This Week in Saint Michael’s College Athletics ‒ April 9-15

Baseball (8-19, 5-13 NE-10) Receives Two Pitching Gems and Faces Nationally-Ranked NE-10 Foe

The Saint Michael's College baseball team went 2-3 last week while facing one nationally-ranked Northeast-10 Conference opponent and receiving two stellar complete-game pitching performances. The Purple Knights claimed a 9-1 victory at Saint Anselm College on Wednesday before traveling to No. 7 Southern New Hampshire University on Thursday and dropping an 8-1 decision. They finished the week by hosting Merrimack College for a three-game set over the weekend, claiming the opening game of a doubleheader on Saturday, 5-1, before dropping the nightcap, 8-2, and falling, 8-5, on Sunday. Southern New Hampshire's ranking was according to last week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll.

Austin Ziskie '12 (Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) moved to 3-0 after not allowing an earned run during a complete-game effort against Saint Anselm, as he struck out three and walked two, yielding only four singles. Tyler Wild '14 (Quaker Hill, Conn./Saint Bernard School) was 2-for-4 with four RBIs and a triple, while Nicky Elderton '15 (Shelburne, Vt./Rice Memorial) doubled among his two hits. Bryan Geary '12 (Milton, Vt./Milton/Skidmore) added two hits and Chadwick Estey '12 (New Haven, Vt./Mount Abraham Union) scored twice and drove in two.

At Southern New Hampshire, Chris Puliafico '14 (Sharon, Mass./Sharon) smacked a pinch-hit double, while Geary and Jason Moore '14 (Avon, Conn./Northwest Catholic) also had hits. Andrew DuPrat '13 (Fairfax, Vt./BFA-Fairfax) took the loss, but Jesse Sullivan '12 (Saugus, Mass./Pingree School) and Nick Myers '14 (Canton, Conn./The Master's School) combined for four one-hit innings of shutout relief. Myers fanned four while tossing the fifth and sixth before Sullivan struck out three during the seventh and eighth.

Will Corkum '15 (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) did not allow an earned run in the opener against Merrimack and yielded three singles in nine innings, striking out six while allowing just two runners to reach third base. Puliafico was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Nick Nelson '14 (Spofford, N.H./Keene) went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a triple. Estey had a triple among his two hits and Wild stole two bases. In the nightcap, Andrew Kelley '13 (Lincoln, N.H./Lin-Wood) carried a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning and finished by allowing four runs on five hits over 6.1 innings. Corey Livingston '14 (Hartford, Conn./East Catholic) was 2-for-4, while Alec Tice '14 (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford) hit his third home run of the season.

In the final game against Merrimack, Estey went 2-for-3 with two runs, which put him within three hits of 100 for his career. Eight different Purple Knights had single hits, with Livingston and Don McGuirl '15 (Warwick, R.I./Saint Sebastian's School) among them while adding a run and an RBI apiece. Collin Fishman '13 (Bethesda, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel) allowed five earned runs in 5.1 innings while striking out three.

No. 11 Men's Lacrosse (8-4, 4-4 NE-10) Snaps Three-Game Skid, Buccellato and Donnally Reach 100 Points

The nationally-ranked Saint Michael's College men's lacrosse team went 2-0 at home last week in Northeast-10 Conference action, snapping a three-game skid and seeing two players reach 100 career points. The Purple Knights claimed a 14-8 triumph over Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday before knocking off Pace University, 7-5, on Saturday. The Purple Knights were the 11th-ranked team in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) national poll.

Andrew Buccellato '12 (Glen Rock, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) and Pete Donnally '13 (Madison, N.J./Morristown-Beard School) both reached the 100-point plateau against Franklin Pierce, as Donnally netted four markers and Buccellato had two. Marty Vanzo '13 (Westford, Vt./Essex/Vermont) scored four goals, while Kevin Hunt '12 (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) added one tally and two assists. Paul Tortora Jr. '12 (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Prep) finished with two assists, while Pete Hanson '12 (Andover, Mass./Andover) scooped up 10 ground balls. Chris Casserly '14 (Kensington, N.H./Exeter) had five ground balls and was 11-of-14 on face-offs, and Chris DeMairo '14 (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) made seven saves.

Against Pace, Donnally tallied two markers, including the winner with 4:14 remaining, while Vanzo and Cooper Quenneville '14 (Shoreham, Vt./Gould Academy) each had one goal and one assist. Tyler Violette '12 (Amherst, N.H./Proctor Academy) had six ground balls and caused four turnovers, while Casserly was 6-of-10 on face-offs. Neil Kelly '13 (Narragansett, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) and Sean Smith '14 (West Islip, N.Y./Saint John the Baptist Diocesan) each tallied their first career assist, while DeMairo made 11 saves, including five in the fourth quarter.

Women's Lacrosse (3-8, 1-7 NE-10) Faces Two Nationally-Ranked Conference Opponents

The Saint Michael's College women's lacrosse team went 0-2 on the road last week against nationally-ranked Northeast-10 Conference foes, facing their fourth and fifth nationally-ranked opponents of the season. The Purple Knights lost a 15-6 decision on Tuesday to No. 13 Saint Anselm College before falling to No. 2 Adelphi University, 20-2, on Saturday. Saint Anselm is the 13th-ranked team in the latest Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) national poll, while Adelphi is the second-ranked team.

Eliza Scoba '12 (Franklin, Mass./Franklin) tallied twice against Saint Anselm, while Melissa Jaskiewicz '15 (Kensington, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) scored and controlled five draws. Caitlin Mahoney '13 (Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset) scored once while recording three ground balls and two draw controls, while Hannah Beardsley '15 (Essex, Mass./Manchester Essex Regional) and Kate Boyer '15 (Standish, Maine/Bonny Eagle) each netted one marker. Sandy Palumbo '12 (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) made 11 saves.

Scoba netted her 97th career goal against Adelphi, while Shannon Murphy '14 (Boxboro, Mass./Boxboro Regional/UMass) scored her first collegiate goal. Palumbo stopped 15 shots, surpassing the 500-save mark for her career, and Jaskiewicz controlled a game-high four draws. With her tally, Scoba increased her career point total to 131, bringing her within two points of Megan Lagasse '07 for eighth in program history. 

Softball (5-25, 3-19 NE-10) Plays Four Doubleheaders in a Seven-Day Stretch

The Saint Michael's College softball team went 0-8 last week against Northeast-10 Conference opponents, playing eight games in just seven days. The Purple Knights hosted Assumption College on Monday for a twinbill, falling 7-3 in the opener and 12-8 in the nightcap, before dropping two close games at Bentley University on Wednesday, 3-0 and 2-1. They traveled to Pace University for a doubleheader on Saturday, when they slipped 3-0 and 9-1 in five innings, before losing to Adelphi University, 3-0 and 8-3, on Sunday.

Lindsay Houston '13 (Concord, N.H./Concord) went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two doubles in the opening contest against Assumption, while Sarah Murray '15 (Wallingford, Conn./Sheehan) was 2-for-3 with a run and a double. Lauren Mercik '14 (Suffield, Conn./Suffield) yielded one run in 2.1 innings of relief. In the nightcap, Stephanie Frank '13 (Essex, Vt./Essex) went 3-for-4 with two runs and five RBIs, missing the cycle by a triple and fanned four in the circle. Murray scored three times, Bethany Falls '14 (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) had two hits and two runs, and Mercik tossed a shutout inning of relief.

Frank held Bentley off the board until the third inning in the opener, finishing with a six-hitter while striking out two. Houston, Amanda Brigante '14 (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) and Greer Lemnah '14 (Lyndon Center, Vt./Lyndon Institute) each had hits. In game two, Brittany Cantore's '13 (Saint Johnsbury, Vt./Saint Johnsbury Academy) seventh-inning RBI double knotted the contest before Bentley walked off with the win. Falls was 2-for-3, while Houston singled and scored. Laura McCormack '14 (Natick, Mass./Natick) allowed one earned run on three hits in 6.1 innings, striking out two and walking a pair.

Against Pace, Falls went 2-for-3 in game one, while Frank yielded two earned runs on five hits and struck out three. During the second contest, Cantore homered, while Murray and Carleen McLaughlin '13 (Branford, Conn./Branford) also picked up hits.

During the doubleheader with Adelphi, Lemnah singled in game one, and Frank stole a base and allowed two earned runs in six innings. In the nightcap, Houston was 2-for-2 with a walk, while Frank had a hit and a base on balls. Falls allowed one run in 4.1 innings of relief.

 

 

Men's Tennis (6-6, 5-6 NE-10) Falls Short of NE-10 Tournament, Seniors Help Claim Victory on Senior Day

               

The regionally-ranked Saint Michael's College men's tennis team went 1-2 last week in Northeast-10 Conference action, falling short of an NE-10 Tournament bid on the final day of the regular season. The Purple Knights fell at regionally-ranked Southern New Hampshire University, 9-0, on Tuesday, before hosting American International College (AIC) on Thursday and claiming a 7-2 victory. They faced Le Moyne College on Saturday and needed a win to qualify for the NE-10 Tournament but dropped an 8-1 decision. The Purple Knights were ranked ninth in the East region by the NCAA, while Southern New Hampshire is ranked sixth.

 

Against Southern New Hampshire, Nick Bosco '14 (Glastonbury, Conn./East Catholic) played a pair of close sets during an eventual setback at No. 1 singles to the 17th-ranked player in the East region according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Kenny Vassallo '13 (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) and Billy Wood '15 (Wayne, Pa./Home Schooled) both finished strong with 6-4 second-set defeats in singles losses.

 

Sam Cieplicki '12 (South Burlington, Vt./New Hampton School) and Brian Healey '12 (Ware, Mass./Belchertown) combined to play a role in three victories on Senior Day against AIC. Healey and Vassallo teamed up to claim a victory at No. 2 doubles. Cieplicki earned the fifth and clinching point at No. 3 singles, while Healey won his match in the fourth slot. Eric Parziale '13 (Pinehurst, N.C./Pinecrest) triumphed at No. 2.

 

In the pivotal match against Le Moyne, Bosco claimed the lone point, as he fought through a 6-7, 6-4, 10-3 triumph at No. 1 singles. At No. 2, Parziale dropped a three-set decision, one of three singles losses by the Purple Knights that included at least one narrow 6-4 score during a set defeat.

 

 

Women's Tennis (12-7, 10-3 NE-10) Wins Two of Three, Clinches Fourth Seed in NE-10 Tournament

 

The regionally-ranked Saint Michael's College women's tennis team went 2-1 at home last week, dropping just two points during the victories and falling to two-time defending Northeast-10 Conference champion Southern New Hampshire University for the loss. The Purple Knights defeated NE-10 foe Assumption College, 8-1, on Tuesday before dropping a 9-0 decision to nationally-ranked Southern New Hampshire on Friday. They finished the regular season with an 8-1 victory over non-conference opponent Salve Regina University on Sunday. The Purple Knights were ranked ninth in the latest NCAA East region poll, while Southern New Hampshire was ranked fifth regionally by the NCAA and 45th nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

 

For the third straight season, Saint Michael's will hold the No. 4 seed in the NE-10 Tournament and host No. 5 Bentley University for a quarterfinal match. The teams play on Wednesday at 2 p.m., with the semifinal and final rounds occurring over the weekend. Saint Michael's aims for its first NE-10 Tournament title.

A trio of duos earned doubles triumphs against Assumption, with the pairings of Eileen Mullowney '12 (Burlington, Vt./Burlington)/Emily Magee '13 (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury), Jean-Marie McGrath '13 (Niwot, Colo./Alexander Dawson School)/ Caroline Martin '15 (Scituate, Mass./Scituate) and Emily Ogilvy '12 (Bedford, N.H./Trinity)/Caroline Toutoungi '15 (Weston, Conn./Weston) all winning. Martin, McGrath, Ogilvy, Alex Dalton '13 (South Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) and Hannah Benoit '15 (Mystic, Conn./Saint Bernard School) won in singles. Martin grinded out a three-set win, while the other four won in straight sets.

Against Southern New Hampshire, Dalton took the 18th-ranked singles player in the region to a tie-breaker in the first set before ultimately falling in the second singles slot. Ogilvy took five points during a pro-set loss at No. 6, while Magee took two games from the fourth-ranked player in the ITA's East poll.

Mullowney and Ogilvy sided in doubles for the first time in their careers against Salve Regina on Senior Day, winning at No. 2. Dalton and Martin claimed a victory at the top spot, while Kayla Dowd '15 (Longmeadow, Mass./Longmeadow) and Michelle Moreau '15 (Stratham, N.H./Exeter) joined in the third position to post the third doubles win. The Purple Knights nabbed five of six singles matches, with Benoit, Dalton, Magee, Ogilvy and Caroline Toutoungi '15 (Weston, Conn./Weston) victorious.

 

Upcoming Schedule:

Tuesday, April 17

Softball @ Saint Anselm (2), 3 p.m.*

Baseball vs. Saint Anselm, 3:30 p.m.*^

Wednesday, April 18

Women's Tennis vs. Bentley, 2 p.m.%

Softball vs. Southern New Hampshire (2), 3 p.m.*

Women's Lacrosse vs. Merrimack, 4 p.m.*

Thursday, April 19

Baseball @ Norwich, 4 p.m.

Friday, April 20

Women's Tennis - NE-10 Tournament Semifinals, 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 21

Softball vs. Saint Rose (2), 12 p.m.*

Baseball @ UMass Lowell (2), 1 p.m.*^

Men's Lacrosse @ American International, 4 p.m.*

Sunday, April 22

Softball vs. Le Moyne (2), 12 p.m.*

Women's Lacrosse vs. New Haven, 12 p.m.*

Baseball @ UMass Lowell, 1 p.m.*^

Women's Tennis - NE-10 Tournament Final, 1 p.m.

* Northeast-10 Conference Game

^ Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division Game

% Northeat-10 Tournament