Monday, April 11, 2011

This Week in SMC Athletics

Wins were tough to come by for the Purple Knights last week, but women’s tennis reached the 10-win mark for the season and softball snapped a seven-game losing streak to highlight a full schedule of Saint Michael’s athletics action.
Women’s tennis reached the 10-win mark for the sixth straight year and the 11th time in the last 12 years with an 8-1 win over Merrimack on Thursday. Saint Michael’s then nearly handed Southern N.H. its first league loss on Sunday but eventually fell to the nationally-ranked Penmen 5-4. Sophomore Jean-Marie McGrath (Niwot, Colo./Alexander Dawson School) went 2-0 in both singles and doubles play last week and did not lose a game in either of her matches in an 8-1 win over Merrimack on Thursday. The Purple Knights play their last three matches of the season this week with contests against Stonehill, American Int’l (Senior Day on Thursday) and Assumption.
Men’s tennis lost its seventh straight match this week with an 8-1 setback to league-leading Merrimack. FreshmanNick Bosco (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) picked up the lone win at No. 1 singles for Saint Michael’s, which wraps up its season with three matches this week, including Saturday’s Senior Day against Assumption.
Softball snapped a seven-game losing streak and earned its first Northeast-10 Conference win of the year with a 4-3 decision over Pace in game two of a home doubleheader on Sunday. Saint Michael’s bounced back from being no-hit on their way to losing 12-0 in game one, and rallied from down 2-1 to take a 3-2 lead on a two-run homer by freshman Bethany Falls (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex). The Setters tied the game in the top of the sixth, but senior Kelly Rose Losi (Milton, Mass./Milton) ripped the game-winning RBI-single in the bottom of the inning to give the Purple Knights their first win since March 18. Sophomore Stephanie Frank (Essex, Vt./Essex) had a solid week on the mound with five pitching appearances, throwing 27.2 innings, posting a 3.29 ERA and striking out 19 batters. She earned the win in relief in game two against Pace on Sunday, allowing one run on four hits in 4.2 innings and striking out four. Saint Michael’s travels to UMass Lowell for a league doubleheader on Tuesday before hosting two more NE-10 games against Merrimack on Thursday.
Baseball dropped both ends of its home-opening doubleheader against Southern N.H. on Friday, falling 6-0 and 7-1. The Purple Knights received a solid pitching performance from sophomore Collin Fishman (Bethesda, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) in game one as the righty allowed only one run on three hits in five innings of work. Saint Michael’s mustered just five hits in the two games with freshman Alec Tice (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford)collecting a single in each contest. Saint Michael’s is slated for seven games this week, beginning with a doubleheader at UMass Lowell on Tuesday and two home games versus Lyndon State on Thursday.
Men’s lacrosse saw its three-game win streak come to end with an 11-5 loss at second-ranked Le Moyne on Saturday. Saint Michael’s, who climbed to the #1 spot in the New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) Division II Poll last week, could not pull off what would have been the first 4-0 start in NE-10 play in program history. The Purple Knights return to action next week at Franklin Pierce on Wednesday and at home against Adelphi on Saturday.
Women’s lacrosse suffered tough road losses at Bentley and Assumption this week. The Falcons used a 12-goal first half to top Saint Michael’s 18-3, and the Greyhounds surged to a 10-goal second half to win 14-6. Prior to the weekend, junior goalie Sandy Palumbo (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) ranked second in the nation in Division II in saves per game with 13.44 and is first in the nation among goalies who have played the majority of their team’s minutes in goal. The Purple Knights host two NE-10 contests next week with Saint Anselm on Tuesday and Adelphi on Saturday.
Three senior scholar-athletes were inducted into the Gamma Chapter of Vermont of Phi Beta Kappa on Friday: field hockey’s Natalie Elvidge (Newton, N.J./Newton), baseball’s Pete Estes (Bennington, Vt./Mount Anthony Union), and men’s soccer’s Rondel Ward (Saint George, Barbados/Harrison’s College HS). As the nation’s oldest academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa, founded in 1776, is dedicated to promoting excellence in the liberal arts. Less than one percent of college graduates nationwide are admitted, and Saint Michael’s is one of just three institutions in Vermont to have Phi Beta Kappa chapters on their campuses.
The Purple Knights will show their support for breast cancer awareness this week, as all six spring sport programs take part in the "Pink Zone" breast cancer initiative. "Think Pink" contests begin on Thursday at the women's tennis home match versus American International College. The initiative continues on Saturday as the women's and men's lacrosse teams host Adelphi University at 12 and 3 p.m., respectively, on Duffy Field at Doc Jacobs Complex, and the men's tennis team takes on Assumption College at 1 p.m. Finally, the "Think Pink" games conclude on Wednesday, April 20, as the baseball team takes on Middlebury College at 3:30 p.m., and the softball squad hosts Saint Anselm College in a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader, with both games on Doc Jacobs Field. All fans attending the "Pink Zone" contests are encouraged to show their support for breast cancer awareness by wearing pink to the games. Each contest will also include exciting raffle prizes, raffles, and contests for fans to take part in. All proceeds from Saint Michael's "Pink Zone" games will benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Vermont.
This Week’s Schedule:
Day Date Event
Mon. Apr. 11 Men’s Tennis vs. Franklin Pierce*, 3:30 p.m.
Tues. Apr. 12 Softball at UMass Lowell (DH)*, 3 p.m.
Baseball at UMass Lowell, 3:30 p.m.
Women’s Lacrosse vs. Saint Anselm*, 4 p.m.
Wed. Apr. 13 Women’s Tennis vs. Stonehill*, 3 p.m.
Men’s Lacrosse at Franklin Pierce*, 7 p.m.
Thu. Apr. 14 Baseball vs. Lyndon State (DH), 3 p.m.
Softball vs. Merrimack (DH)*, 3:30 p.m.
Women’s Tennis vs. American Int’l*^#, 3:30 p.m.
Fri. Apr. 15 Baseball at Williams, 4 p.m.
Sat. Apr. 16 Women’s Lacrosse vs. Adelphi*^, 12 p.m.
Softball at Le Moyne (DH)*, 12 p.m.
Women’s Tennis at Assumption*, 1 p.m.
Men’s Tennis vs. Assumption*^#, 1 p.m.
Men’s Lacrosse vs. Adelphi*^, 3 p.m.
Sun. Apr. 17 Softball at Saint Rose (DH)*, 12 p.m.
Baseball at Clarkson (DH), 1 p.m.
*Northeast-10 Conference Game
^Think Pink! Event
#Senior Day Event

No comments:

Post a Comment