May, 7, 2007

Monday, May 7, 2007

This Week in Walsh University Athletics

Tues. 8 Baseball at Mt. Vernon Nazarene/NAIA Region IX Tournament 10 am

Thurs. 10 Track At Allegheny College

Sat. 12Track at Wheeling Open

Schedule and times are subject to change

BASEBALL: Cavs (22-28, 9-7 AMC N) Hope to Right Ship in NAIA Region IX Tournament

Last week did not go as planned for the Cavs' (22-28. 9-7 AMC N) Baseball Team.  Walsh entered the week in first place in the American Mideast Conference North Division with four games to play.  By the time the smoke had cleared, the Cavs had lost all four games to Malone, dropping them to third place in the conference.  The Cavs lost the four games 5-1, 7-1, 4-0 and 10-7.  The Cavs now look to break a season-long seven-game slide against Mount Vernon Nazarene University (34-12, 19-5 AMC S) on Tuesday  at 10 am in the double-elimination NAIA Region IX Tournament, held at Mount Vernon.  Mount Vernon beat the Cavs 12-4 and 11-1 in the regular season. The official bracket will be released sometime today. 

The only bright spot in the losses to Malone came on Thursday, in game one of the AMC N doubleheader, when Andy Schon (Sr., Akron, OH/Coventry) became the Cavs all-time strikeout leader.  Schon fanned nine, and has totaled 233 career K's, passing the mark of 229 held by Jeff Paul.  He is also the all-time leader in innings pitched with 267.1.  Ryan Indorf (Jr., Massillon, OH/Washington) had his career-best 18-game hit streak snapped in game one at Malone on Saturday, when he went 0-3.  He promptly started a new streak with a homerun in the nigth-cap.  Indorf is hitting .325 and has a .406 on base percentage.  Indorf leads team in at-bats (163), runs scored (36), hits (53) and extra base hits (12). 

Catcher/Designated hitter Rollin Matsui is hitting a team-leading .407.  Matsui has two home runs, 20 RBI, and a team-best .474 slugging percentage.  Jason Pettigrew (Jr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) leads the team with 34 RBI and eight doubles.  He is hitting .325.  Freshman second baseman Mike Suliks (Norton, OH/HS) is hitting .337, with five doubles and 15 RBI.   Shortstop Chad Campbell (Jr., Ashtabula, OH/Lakeside) is hitting .323, and is second to Indorf with 52 hits and 35 runs scored.  Andy Schon leads the staff in innings pitched (74.1), strikeouts (67), and has a 3.87 ERA, which is second to Kyle Lynn's (Sr., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw) 3.65 ERA.  Schon and Mike Dougherty (So., Canton, OH/McKinley) are tied for team lead in wins with six.

SOFTBALL: Cavs (21-28, 6-8 AMC S) Lose to Ohio Dominican in AMC Qualifying Playoff

Walsh's (21-28, 6-8 AMC S) season came to a close, when the lost the best of three AMC qualifying tournament at Ohio Dominican University last Thursday.  The Cavs lost 10-2 and 5-0.  Earlier in the week, the Cavs split a doubleheader at Geneva College. 

Freshman Krystal Sherry (Brunswick, OH/Holy Name) led the Cavs with a .357 average, and with 14 doubles and 25 RBI.  She also led the pitching staff with a 9-9 record and 2.73 ERA.  The loss of right-hander Dana Hartings (Jr., Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local) was huge for the Cavs.  Hartings, who injured her hamstring while playing first base, was 6-8 with a 3.10 ERA.  The Cavs received fine years from a number of freshmen.  Jessica Hudnall (Akron, OH/Ellet) hit .347 in 30 games, infielder Jamie Lewis (North Olmsted, OH/HS) hit .324 with eight doubles and 15 RBI, while Laura Schmidt (Fr., Canton, OH/Jackson) hit .309 with 22 RBI and ten doubles..  Schmidt tied for the homerun lead with Jamie Notch (Sr., Suffield, OH/Field), with four each. 

MEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (16-3, 6-0 AMC) Win NAIA Region IX Title, Head to Alabama

The quest is complete for the Cavs (16-3, 6-0 AMC).  After falling in the NAIA Region Championship match to Cedarville University last spring, Walsh regained the title by defeating Tiffin University 5-4 on Friday.  Walsh will now make its tenth appearance in the last eleven years at the national tournament, when they head to Mobile, Alabama (14-18) next week.  The tournament bracket will be announced later this week.

Walsh rolled over fourth seeded Malone College 9-0 in a semi final match on Thursday.  Friday's title match was much closer, with Walsh prevailing 5-4.  The Cavs won four of six singles matches and at first doubles to win the title.

Number one singles player Stephen Webster (Jr., Lexington, OH/HS) enters the national tournament with 14-4 record.  He is on a five-match win streak.  Dexter Mahase (Jr., La-Romaine, Trinidad), who plays number two singles, is a team-best 15-3 and has also won his last five matches.  The two make-up Walsh's top doubles team and have a record of 13-4.  Sean Smith (Sr., Edgewater, NY/Bradenton Academy) is 14-4 at third singles.  Freshman Justin Collins (Lexington, OH/HS) is 11-6 at mostly fourth singles, and Greg Kerschbaum (Jr., Elyria, OH/HS) is 14-4 at mostly fifth singles.  Andy Coutts (Sr., New Philadelphia, OH/HS) is 12-6 at sixth singles.  Smith and Collins are 9-2 at second doubles and Kerschbaum and Nick Grahame (Sr., Louisville, OH/ST. Thomas Aquinas) are 8-3 at third doubles.

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (16-4, 9-0) Win NAIA Region IX Title

Top seeded Walsh (16-4, 9-0 AMC) defeated Cedarville University 6-3, and Tiffin University 5-4, to win the NAIA Region IX Championship and capture the NAIA National Tournament berth.  The Cavs will now head to Mobile, Alabama,  the site of the 27th annual championships, May 14-18.   Walsh last played at the NAIA Championships in 2005.  Walsh enters the NAIA National Tournament with eight straight wins, and 16 in their last 17 matches.

Number one singles player Kristen Cady (Sr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) heads to Alabama with an 11-9 record, but has won five of her last seven matches.  Number two singles player Jenamarie Ianni (So., North Canton, OH/Hoover) is 12-6 and has won six straight matches.  Cady and Ianni are 13-5 at first doubles and have won six straight matches. 

Lindsey Cady (So., Canton, OH/GlenOak) is 12-8 and will play at third singles; Ingrid Brainard (Sr., Madison, OH/HS) is 16-3 and will play fourth singles.  Brainard has posted nine straight wins.  Brainard and Cady are 12-2 at third doubles.  Megan Navarre (Jr., Indianapolis, IN/Center Grove) is 15-5 in singles and will play number five at nationals and Hilary Rossi (Fr., Warren, OH/JFK) is 14-5 and will play number six.  Rossi and Jen Yost (Fr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) are 8-5, and will play third doubles.

MEN'S GOLF: Cavs (22-25) Fifth at AMC/Region IX Championships

Walsh (22-25) finished fifth at the AMC/Region IX Championships, held at Apple Valley Golf Course last weekend.  Walsh finished with a 72-hole score of 917, 19 strokes back of champion Malone College. The Cavs began the day in fourth place, five strokes back of Tiffin.  David Rose (Sr., Marietta, OH/HS) shot  a final round 74 and finished with a 221 and was named to the All-AMC and Region IX Team. 

Senior Alan Dattilio (Sr., Salem, OH/West Branch) was named to the AMC's Scholar-Athlete Team.  He carries a 3.66 grade point average and is a management major.

David Rose (Sr., Marietta, OH/HS) led the Cavs with a 76.3 average.  Chad Coombes (Sr., Medina, OH/Buckeye) averaged 78.6, Mike DiFabbio (Sr., Steubenville, OH/Central Catholic) 79.9, Mike Lenartowicz (Jr., Canton, OH/Perry) 79.5 and Kevin Tournoux (Jr., Lakewood, OH/HS) 81.5.  Dattilo averaged 79.1.

MEN'S TRACK: McKee a Provisional Qualifier for Nationals

Brendan McKee (So., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) provisionally qualified for NAIA Nationals, with his 9:38.49 time in the steeplechase, at the Jesse Owens Meet at Ohio State University on Saturday.  Alex McCallion (Sr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) finished sixth in the 400IH (57.75), but did not qualify. Walsh is at Allegheny College on Thursday and at Wheeling College on Saturday.