-0 in winning game one, 4-1.  Duane Kaley (Jr., Deerfield, OH/Southeast) had two hits.  The Cavs won the nightcap, 1-0, behind Kyle Lynn (So., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw), who improved to 3-1.  Chad Lahna (Sr., West Lafayette, OH/Ridgewood) saved his fourth game. 

Walsh scored eight runs in the 6th inning in the first game of a conference doubleheader, to down Saint Vincent College 11-7 on Saturday.  The Bearcats came back to win the nightcap 5-3.  Derek Gordon (So., Brampton, ONT/Centennial) provided the big blow in game one, with a pinch hit three-run double in the Cavs' eight-run sixth.  Chad Lahna drove in three runs and picked up save number five.  David Kuchenski (Sr., Tallmadge, OH/HS) recorded the win.  Alan Frame (Fr., Atwater, OH/Waterloo) took the loss in game two, to fall to 2-1. 

Freshman shortstop, Chad Campbell (Ashtabula, OH/Lakeside) has had an outstanding start at the plate, hitting a team leading .391 in the first 20 games.  Campbell also has 10 RBI.  Chad Lahna, who has saved five games in relief, is also leading the team with three homeruns and 18 RBI.  On the mound, Lahna has five saves in five games and has not allowed a run.  Right-hander Andy Steiner is 4-0, with a 1.69 ERA.  Steiner has allowed five earned runs in 26 innings and has fanned 17 batters. 

MEN'S GOLF: Cavs Open Season at Malone

Walsh opens the new season at the Malone College-Zoar Invitational on Friday and Saturday.  Play begins on Friday at 8 am at the Zoar Village Golf Course in Zoar, Ohio.

SOFTBALL: Cavs (6-5) Open AMC Play

Walsh, picked for fourth in the NAIA Region IX Coaches Poll, opens AMC South play at Ohio Dominican on Tuesday.  The Cavs are at Ashland on Wednesday and host Cedarville in a conference battle on Saturday.  All games are doubleheaders.  

Walsh split a doubleheader at Mount Union College (8-2) on Saturday.  The Purple Raiders won the first game 1-0, with the Cavs taking game two 6-1.  Lindsay Bauer (Sr., Rootstown, OH/HS) was the tough-luck loser in the game one, allowing only four hits in the 1-0 loss.  Bauer's record is 1-4.  The Purple Raiders Katie Olive slugged a solo homer in the fourth inning to provide the only run.  Walsh scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning of game two, to win 6-1.  Rebecca Adkison (Jr., Uniontown, OH/Archbishop Hoban) was 3-4 with a double and Jessica Edmunds (Fr., Uniontown, OH/Green) was 2-3 with two RBIs.  Jodie Cole (Fr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) went the distance, allowing only four hits to earn her fourth win (4-1) of the season.

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING: Cavs (6-8) Head to Nationals

Walsh heads to the US Championships in Gainesville, Florida this week.  Championship competition begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday.  Walsh finished 13th last season.

MEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (4-2) Have Busy Week

Walsh (4-2) has a busy week, with three matches, starting Tuesday at home with Saint Vincent.  The Cavs are in Michigan, to meet Grand Valley State on Thursday and Aquinas College on Friday.

Top singles player, Lanny Rubin (So., Canton, OH/Central Catholic), is 5-1 on the season.  His only loss came against Catawba.  Rubin and Martin Echague (Jr., Buenos Aires, ARG/Eccleston) are 5-1 at first doubles.  Echague is 4-1 at fourth singles.  Steve Webster (Fr., Lexington, OH/HS) is 4-2 at second singles and 6-0 at first doubles with Chris Pleska (Sr., Wooster, OH/HS).  Pleska is 4-2 at third singles.  Sean Smith (So., Edgewater, NJ/Bradenton Academy) is 3-0 at fifth singles and 1-1 at fourth singles.  Greg Kerschbaum (Fr., Elyria, OH/HS) has posted a 6-1 mark six singles. 

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (2-5)/Cady 5-2 at First Singles

Walsh (2-5) lost its second straight match, falling 4-5 at Baldwin-Wallace on Saturday.  The Cavs have a three-match week, starting at Ashland University on Tuesday.  The Cavs are in Michigan, to meet Grand Valley State on Thursday and Aquinas College on Friday.

Number one singles player, Kristen Cady (So., Canton, OH/GlenOak), improved to 5-2 on the season. Cady bounced Oberlin's Andrea Issac, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday.  Dana Wobser (Sr., Sandusky, OH/HS) won at fourth singles, Kelly Dehn (Fr., Powell, OH/Olentangy) at fifth singles and Nicole Hagy (So., Hartville, OH/Lake) at sixth singles.  Wobser is 3-2 on the season and Dehn is 4-2.