Elizabethtown College Baseball News 
Back to top 5/20/2008 Sam Heaps, Jared Auman named to ABCA Mid-Atlantic Region team FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sam Heaps, Jared Auman Named to ABCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College junior pitcher/first baseman Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) and senior catcher Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) have been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)-Rawlings All-Mid-Atlantic Region team, which was announced on Tuesday. Heaps was a second-team selection as a utility player while Auman was a third-team choice at catcher for the second consecutive season. It is the sixth straight year and ninth time in 10 years that the Blue Jays have had at least one All-Region selection. Heaps, the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Year, finished 6-1 in 10 starts and ranked third in the conference with a 2.57 earned run average. In 66 2/3 innings of work, he struck out a league-best 60 batters and walked just 17. At the plate, he batted .405 to rank fourth in the conference in hitting, with two home runs and 37 runs batted in. Heaps, who played first base when not on the mound, scored 42 runs and tied for second on the team with 23 walks. Auman was a first-team All-Conference selection at first base in 2008 after being the conference Co-Player of the Year in 2007. He hit .420 to rank second in the conference in batting average, and added a league-best 18 doubles to go with two home runs and 37 runs batted in. He also led the team with 20 multi-hit games and had a 16-game hitting streak during the season. For his career, Auman is tied for fourth in program history in batting average at .381, ranks sixth in hits with 162 and third in doubles with 41. The Blue Jays finished 26-12 overall and won the Commonwealth Conference regular-season championship with a 10-2 league mark. Elizabethtown advanced to the conference title game for the third straight year before dropping a 7-3 decision to Messiah College in the finals. Back to top 5/8/2008 Five Blue Jays named All-Conference, Sam Heaps selected Pitcher of the Year FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Five Blue Jays Named All-Conference in Baseball; Sam Heaps Selected Pitcher of the Year ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Five members of the Elizabethtown College baseball team have been selected All-Commonwealth Conference, as voted upon by the league's five head coaches and released Thursday. Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) was honored as Pitcher of the Year and was a first-team All-Conference selection at both pitcher and utility player. Senior first baseman Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) and junior outfielder Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) were also first-team picks, while sophomore shortstop Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) and sophomore outfielder Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) were second-team selections. Together, they led the Blue Jays to a 26-12 overall record and first place in the Commonwealth Conference with a 10-2 mark. Elizabethtown advanced to the conference championship game for the third straight year before falling to Messiah College in the finals. Heaps, a second-team selection at pitcher last season, finished 6-1 in 10 starts and ranked third in the Commonwealth Conference with a 2.57 earned run average. In 66 2/3 innings of work, he struck out a league-best 60 batters and walked just 17. At the plate, he batted .405 to rank fourth in the conference in hitting, with two home runs and 37 runs batted in. Heaps, who played first base when not on the mound, scored 42 runs and tied for second on the team with 23 walks. Auman, the conference Co-Player of the Year last season, was a first-team choice at catcher last season. He hit .420 to rank second in the conference in batting average, and added a league-best 18 doubles to go with two home runs and 37 runs batted in. He also led the team with 20 multi-hit games and had a 16-game hitting streak during the season. Sheibley, a second-team selection and the conference Rookie of the Year in 2006, batted .373 with a team-high five home runs and 32 runs batted in out of the leadoff spot in the lineup. He scored a team-high 48 runs and led the Commonwealth Conference with 28 stolen bases, the second-highest single season total in program history. Vinagro started all 38 games at shortstop and hit .302 with 18 runs batted in and 35 runs scored. He finished second in the conference in assists with 125 and had 12 multi-hit games. Francis hit .366 with two home runs and a team-high 39 runs batted in while starting all 38 games in center field. He finished second in the conference and on the team in stolen bases with 21, and also led the team in triples (4) and walks (29) while adding five outfield assists. Craig Mease of Messiah was named Player of the Year, while Tom DeAngelis of Widener was voted Rookie of the Year and Albright's Jeff Feiler took Coach of the Year honors. Back to top 5/8/2008 Jared Auman Named Second-Team Academic All-District in Baseball FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jared Auman Named Second-Team Academic All-District in Baseball ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College senior catcher/first baseman Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine District 2 College Division All-Academic Second Team in baseball, as voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and released Thursday. Auman is a two-time first-team All-Commonwealth Conference selection - at catcher in 2007 and at first base in 2008 - and was the league's Co-Player of the Year in 2007. This season, he hit .420 to rank second in the conference in batting average, and added a league-best 18 doubles to go with two home runs and 37 runs batted in. He also led the team with 20 multi-hit games and had a 16-game hitting streak during the season. For his career, Auman is tied for fourth in program history in batting average at .381, ranks sixth in hits with 162 and third in doubles with 41. Academically, Auman has a 3.42 cumulative grade-point average as a criminal justice major at Elizabethtown. He was named the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC) Scholar-Athlete in baseball for the 2007-08 academic year. To be nominated for the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be of at least sophomore academic standing with a 3.2 or higher cumulative grade-point average and be a starter or significant reserve.
Back to top 5/3/2008 Etown falls 7-3 to Messiah in championship game after winning opener 2-0 ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Messiah Takes Commonwealth Conference Title With 7-3 Win Over Elizabethtown Click here for the game one box score WEST LAWN, Pa. --- Jeremy Stoltzfus pitched a complete game to lift Messiah College to a 7-3 victory over Elizabethtown College in the championship game of the Commonwealth Conference baseball tournament at Owls Field on Saturday. The Blue Jays had forced a second game in the title round with a 2-0 victory over the Falcons, as senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) tossed a four-hitter in his second career start. Messiah scored four runs in the top of the second inning and added single runs in the fifth, seventh and ninth to win the conference for the first time since 2005. Craig Mease led the Falcons by going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while Ben Kirk went 2-for-5 and Jon Shenk finished 2-for-4 as Messiah outhit Elizabethtown 11-8. Stoltzfus (4-4) allowed eight hits and struck out two in his second complete game in nine starts this season. The Falcons took two out of three games with the Blue Jays in the tournament after being swept in three games in the regular season series. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) led the Blue Jays (26-12 overall) by going 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored, while sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) finished 3-for-4. The Falcons struck for four runs in the top of the second off Blue Jay sophomore Ryan Barrett (Knox, PA/Keystone), on RBI singles by Ben Snyder, Shenk and Mease and a groundout. Messiah added a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Jordan Zimmerman, but the Blue Jays got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Sheibley hit his fifth home run of the year. The Falcons scored again in the seventh on an RBI single by Kirk to take a 6-1 lead, and the Blue Jays answered in their half of the frame on an RBI single by junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove). The teams traded runs in the ninth as Messiah scored on an error and the Blue Jays tallied on a ground out. Barrett (1-2) lasted 1 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays, allowing five hits and four runs. The Elizabethtown bullpen combined to allow three runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings of relief work. In game one, Minakowski, making his second career start after 52 relief appearances, threw a four-hit shutout while junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) hit a two-run home run in the second inning to give the Blue Jays the victory. Minakowski (3-2), who lasted just two innings in his previous start in 2006 and whose longest career outing was four innings, struck out one and walked one in the win. He recorded 18 outs by fly ball, and saw just two Falcon runners reach scoring position on doubles in the third and fourth innings. Semanek hit his fourth home run of the year in the second inning after senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) led off with a double. Auman finished 2-for-4 for the Blue Jays, the only player on either team with more than one hit in the contest. Elizabethtown finished with a slim 5-4 margin in hits over Messiah. Travis Thome (4-3) took the loss for Messiah in game one, allowing five hits and two runs in eight-plus innings of work while striking out five and walking one. Commonwealth Conference Baseball Tournament Elizabethtown Coll. 2, Messiah College 0 Messiah College 7, Elizabethtown Coll. 3 Back to top 5/2/2008 Blue Jays Advance to Commonwealth Finals With 4-3 Win over Widener ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Advance to Commonwealth Finals With 4-3 Win over Widener, To Face Messiah on Saturday Click here for the Messiah box score WEST LAWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College advanced to the Commonwealth Conference baseball finals with a 4-3 victory over Widener University on Friday night at Owls Field. The Blue Jays will face Messiah College, which moved to the championship round with a 15-4 win over Elizabethtown on Friday afternoon, on Saturday at noon. Elizabethtown must defeat the Falcons twice on Saturday to earn their third consecutive league championship. In the win over Widener, the Blue Jays (25-11 overall) won despite managing just three hits in the contest, and none after the third inning. Sophomore Adam Hartzell (Spring City, PA/Owen J. Roberts) was equally strong on the mound for Elizabethtown, taking a one-hitter into the eighth inning to earn the victory. Widener, which was shut out by Elizabethtown 4-0 in the tournament opener on Thursday, scored in the first inning without a hit as Tom DeAngelis walked, stole second, and scored on a fielder's choice. The Blue Jays answered with two runs in the bottom of the first on RBI groundouts by junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) and senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy), and added a run in the second on an RBI double by sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford). After the Blue Jays tacked on a run in the fourth on a fielder's choice, Hartzell shut down the Pride until the eighth when three straight one-out singles, the last by Matt Fischer, cut the Blue Jay lead to 4-2. Sophomore Ryan Barrett (Knox, PA/Keystone) relieved Hartzell and induced two fly outs to escape further damage. In the ninth, Widener put its first two runners on base and a sacrifice moved them into scoring position. A wild pitch brought home one run and moved the tying runner to third, but senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) relieved and got two comebackers to end the game and pick up his third save of the season. Hartzell allowed four hits and two earned runs over 7 1/3 innings to improve to 4-0 on the year, striking out three and walking four. Jerry Benedict (2-3) gave up three runs on three hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings to take the loss for Widener. Against Messiah, the Blue Jays saw the Falcons snap a 2-2 tie with four runs in the sixth inning, then add nine more runs over the final three innings against the Elizabethtown bullpen. Craig Mease went 4-for-5 with a double, home run and five runs scored, while winning pitcher Sheldon Witmer finished 4-for-5 with three runs scored as part of a 17-hit attack by the Falcons. Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored for the Blue Jays, while Auman went 3-for-5 and scored a run for Elizabethtown. Messiah took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Witmer, but the Blue Jays scored twicein the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Heaps and an RBI single by senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central). Mease hit his 10th home run of the season in the top of the third to tie the game at 2-2, and the Falcons went ahead for good in the sixth on two-run singles by Ben Kirk and Jon Shenk. The Falcons added three more runs in the seventh on a two-run single by Jonny Ebersole and an error to take a 9-2 lead. Messiah scored twice more in the eighth on an RBI single by Jordan Zimmerman and fielder's choice, and the Blue Jays answered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and a groundout to pull within 11-4. In the ninth, the Falcons scored four more runs on a balk, RBI singles by Witmer and Zimmerman, and an error to close the scoring. Witmer (6-1) worked seven innings for the Falcons, allowing 11 hits and four earned runs while striking out five and walking two. Junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) dropped to 5-3 for the Blue Jays after giving up seven hits and six earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. Messiah College 15, Elizabethtown Coll. 4 Elizabethtown Coll. 4, Widener University 3 Back to top 5/1/2008 Sam Heaps throws second straight shutout as Etown defeats Widener 4-0 ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Sam Heaps Fires Seven-Hitter as Blue Jays Defeat Widener 4-0 in Commonwealth Conference Opener WEST LAWN, Pa. --- Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) tossed a seven-hitter for his second consecutive shutout as Elizabethtown College opened the Commonwealth Conference baseball tournament with a 4-0 win over Widener University on Thursday afternoon at Owls Field. The Blue Jays (24-10 overall), who have won the conference tournament in each of the last two years, will face Messiah College on Friday at 3:00 p.m. after the Falcons blanked Albright College 3-0 in Thursday's late game. Heaps (6-1) struck out three and walked three in the first postseason shutout by the Blue Jays since 2001. In his last start, he threw a two-hitter and struck out nine in a 9-0 win over Albright last Friday afternoon. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in, and threw out a runner at the plate, while junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) finished 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Blue Jays, who won for the 13th time in their last 15 games. The Blue Jays took 1-0 led in the bottom of the fourth inning as senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) singled with one out and scored on a two-out RBI single by Semanek. In the fifth, Elizabethtown added another run as sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on a double to left-center by Sheibley . One out later, Sheibley came home on an RBI single by Heaps to give the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead. Widener threatened in the seventh, putting runners on first and second with one out. However, Heaps worked out of the jam by inducing a foul out and a fly out to end the inning. The Blue Jays added an insurance run in the eighth as senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) walked with two outs, moved up on a single by Semanek and scored on a single down the left field line by sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts). In the ninth, the Pride picked up back-to-back singles with one out. Alex Neiman followed with a single to left, but Sheibley threw out the Widener runner at the plate for the second out. Heaps then struck out pinch-hitter Justin Maziarz to end the game. Tristan Harner (6-3) took the loss for Widener (25-13 overall) after allowing six hits and three earned runs in an eight-inning complete game. It was his first career loss to the Blue Jays after three straight wins, including one in last year's conference tournament. Tom Connelly went 2-for-3 for Widener, which will play Albright in an elimination game on Friday at 11:00 a.m. Elizabethtown Coll. 4, Widener University 0 Back to top 4/30/2008 Blue Jays look for third straight Commonwealth Conference championship FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Baseball Looks for Third Straight Commonwealth Title ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- The Elizabethtown College baseball team will begin pursuit of its third consecutive Commonwealth Conference championship when the 2008 tournament begins on Thursday at Owls Field in West Lawn. The Blue Jays (23-10 overall, 10-2 Commonwealth) are the top seed in the four-team field, and will face fourth-seeded Widener University in the tourney opener on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. Messiah College and Albright College round out the field in the three-day, double-elimination tournament. Last season, the Blue Jays defeated Widener 12-1 in the championship game to win their second straight league title and advance to the NCAA Division III tournament. Elizabethtown has qualified for the conference playoffs in each of the last 10 seasons, winning three championships over that span. Offensively, the Blue Jays carry a league-best .346 team batting average into the tournament. Seven of the team's nine starters are hitting over .300, led by senior catcher Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) at .442 with 36 RBI and junior first baseman/pitcher Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) at .441 with 33 runs batted in. Sophomore outfielder Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) leads the Blue Jays with 38 runs batted in and 26 walks, while his 42 runs scored and 19 stolen bases are second to junior outfielder Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry), who has crossed the plate 44 times and swiped 25 bases in 27 attempts. On the mound, Heaps has a 5-1 record and a 2.97 earned run average in nine starts. He tossed a two-hitter with nine strikeouts in his last start against Albright on Friday, and has fanned 57 batters in 57 2/3 innings on the year. Junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) is 5-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine starts as the staff's number-two starter, and also threw a shutout in his last start against Albright. The tournament concludes on Saturday with the championship game at 12:00 p.m. Should an if-necessary game be needed, it will be played immediately following the conclusion of the first game. Commonwealth Conference Baseball Tournament Thursday, May 1 Friday, May 2 Saturday, May 3 Back to top 4/29/2008 jared Auman named MASCAC Scholar-Athlete FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jared Auman, Alex Lee and Drew Graybeal Recognized as MAC Scholar-Athletes ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College seniors Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy), Alex Lee (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus) and Drew Graybeal (Woodbine, MD/Glenelg) have been recognized by the Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Corporation (MASCAC) as Scholar-Athletes for the 2008 spring sports season, the conference office announced Tuesday. Auman (baseball), Lee (softball) and Graybeal (men's outdoor track and field) increase the number of Blue Jay student-athletes to receive the MASCAC Scholar-Athlete Award this academic year to seven, out of 22 sports sponsored by the conference. They will be recognized, along with all other MASCAC award winners, at the conference's annual awards luncheon on Tuesday, May 6 at King's College in Wilkes-Barre. Auman, a catcher and the reigning Commonwealth Conference Co-Player of the Year, leads the league in batting average (.442), hits (57) and doubles (17), and ranks among the conference leaders in slugging percentage (.636), on-base percentage (.486), runs batted in (36) and total bases (82). Entering the postseason, Auman ranks third in program history in batting average at .386, is tied for third in doubles with 40 and is seventh in hits with 156. Academically, Auman has a 3.42 cumulative grade-point average as a criminal justice major at Elizabethtown. Lee, a first-team All-Conference selection at pitcher last season, has a 9-11 record and a 2.54 earned run average in 24 games (19 starts) this season. She leads the conference in strikeouts (130), complete games (19) and innings pitched (143 1/3) and ranks fourth in victories. For her career, Lee is Elizabethtown's career leader in games pitched (99), starts (85), complete games (80), innings pitched (588 1/3) and strikeouts (476). She has completed each of her last 50 starts, and has 33 career wins. Off the diamond, Lee won a first-place drawing award at a campus-wide student exhibition through the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, and collaborated with the Ronald McDonald House of Hershey on a new brochure as part of her senior capstone project. Academically, Lee has a 3.55 cumulative grade-point average as a marketing with a minor in studio art. Graybeal is a five-time MAC champion in outdoor track and field, winning the 400 meters and 800 meters last season and the 4x400-meter relay three times. He was also a 2007 NCAA Division III All-American in the 800 meters, and holds the school outdoor records in the 400 meters, 4x400 and 4x800 meters. In addition, Graybeal is a three-time All-American in indoor track and field and won eight MAC indoor track and field gold medals. He holds five school indoor records, and was the 2008 MAC Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Away from track, Graybeal is a member of the Physics Club and the Engineering Club, and was a Presidential Scholarship and Hager Scholars Award recipient. Academically, Graybeal has a 3.27 cumulative grade-point average as a computer engineering major. The MASCAC recognizes Scholar-Athletes in each of the eight spring sports sponsored by the conference, with the conference Awards Committee giving equal consideration to academic record and athletic prowess. Back to top 4/28/2008 Rodney Francis and Sam Heaps sweep Commonwealth Conference weekly honors FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rodney Francis, Sam Heaps Sweep Commonwealth Conference Baseball Honors ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College swept the Commonwealth Conference baseball weekly honors on Monday, as sophomore outfielder Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) was named Player of the Week, while junior righthander Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) was selected Pitcher of the Week after the Blue Jays went 4-1 overall and clinched the top seed in this week's conference tournament. Francis went 10-for-21 with 10 runs scored, six runs batted in and seven stolen bases on the week. He finished 4-for-6 with four steals and four runs scored in a 19-13 win at Susquehanna University on Tuesday, and went a combined 5-for-11 with five runs scored and two steals as the Jays took two out of three games from Albright College. Francis capped the week by going 2-for-4 and driving in the go-ahead run in an 8-4 win at Arcadia University on Sunday. Heaps threw a two-hit shutout and tied a career high with nine strikeouts as the Blue Jays blanked Albright 9-0 to clinch the top seed in the conference tournament on Friday afternoon. He allowed just a pair of singles and retired 16 batters in a row at one point to post his first shutout of the season. For the season, Francis is batting .388 with 12 doubles, two home runs, a team-high 38 runs batted in, 42 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. Heaps is 5-1 in nine starts with a 2.97 earned run average and 57 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings pitched. The Blue Jays (23-10 overall, 10-2 Commonwealth) will play the winner of Tuesday's play-in game between Widener University and Lebanon Valley College on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. at Owls Field in West Lawn in the opening game of the Commonwealth Conference playoffs. Back to top 4/27/2008 Elizabethtown finishes regular season with 8-4 win at Arcadia ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Head to Postseason After 8-4 Win over Arcadia in Regular-Season Finale GLENSIDE, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College scored eight unanswered runs to overcome an early 3-0 deficit and defeat Arcadia University 8-4 in non-conference baseball action on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) went 2-for-4 and hit a tiebreaking double in the top of the sixth inning as the Blue Jays enter the postseason with a 23-10 record, the most regular-season wins for an Elizabethtown squad since 1999. Senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) went 2-for-5 for the Blue Jays while sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) finished 2-for-4 with two RBI in the win. Arcadia (16-20-1 overall) jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back home runs by John Curreri and Ken Spangenberg to lead off the inning, and the Knights added a run in the second on a sacrifice fly by Spangenberg. The Blue Jays tied the game with three runs in the fourth on an RBI single by Vinagro, a bases-loaded walk to junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) and a hit by pitch by junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove). Francis gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead in the sixth on an RBI double, and Elizabethtown tacked on four runs in the ninth on a passed ball, an RBI single by Watson, a bases-loaded walk to Vinagro and a sacrifice fly by first-year student Andrew Gordon (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco). Arcadia rounded out the scoring in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Nick Goetz, the last of 11 hits by the Knights on the afternoon. First-year student Wayne Leonard (Newark, DE/Delaware Military) got the win in relief for the Blue Jays with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of work, while Arcadia starter Andy Bella (3-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings to take the loss. Spangenberg finished 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored for Arcadia, while Curreri went 2-for-5 and Bella finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Elizabethtown Coll. 8, Arcadia University 4 Back to top 4/26/2008 Blue Jays blank Albright again in opener, but lose game two slugfest ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Splits Doubleheader at Albright Click here for the game one box score READING, Pa. --- Junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) tossed a five-hit shutout in a 3-0 win in the opener, but game two turned into an outright slugfest as Albright College held on for an 18-17 win over Elizabethtown College and earn a split of their Commonwealth Conference baseball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Kutz fired the Blue Jays' second straight shutout against the Lions, after junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) threw a two-hitter in a 9-0 win on Friday. He struck out one and did not walk a batter, while Elizabethtown posted all of the game's runs in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) broke the scoreless tie by being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Heaps followed with a two-run single to give the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead. Kutz (5-2) made the lead stand up, retiring 12 of the final 13 hitters he faced in his first complete game of the season. Shane Stein (3-2) took the loss for Albright after allowing all three runs on five hits in four innings of work. Elizabethtown finished with six hits in game one, with Heaps going 2-for-4 and sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) picking up two hits in three at-bats. Game two was a three-hour, 25-minute marathon that saw nine pitchers used and the teams combine for 35 runs on 33 hits, 13 walks, seven errors and two grand-slam home runs. The Blue Jays (22-10 overall, 10-2 Commonwealth) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI single by senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy), but the Lions (16-16 overall, 7-5 Commonwealth) jumped on the board in the bottom of the inning as Jeff Kulp hit a grand slam. Albright scored three more runs in the second on an RBI double by Jason Dunkleberger, an RBI single from Jordan Boyer and a fielder's choice to take a 7-1 lead, but the Blue Jays exploded for eight runs in the top of the third on RBI singles by Auman, senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) and junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban). Sophomore Brian Kiernan (Garden City, NY/Garden City) then launched a grand slam to give Elizabethtown an 8-7 lead, and junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) capped the inning with an RBI single to push the Blue Jay lead to 9-7. However, Albright responded with seven runs in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Stein, an RBI double by Dunkelberger, a two-run single by Boyer, two errors and a bases-loaded walk to go on top 14-9. Tim Conner hit a solo homer in the fourth to extend the Lion lead to 15-9, but the Blue Jays countered with three runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Heaps and a fielder's choice to cut the Albright lead to 15-12. The Lions added three critical insurance runs in the last of the sixth on a two-run double by Kulp and an error. In the seventh, Elizabethtown scored five times on a double by Francis, a groundout and RBI singles by Watson, Kiernan and Vinagro to pull within 18-17, but Derek Althouse induced a popup with the tying run on second to earn the save. Auman led the Blue Jays in game two by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two runs batted in, while Kiernan went 3-for-5 with six runs batted in. Sheibley finished 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs scored, Watson finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and Francis went 2-for-5 and crossed the plate four times. Kulp drove in seven runs to lead Albright, and went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Dunkelberger finished 3-for-4 with four runs scored and Boyer went 2-for-3 with three RBI and four runs scored. Elizabethtown finished with a 20-13 advantage in hits over Albright, but Blue Jay pitchers issued 11 walks. The Blue Jays also committed four errors, leading to four unearned runs. Mike Billera-Smith (1-0) allowed three runs on three hits in three innings of relief to gain the win for Albright, while senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) took the loss to fall to 2-3 on the season. Game one Game two Back to top 4/25/2008 Sam Heaps tosses two-hitter, strikes out nine in 9-0 win over Albright ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Sam Heaps Tosses Two-Hitter as Blue Jays Blank Albright, 9-0 ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) pitched a complete-game two-hitter and struck out nine as Elizabethtown College defeated Albright College 9-0 in Commonwealth Conference baseball action on Friday afternoon. Heaps (5-1), who also went 2-for-2 with two runs batted in at the plate, retired 16 in a row from the third to the eighth inning as the Blue Jays (21-9 overall, 9-1 Commonwealth) clinched the top seed in next week's conference tournament. Junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) finished 3-for-4 with two runs batted in for the Blue Jays, while sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts), senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) and junior Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) all went 2-for-4 as part of a 13-hit attack. The Blue Jays got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the third inning off Lion starter Casey Lawrence, on RBI singles by junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) and Heaps. In the fifth, the Blue Jays added to their lead on an RBI double by Francis and a sacrifice fly by Heaps to take a 4-0 lead. Elizabethtown added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Sheibley to go on top 5-0. The Blue Jays pushed across four more runs in the eighth on a two-run single by junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) and a pair of fielder's choice grounders. Lawrence (4-2), who entered the game as the Commonwealth Conference leader in earned run average (1.49) and batting average against (.214), gave up four earned runs on 10 hits in six innings of work to fall to 4-2 on the season for Albright (15-15 overall, 6-4 Commonwealth). With his two hits, Auman extended his hitting streak to 16 games and raised his batting average to a conference-best .461. Elizabethtown Coll. 9, Albright College 0 Back to top 4/22/2008 Jared Auman and Ben Yeager finish with four hits, five RBI in 19-13 win ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Outslugs Susquehanna 19-13 SELINSGROVE, Pa. --- Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) went 4-for-7 with five runs batted in and four runs scored as Elizabethtown College outslugged Susquehanna University 19-13 in non-conference baseball action on Tuesday afternoon. Sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) also finished with four hits and five RBI for the Blue Jays (20-9 overall), who set a season high for runs scored and matched their season's best output with 20 hits in the victory over the Crusaders (16-18 overall). Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) went 4-for-6 with four runs scored and junior Sam Heaps (Landenburg, PA/Avon Grove) reached base all seven times on two hits and five walks, and scored five runs as Elizabethtown won for the ninth time in 10 games. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) went 2-for-6 with three runs scored and four stolen bases, and senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) launched a fifth-inning grand slam, one of three homers hit by the Blue Jays on the afternoon. Elizabethtown opened the scoring with four runs in the first inning, including a three-run homer by Auman which extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Susquehanna bounced back with a run in the first and five in the second, including a three-run double by Barry Fetter and a two-run homer by Tyler Reichard to take a 6-5 lead. Trailing 7-5 entering the fourth, the Blue Jays took the lead for good with six runs in the inning. Auman and Yeager had two-run doubles during the frame to give Elizabethtown an 11-7 advantage. After the Crusaders scored in the bottom of the fourth, the Blue Jays went on top 15-8 in the fifth on the grand slam by Watson. Susquehanna scored twice more in the bottom of the fifth, but Yeager hit another two-run double in the sixth to extend the Elizabethtown lead to 17-10. A solo homer by Francis leading off the eighth and an RBI single by Yeager capped the scoring for the Blue Jays, while Kyle Wertman hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the inning for the Crusaders to end the scoring on the day. John Lunardi led the Crusaders by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while five other players had two hits apiece as part of a 17-hit attack. First-year student Greg Katz (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) was credited with the win with 2 2/3 innings of relief for Elizabethtown, while Bryce Warden (4-3) took the loss for Susquehanna after allowing 11 runs on eight hits and six walks in 3 1/3 innings. Elizabethtown Coll. 19, Susquehanna Univ. 13 Back to top 4/21/2008 Sam Heaps honored as Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sam Heaps Selected Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week in Baseball ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College junior first baseman/pitcher Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) was named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week in baseball for the week ending April 20, the conference office announced Monday. Heaps went 9-for-16 with five runs scored and five runs batted in as the Blue Jays went 3-1 on the week, including a sweep of their key three-game conference series with Messiah College. He posted multi-hit games in all four contests, including a 3-for-5 effort in the opener against Messiah that included a home run and three runs batted in. In addition, Heaps pitched five innings to earn the win in the game. Heaps ranks second in the Commonwealth Conference in batting average at .438, trailing only teammate Jared Auman, and has added two home runs and 24 runs batted in for the Blue Jays (19-9 overall, 8-1 Commonwealth). Elizabethtown opens the final week of the regular season on Tuesday with a non-conference game at Susquehanna beginning at 3:30 p.m. Back to top 4/19/2008 Blue Jays move closer to top seed in conference tourney ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Finish Off Sweep of Messiah, 11-7 and 3-1 Click here for the game one box score ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College moved closer to securing the top seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference baseball playoffs after finishing off a series sweep of Messiah College on Saturday afternoon at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium, winning 11-7 in the opener and 3-1 in the second game. With the sweep, the Blue Jays (19-9 overall, 8-1 Commonwealth) need to win just one of their three games against Albright College next weekend to earn the top seed in the conference tournament, which Elizabethtown has won in each of the last two seasons. Blue Jay bats were hot in game one of the doubleheader against the Falcons, racking up 11 runs on 16 hits. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) led Etown going 3 for 4 with a home-run and three runs batted in. The Blue Jays jumped on Falcon pitching in the first inning putting up two runs on four hits, Sheibley led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an RBI single by junior Sam Heaps (Landenburg, PA/Avon Grove), who later scored on an infield single by senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central). Etown put two more the board in the second as sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) singled and score on Sheibley's home run that cleared the hill in right field. Messiah put up three runs in the third to even the score at 4-4, but the Blue Jays came back and added four runs in the third as Heaps singled to start the inning. Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) layed down a perfect bunt for a single to move Heaps to second, and with two outs, junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) hit an RBI single to score Heaps. Sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) singled and a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position. Vinagro walked to load the bases for sophomore Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/ Avon Grove) who hit a two run single to extend the lead to 7-4. Sheibley's single drove in Vinagro to give the Blue Jays an 8-4 advantage. Trailing 9-4 in the fifth, Messiah scored three runs to pull within 9-7, but the Blue Jays tacked on two runs in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and an error. Junior Dan Lauletta (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) got the win for the Blue Jays with 1 2/3 innings of relief, while Falcon starter Travis Thome took the loss after yielding 14 hits and nine runs in four innings of work. Etown's pitching and defensive play were the keys to victory in game two, as the Blue Jays turned four double plays in the game. Sophomore Adam Hartzell (Spring City, PA/Owen J Roberts) tossed a five-hit complete game for the Blue Jays. Messiah took an early 1-0 lead through two innings of play. In the bottom of the third, Luff singled and stole second, and scored on RBI double by Francis, who later scored on Heaps' RBI single to give Etown a 2-1 lead. The Blue Jays added an insurance run in the fourth as Semanek walked to lead off the inning, and advanced to second on a single by Yeager. Both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball, and Semanek scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Luff. Hartzell (3-0) allowed five hits and struck out two to get the win, while Jeremy Stoltzfus (3-4) took the loss after yielding six hits and two earned runs while fanning six. Auman picked up a hit in game two to extend his hitting streak to 14 consecutive games, one shy of the longest streak of the season by a Blue Jay when Heaps hit in 15 straight to open the season. Game one Game two Back to top 4/18/2008 Sam Heaps pitches, hits Blue Jays to 12-4 win over Messiah in series opener ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Pound Messiah 12-4 in Series Opener GRANTHAM, Pa. --- Junior Sam Heaps (Landenburg, PA/Avon Grove) pitched and hit Elizabethtown College to a 12-4 victory over Messiah College in the opener of their three-game Commonwealth Conference baseball series on Friday afternoon. Heaps went 3-for-5 with a home run and three runs batted in, and allowed one earned run in five innings to get the win for the Blue Jays (17-9 overall, 6-1 Commonwealth), who finished with 16 hits against the Falcons (22-11 overall, 7-3 Commonwealth). Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, while four players added two hits for Elizabethtown, which won its fifth straight conference game to move into first place over Messiah After Messiah left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning, Elizabethtown struck for six runs on six hits in the top of the second off Falcon starter Dan Kern, as junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) and sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) had RBI singles, sophomore Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) added an RBI double, sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) drew a bases-loaded walk and Heaps roped a two-run single to give the Blue Jays a 6-0 lead. The Blue Jays tacked on a run in the fifth on a solo homer by Heaps, his second of the season, but the Falcons struck for two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Ben Jordan and an error to pull within 7-2. Elizabethtown posted four runs in the sixth on an RBI double by junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry), a two-run error and a fielder's choice. Messiah scored in the eighth on a solo home run by Craig Mease to cut the Elizabethtown lead to 11-3, and the teams traded runs in the ninth on a groundout by Semanek and a solo homer by Ben Kirk. Sheibley and Vinagro each finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Elizabethtown, while Semanek went 2-for-5 with two RBI and sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) finished 2-for-5 in the victory. Kirk went 3-for-5 with two runs scored for the Falcons, who finished with 13 hits as a team. Sheldon Witmer and Jordan Zimmerman each went 2-for-5 as all nine starters hit safely for Messiah. Kern (5-3) allowed 11 hits and nine runs (eight earned) in 5 1/3 innings for the Falcons, while Heaps improved to 4-1 after striking out three in his five innings of work. Senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) closed with four innings of relief, allowing five hits and two runs. Elizabethtown Coll. 12, Messiah College 4 Back to top 4/15/2008 Blue Jay rally comes up short in 9-7 loss to Alvernia ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Dropped by Alvernia, 9-7 ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- A late Elizabethtown College rally fell short as Alvernia College posted a 9-7 victory in non-conference baseball action on Tuesday afternoon at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium. Junior Sam Heaps (Landenburg, PA/Avon Grove) led the Blue Jays (16-9 overall) by going 2 for 5 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in, but the Crusaders (25-8 overall) used a five-run second inning to take command. Alvernia put a run on the board in the first, but Etown answered in the bottom half of the inning. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) singled to lead off the inning, stole second and sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J Roberts) singled to drive in Sheibley. Elizabethtown gave up five runs in the second as Blue Jay pitching had control problems allowing six walks, while Chris Stoudt had the lone hit in the inning for Alvernia, a two-run single. The Blue Jays scored in the fifth when Sheibley reached on a walk, stole second and advanced to third on an infield put-out at first. Sheibley scored on a wild pitch to cut the Alvernia lead to 6-2. Alvernia put up three more runs in the sixth as Stoudt drilled a two-run double to left. Trailing 9-2, Etown bats got hot in the 8th, as Heaps doubled to lead-off the inning, advanced to third on a fly ball to center by senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by first year student Andrew Gordon (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco). With two outs in the inning, senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) blooped a ball into center that was misplayed by the center fielder. Sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) singled to put runners on the corners, sophomore Brian Kiernan (Garden City, NY/Garden City) drilled an RBI double scoring Minakowski. Yeager scored on a passed ball to make the score 9-5, sophomore Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) doubled to drive in Kiernan to bring the Blue Jays within 9-6. The Blue Jays added one in the ninth, as Heaps hit his second double of the game, advanced to third on an infield ground out by Auman, and scored on a wild pitch. Mike Lloyd (1-0) pitched five innings and allowed two runs on four hits to gain the win, while junior Kurt Smith (York, PA/Eastern York) dropped to 1-2 after yielding five runs on one hit in 1 1/3 innings. Alvernia College 9, Elizabethtown Coll. 7 Back to top 4/14/2008 Brandon Watson named Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Brandon Watson Named Commonwealth Conference Baseball Player of the Week ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College senior outfielder Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) has been recognized as the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week in baseball for the week ending April 13, the conference office announced Monday. Watson had a standout week as the Blue Jays went 5-0 and averaged 9.8 runs per game. He finished 11-for-19 with five extra-base hits and 10 runs batted in, and went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two triples and five RBI in a 13-11 win over Lebanon Valley in the opener of their three-game series on Friday. With his performance last week, Watson raised his batting average from .220 to .308 and joins six other Blue Jay starters with averages over the .300 mark. Elizabethtown (16-8 overall, 5-1 Commonwealth) returns to action on Tuesday hosting Alvernia College at 3:30 p.m. Back to top 4/13/2008 Blue Jays finish series sweep of Lebanon Valley with 7-5, 7-3 wins ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Earns Doubleheader Sweep at LVC Click here for the game one box score ANNVILLE, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College finished off a sweep of its three-game Commonwealth Conference series by winning both ends of a doubleheader against Lebanon Valley College on Sunday, by scores of 7-5 and 7-3. In the opener, sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) hit a three-run home run as part of a five-run fifth inning while junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) pitched into the seventh inning to earn the win. With the game tied 2-2 in the fifth, the Blue Jays broke the game open as junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) hit a tiebreaking single before Francis belted his first home run of the season to give the Blue Jays a 6-2 lead. Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) added an RBI single in the inning to push the Elizabethtown lead to 7-2, a lead which the Blue Jays carried into the seventh inning. Kutz, who pitched out of trouble in the fifth and sixth innings, left with one out in the seventh after allowing a single and two walks to load the bases. Sophomore Ryan Barrett (Knox, PA/Keystone) came on in relief, but hit one batter and walked two others as the Dutchmen pulled within 7-5. With the Blue Jays clinging to a two-run lead with the bases loaded and one out remaining for the third straight game, Barrett induced a forceout to end the opener. Lebanon Valley took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Bert Malloy, but Elizabethtown answered with two in the second on RBI singles by junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) and junior Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove). The Dutchmen tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second when Joe Soupik homered to lead off the inning, and the game remained tied until the fifth. Francis, Auman and senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) all went 2-for-4 for the Blue Jays in the opener, while Luff finished 2-for-3 as part of a 12-hit attack. Soupik led the Dutchmen by going 3-for-3 with two runs batted in. Kutz (4-4) allowed eight hits and five runs over 6 1/3 innings of work for the Blue Jays, striking out one but walking five. Nathan Blough (1-4) surrendered 10 hits and seven runs over five-plus innings to take the loss for the Dutchmen. In game two, the Blue Jays (16-8 overall, 5-1 Commonwealth) scored twice in the first and five runs in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead, and sophomore Adam Hartzell (Spring City, PA/Owen J. Roberts) scattered nine hits in a complete-game effort. The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead int he first on an RBI single by junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) and a groundout by Watson, and added five runs in the fourth as sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) doubled home a run and scored on a bunt hit by Luff. Sheibley followed with his third home run of the season to push the Blue Jay advantage to 6-0, and Watson added an RBI single to give Elizabethtown a 7-0 advantage. The Dutchmen (8-17 overall, 0-6 Commonwealth) got on the board with two runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Corey Lamoureux and a groundout. John Mentzer added an RBI single in the seventh to close the scoring. Francis finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Blue Jays in game two, while sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) went 2-for-4 and Heaps and Watson each finished 2-for-3 as the Blue Jays roped 13 hits against three Lebanon Valley pitchers. Hartzell (2-0) struck out two and did not walk a batter in his second complete game of the season. Shane Specht (1-3) yielded nine hits and six runs in three innings to take the loss for the Dutchmen. Game one Game two Back to top 4/11/2008 Brandon Watson goes 4-for-5, and gets five runs in 13-11 win vs Lebanon Val ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Outslugs Lebanon Valley, 13-11 ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two triples and five runs batted in as Elizabethtown College outslugged Lebanon Valley College 13-11 in Commonwealth Conference baseball action on Friday afternoon. Five other players finished with two hits for the Blue Jays (14-8 overall, 3-1 Commonwealth), who finished with 17 hits as a team, but made five errors withstood two five-run innings from the Dutchmen (8-15 overall, 0-4 Commonwealth) to take the opener of the three-game series. Juniors Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) and Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) along with senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) all went 2-for-4 with two runs scored for the Blue Jays, while junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) finished 2-for-4 and scored three times. Brandon Thompson went 4-for-4 with three runs scored for the Dutchmen (8-15 overall, 0-4 Commonwealth) while John Mentzer finished 4-for-6 with four runs batted in as part of a 16-hit attack. Lebanon Valley took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Mentzer, but the Blue Jays answered with three in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by Watson and a sacrifice fly by Semanek. Elizabethtown extended its lead to 4-1 in the third as Watson tripled with two outs and scored on a bloop single down the right-field line by Semanek. In the fourth, the Blue Jays added four more runs on an RBI double by Sheibley, back-to-back RBI singles by Heaps and Auman and an RBI triple by Watson to take an 8-1 lead. However, the Dutchmen came roaring back in the fifth, stringing together five hits, a walk and an error to score five runs and chase Heaps from the mound without retiring a batter in the inning. Mentzer had a two-run single while Dennis Morgan and Chris Schank had RBI singles during the rally, but junior Dan Lauletta (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) induced a fly out, a groundout and a comebacker to avoid further damage. Elizabethtown added five runs in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Auman, a two-run double by Watson, a wild pitch and an RBI single by sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) to take a 13-6 lead. The Dutchmen came back in the eighth with five runs on a two-run error, an RBI double by Mentzer, an RBI single by Joe Kopchick and another error to pull within 13-11. Sophomore Ryan Barrett (Knox, PA/Keystone) came on in the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs, and struck out Schank looking to end the game and earn the save. Lauletta (2-1) earned the win for the Blue Jays after allowing four hits and four runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief, after Heaps gave up nine hits and six runs in four-plus innings. Faria (2-2) took the loss for the Dutchmen, as he allowed eight earned runs on 12 hits in four innings. Elizabethtown Coll. 13, Lebanon Valley Coll. 11 Back to top 4/9/2008 Blue Jays hold on for 6-4 win over Rowan, Adam Sheibley gets 100th hit ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Holds On For 6-4 Win over Rowan ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College survived a ninth-inning rally to pick up a 6-4 victory over Rowan University in non-conference action at Boyd Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Elizabethtown fell behind early as Rowan scored in the top half of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. In the third, the Profs had two on with one out but sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) had a diving catch on the warning track and put out to 2nd for a rally killing double play. The Blue Jay bats rallied behind the defensive play of Francis, as sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) led off the bottom half of the third with a double, a sacrifice bunt moved Vinagro to third, and junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) followed with a single tie the game at 1-1. Sheibley stole second and scored on a two-out error, and senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/ Shikellamy) doubled home junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead. Elizabethtown added three more insurance runs in the seventh inning. Francis walked to start the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Auman singled to put Blue Jay runners on the corners. Senior Brandon Watson (Philadephia, PA/Central) drilled a triple to deep left center scoring Francis and Auman, while an errant throw to third allowed Watson to trot home to give the Blue Jays a 6-1 lead. Rowan pushed across two runs in the eighth and another in the ninth, but junior Dan Lauletta (Landenburg, PA/Avon Grove) came on and induced a deep fly ball out to earn his first save of the year. Sophomore Ryan Barrett (Knox, PA/Keystone) who came on to pitch in the fourth, shut down the bats of Rowan by tossing 4 1/3 innings and allowing just two hits and two runs to earn the win for Elizabethtown. Watson and Auman each went 2-for-4 for the Blue Jays, while Sheibley finished 2-for-5 and recorded the 100th hit of his career in the fourth inning. John McMullin went 2-for-4 for the Profs (18-8 overall) and Tom Reindel finished 2-for-3 as both teams finished with nine hits in the contest. Elizabethtown Coll. 6, Rowan University 4 Back to top 4/7/2008 Jared Auman finished 5-for-6, three doubles and four RBIs, 16-1 Lan. Bible ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Breeze Past Lancaster Bible, 16-1 ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) went 5-for-6 with three doubles, a triple and four runs batted in to lead Elizabethtown College to a 16-1 victory over Lancaster Bible College in non-conference baseball action on Monday afternoon. The Blue Jays (12-8 overall) scored in five of the first six innings against the Chargers (4-7 overall), finishing with 15 hits as a team. Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) scored three runs and drove in three runs for the Blue Jays, while junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) and sophomore Brian Kiernan (Garden City, NY/Garden City) each knocked in two runs and scored twice. With his five-hit, four-RBI performance, Auman raised his Commonwealth Conference-leading batting average to .452 and increased his season RBI total to 23. The Blue Jays scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Heaps, a wild pitch and a throwing error. Elizabethtown added two runs in the third on an RBI triple by Auman and a sacrifice fly by senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) to take a 5-0 lead. Lancaster Bible got on the board in the fourth on a two-out RBI double by Lou Curcio, but Elizabethtown tallied twice in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Heaps and an RBI double by Auman to go ahead 7-1. The Blue Jays tacked on four more runs in the fifth on a two-out, two-run double by Francis, a triple by Kiernan and an error to take an 11-1 lead. In the sixth, the Blue Jays plated five runs as Francis was hit by a pitch, Kiernan drew a bases-loaded walk and Auman roped a two-run double to go with a wild pitch. Junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) moved to 3-2 on the season after allowing one run on four hits in five innings of work while striking out seven and walking none. Three relievers combined to hold the Chargers scoreless over the final four innings. Ben Markey (1-2) allowed 11 hits and 11 runs (eight earned) in five innings of work for Lancaster Bible, striking out one and walking three. T.J. Horn finished 3-for-4 with a run scored as the Chargers tallied seven hits in all. Elizabethtown Coll. 16, Lancaster Bible Coll 1 Back to top 4/3/2008 Three-run eighth inning lifts Keystone past Etown, 4-2 ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Three-Run Eighth Lifts Keystone Past Etown, 4-2 ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Cody Collins hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the top of the eighth inning as Keystone College defeated Elizabethtown College 4-2 in non-conference baseball action on Thursday afternoon. With the score tied at 1-1, Drew Boandl led off the eighth with an infield single off Blue Jay senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) and moved to second on a sacrifice. After a fly out and a walk, Collins delivered with a single to right-center to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. An error pushed the Keystone lead to 3-1, and Jayson Rohena blooped a single to right-center to extend the Giant advantage to 4-1. Elizabethtown answered with one run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI groundout by senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central), but went in turn in the ninth to end the game. The Giants (12-6 overall) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on a two-out RBI single by Sam Carfi, but the Blue Jays (11-8 overall) knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) with two outs. Keystone threatened in the seventh after putting their first two runners on base, but Heaps worked out of the jam by recording his ninth strikeout of the game to end the inning. Heaps tossed seven innings for the Blue Jays, allowing five hits and one earned run while posting a career high with nine strikeouts. He also went 2-for-4 at the plate to account for half of Elizabethtown's four hits. Dominick Bartoli (2-2) worked into the eighth inning for the Giants, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five. Yadiel Lanzo came on to pitch the final two innings and earn the save for the Giants. Minakowski fell to 2-2 for Elizabethtown after yielding three runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning. Sophomore Ryan Barrett (Knox, PA/Keystone) tossed a perfect ninth for the Blue Jays. Keystone College 4, Elizabethtown Coll. 2 Back to top 3/31/2008 Jared Auman named Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jared Auman Named Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week in Baseball ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) has been named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week in baseball for the week ending March 30, the conference office announced Monday. Auman, the reigning conference Co-Player of the Year, led the Blue Jays to a 3-2 record last week by going 10-for-18 with eight runs batted in and four runs scored in five games. He went 4-for-4 with three runs scored in an 18-11 victory over Muhlenberg College on Monday, finished 3-for-5 with three RBI in a 10-7 win over Widener University on Friday, and had an RBI single and a run scored during a five-run sixth-inning rally in a 5-4 triumph over Widener on Saturday. Auman leads the Commonwealth Conference in batting average at .429 and has knocked in 19 runs for the Blue Jays (11-7 overall, 2-1 Commonwealth), who return to action on Thursday against Keystone College. Back to top 3/29/2008 Sixth-inning rally boosts Etown to doubleheader split with Widener ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Come Back to Earn Doubleheader Split Against Widener Click here for the game one box score ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College baseball split a doubleheader with Widener University on Saturday afternoon, losing the opener 10-7 and winning 5-4 in game two. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) led the Blue Jays in the first game going 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a run scored. Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) contributed a 2-for-4 effort and 2 RBI's, while junior Sam Heaps (Landenburg, PA/Avon Grove) went 2 for 4 with a run scored. Widener belted three home runs to secure the victory in game one, while Tristan Harner got the win with 5 1/3 innings of work. In game two, Widener starter Jerry Benedict had Elizabethtown's bats shut down for five innings. The Blue Jays trailed 4-0 going into the bottom of the 6th when the bats came alive. Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) drilled a double down the left field line, Heaps walked, then Auman pounded a single to drive in Francis. Etown had runners on 1st and 2nd when senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) hit a grounder to the first basemen who threw errantly in an attempt to turn a double play, giving the Blue Jays bases loaded with no outs. Junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) yanked a double down the right field line driving in Heaps and Auman, to close the gap to 4-3. Sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) singled up the middle to score Watson and tie the game at 4-4. Sophomore Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/ Avon Grove) hit a fly ball to center, and Semanek scored on the sacrifice fly to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead. Senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) finished off three scoreless innings of relief as he turned a ground ball from Alex Neiman into 1-6-3 double play to finish the game. Game one Game two Back to top 3/28/2008 Blue Jays open conference play with 10-7 win at Widener ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Defeat Widener 10-7 in Conference Opener CHESTER, Pa. --- Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) pitched 7 2/3 innings to earn the victory as Elizabethtown College defeated Widener University 10-7 in the Commonwealth Conference baseball opener for both teams on Friday afternoon. Junior Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) finished 2-for-5 with three runs scored as the Blue Jays (10-6 overall, 1-0 Commonwealth) overcame a 2-0 deficit with four runs in the fifth and three runs each in the sixth and seventh. Matt Fischer hit a two-run home run and knocked in three runs for the Pride (15-3 overall, 0-1 Commonwealth), whose 12-game winning streak came to an end with the loss. Heaps (3-1) allowed six hits and five runs (three earned) while striking out six to earn the win, while Ryan Walter (4-1) walked seven and gave up seven runs on six hits to take the loss for Widener. Widener scored the game's first run in the bottom of the third on an error, and loaded the bases with one out. Fischer then hit a drive to deep center field that Blue Jay sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) hauled in with a spectacular diving catch. On the play, the Pride runners on second and third base both came in to score, but the runner from second base was ruled on appeal to have left early, leaving Widener with just one run instead of potentially three thanks to the catch by Francis. In the fifth, the Blue Jays pushed across four runs on a bases-loaded walk to Heaps, a two-run single by Auman and an RBI single from senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) to take a 4-2 lead. The Blue Jays added three more runs in the sixth on an error, a triple by Francis and a single by Auman, and tacked on three more in the seventh on a two-run triple by Luff and a single by Francis to take a 10-2 lead. Pitching with the lead, Heaps did not allow a hit from the third inning until two outs in the eighth, when Tom DeAngelis tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Fischer hit a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, to cut the Blue Jay lead to 10-5. The Pride tacked on two runs in the ninth on an RBI double by Mike Cahill and an RBI single by Tom Mahoney to pull within 10-7, but senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) induced a popup to end the game and earn his second save of the season. Elizabethtown finished with an 11-9 edge in hits in the contest, but Heaps went 0-for-2 with three walks to end his season-opening hitting streak at 15 games. Elizabethtown Coll. 10, Widener University 7 Back to top 3/24/2008 Etown splits doubleheader with Muhlenberg as Tom Semanek hits two homers ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Split Doubleheader at Muhlenberg Click here for the game one box score ALLENTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College split a non-conference baseball doubleheader with host Muhlenberg College on Monday afternoon, falling 4-1 in the opener before coming back with a 18-11 victory in the nightcap. In game one, Jason Daniels (1-1) allowed two hits and one run over six innings of work while Eric Pomroy drove home a pair of runs with a second-inning single as the Mules came away with the victory. Elizabethtown took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy), but Muhlenberg answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Edward Risener and an RBI single by Jon Kalis. The Mules extended their lead to 4-1 in the second on a two-out, two-run single by Pomroy, and Daniels took care of the lead by holding the Blue Jays without a hit over his final three innings on the mound. Spencer Joseph pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the season. Joe Carlo finished 3-for-3 with a run scored for Muhlenberg, while junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a third-inning single for the Blue Jays. Junior Kurt Smith (York, PA/Eastern York) saw his record drop to 1-1 for Elizabethtown after allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned) in a six-inning complete game, while striking out three. In game two, junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in seven runs as the Blue Jays (9-6 overall) finished with a season-high 20 hits off seven Mule pitchers. The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on another sacrifice fly by Auman and a throwing error, and added five runs in the top of the third on a two-run error, a sacrifice fly by Semanek and a two-run single by sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford). Muhlenberg countered with three runs in their half of the third on a three-run home run by Risener to cut the Blue Jay lead to 7-3. but the Blue Jays came back with five runs in the top of the fourth on a passed ball and the grand slam by Semanek, his second home run of the season, to take a 12-3 advantage. The Mules plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Eric Hammond and a double-play grounder to pull within 12-5, but the Blue Jays came back with four in the fifth on an RBI triple by sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts), a two-run home run by Heaps and another sacrifice fly from Semanek to take a 16-5 lead. Elizabethtown added a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Heaps to move ahead 17-5, but the Mules scored six runs in the bottom of the inning on RBI singles by Carlo and Clint Lynch, a passed ball and a three-run home run by Pomroy. Semanek, who became the first Blue Jay since Chris Turtell in 2001 to knock in seven runs in a game, slammed his second home run of the day with one out in the ninth inning to give Elizabethtown an 18-11 lead. Auman finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored while Heaps went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI to extend his hitting streak to 15 games. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored for Elizabethtown, while Francis finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored as all nine Blue Jay starters picked up at least one hit. Risener finished 4-for-5 for the Mules (9-6 overall), while Pomroy, Carlo and Lynch each went 2-for-5 with two runs scored as part of a 13-hit attack. Junior Dan Lauletta (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) evened his record at 1-1 for Elizabethtown with four scoreless innings of relief, while Dan Fisher fell to 0-2 for Muhlenberg after allowing six hits and six runs (five earned) in two innings. Game one Game two Back to top 3/22/2008 Blue Jays capture doubleheader from Penn State Harrisburg, 13-1 and 7-3 ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Sweeps Penn State Harrisburg Click here for the game one box score ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College swept a non-conference doubleheader from Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday afternoon, winning game one 13-1 and taking game two 7-3 at Boyd Stadium. In game one, the Blue Jays scored eight times in the second inning while junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) allowed one hit and struck out five over six innings of work to pick up the victory. After the Lions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Sean Frailey, the Blue Jays came back with two in the bottom of the frame on an RBI triple by junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) and an error. Elizabethtown added eight runs on six hits in the bottom of the second to take a 10-1 lead, highlighted by a two-run single by senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) and a two-run double from Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central). Junior Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) added an RBI single and junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) chipped in with an RBI double during the inning as 12 batters came to the plate for the Blue Jays. Elizabethtown added a run in the third on a wild pitch to take an 11-1, and tacked on two more in the sixth on two-run double by sophomore Brian Kiernan (Garden City, NY/Garden City). Auman went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in for Elizabethtown in the opener, while Yeager went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) scored three runs. Kutz improved to 2-1 with the victory for the Blue Jays, while Barry Wiestling (0-2) took the loss for Penn State Harrisburg after yielding 11 runs on 10 hits in five innings of work. Elizabethtown finished with 12 hits in the contest while the Lions mustered just a pair of singles. In game two, sophomore Adam Hartzell (Spring City, PA/Owen J. Roberts) struck out six in a complete-game effort while junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) went 2-for-3 with a two-run triple and Auman finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Blue Jays. The Lions (3-7 overall) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on an RBI triple by Brett Harmony, but the Blue Jays went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, two-run triple by Sheibley, which moved him past Jon Hendl (1992-95) for the Blue Jay career record in triples with 18. Penn State Harrisburg knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the third on a solo home run by Austin Kulp, but Elizabethtown (8-5 overall) answered with three runs in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Semanek and a two-run single by Kiernan to take a 5-2 lead. The Lions responded with a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Matt Umberger to pull within 5-3. Penn State Harrisburg loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but a strikeout and popup kept the Lions off the board. Elizabethtown tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on a balk and an RBI single by Watson, and Penn State Harrisburg went in order in the seventh to end the game. Hartzell (1-0) allowed seven hits and three earned runs in the win for Elizabethtown, while Chris Finch (0-2) yielded eight hits and seven runs (four earned) while striking out five for Penn State Harrisburg. Umberger finished 3-for-3 in game two for the Lions, while Garett Piper went 2-for-3. Game one Game two Back to top 3/20/2008 Juniata rallies late for 15-14, 10-inning win over Elizabethtown ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Late Juniata Rally Stuns Etown, 15-14 in 10 innings HUNTINGDON, Pa. --- Greg Hoffman's RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Juniata College a 15-14 come-from-behind victory over Elizabethtown College in non-conference baseball action on Thursday afternoon. The Eagles (5-6 overall) trailed 11-1 in the sixth inning and 14-2 in the seventh, but scored 12 runs over the final three frames to force extra innings before winning in the tenth. Hoffman went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and three runs scored for Juniata as part of an 18-hit attack. John Martinez finished 3-for-5 with five runs batted in and Adam Spadafora added four hits and three runs scored for the Eagles. Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) went 4-for-4 with two doubles, four runs scored and three RBI for the Blue Jays (6-5 overall), while senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) went 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run homer and four runs batted in. Elizabethtown scored four runs in the top of the first inning on n RBI double by Heaps, a two-run single from junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) and an error. The Blue Jays added two runs in the second on an RBI single by Heaps and an RBI double by Auman to take a 6-0 lead. The Jays built their lead to 9-0 in the fourth on an error, an RBI double by Heaps and an RBI double by senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central). Juniata got on the board in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Martinez, but the Blue Jays went ahead 11-1 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Auman, his first of the year. The Eagles pushed another run across the plate in the sixth on an RBI single by Steve Wilk, but Elizabethtown tacked on three more in the seventh on a two-run single by sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and an RBI double by Auman to take a 14-2 lead. Heaps started on the mound for the Blue Jays and scattered six hits and two runs over six innings while striking out eight, but Juniata got through to the Blue Jay bullpen for five runs in the seventh on a two-run single by Hoffman, an error, a hit batsman and a wlk to pull within 14-7. The Eagles added four more runs in the eighth on a passed ball, an RBI double by Martinez, a run-scoring single from Wilk and a groundout to cut the Blue Jay lead to 14-11 entering the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Small singled home Spadafora to pull the Eagles within 14-12, and Martinez capped the comeback with a two-run double with one out to tie the score. Hoffman then gave Juniata the win with a bases-loaded hit with one out in the tenth. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, and smacked his 17th career triple to tie the program career record set by Jon Hendl from 1992 to 1995. Francis finished 2-for-6 with three runs scored for the Blue Jays, whose top four hitters combined for 12 runs, 12 hits and nine runs batted in for the game. Chad Kulik (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief for the Eagles, while senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) surrendered seven hits and four runs in two innings of relief to drop to 1-1 on the year for the Blue Jays. Juniata College 15, Elizabethtown Coll. 14 Back to top 3/13/2008 Ninth-inning single by Rodney Francis lifts etown over York, 4-3 ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Ninth-Inning Single Boosts Etown Over York, 4-3 ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) dribbled an RBI single down the third base line with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift Elizabethtown College to a 4-3 victory over York College in non-conference baseball action at Boyd Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The Blue Jays (6-4 overall) used three infield singles to push home the winning run in the ninth after the Spartans (2-9 overall) had tied the score in the top of the inning. Sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) opened the bottom of the ninth with an infield single for the Blue Jays and moved to second on a sacrifice. Junior Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) followed with another infield single to put runners at first and third with one out. After a strikeout and a pitching change, Francis cued a 1-0 pitch from Tim Frisch down the third base line and easily beat the throw as Yeager crossed with the winning run. Senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) allowed an unearned run in the ninth but earned the win for the Blue Jays, while Jake Hughes fell to 1-1 for the Spartans after allowing three runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Elizabethtown scored the game's first run in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI groundout by sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford), but York answered in the top of the third on a two-out RBI single by Ryan Craig. York went ahead 2-1 in the top of the sixth on a two-out RBI single by Mike Connolly, and put a runner on third with nobody out in the seventh but were unable to add an insurance run. Trailing 2-1 entering the eighth, the Blue Jays (6-4 overall) got a leadoff walk from Luff and a one-out double from Francis before junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) came through with a single up the middle off Hughes to give Elizabethtown a 3-2 lead. York, which had left runners at third base to end the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, tied the game in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Frisch. Senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) finished 2-for-3 with a run scored while Francis went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI for Elizabethtown, which finished with a 9-7 edge in hits over York. Craig and Maxim each finished 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Spartans. Junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) started for the Blue Jays and allowed one run on two hits in three innings of work. Heaps followed and allowed an unearned run on two hits in three innings of relief and sophomore Adam Hartzell (Spring City, PA/Owen J. Roberts) added two scoreless innings for Elizabethtown. Jason Christenberry worked seven strong innings for the Spartans, allowing an unearned run on three hits while striking out four and walking three. Elizabethtown Coll. 4, York College 3 Back to top 3/10/2008 Rodney Francis named Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rodney Francis Named Commonwealth Conference Baseball Player of the Week ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College sophomore outfielder Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) has been named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week in baseball for the week ending March 9, the conference office announced Monday. Francis hit .571 (12-for-21) with four doubles, 12 runs batted in and three stolen bases as the Blue Jays went 3-4 during their spring break trip to Fort Pierce, Florida. Francis had four multi-hit games during the trip, including going 4-for-5 with five runs batted in against Eastern University nd 3-for-3 with four RBI in a win over La Roche College. For the season, Francis is batting .400 with a team-high 15 runs batted in through nine games for the Blue Jays (5-4 overall), who return to action against York College on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in their home opener at Kevin Scott Boyd Stadium. Back to top 3/6/2008 Elizabethtown closes spring trip as Alvernia takes doubleheader ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Defeated in Doubleheader by Alvernia Click here for the game one box score FORT PIERCE, Fla. --- The Elizabethtown College baseball team completed its spring break trip to Florida by being swept in a doubleheader by Alvernia College on Thursday morning, losing by scores of 6-3 and 8-0. In game one, the Crusaders jumped to a 6-0 lead after three innings, and the Blue Jays could only muster three runs in the fifth inning in defeat. Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry)went 2-for-4 with a run scored an an RBI for the Blue Jays, while junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) finished 2-for-3 and junior Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) went 2-for-2 with run scored. Sophomore Ryan Barrett (Knox, PA/Keystone) took the loss for the Blue Jays after allowing six earned runs on four hits and four walks in three innings of work. Chris Stoudt picked up the win for Alvernia after striking out eight in five innings of work, while Dale Curry went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in and Tim Carroll finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. In game two, the Crusaders (7-3 overall) plated six runs in the second inning and finished with 15 hits overall against the Blue Jays (5-4 overall), as Stoudt went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and Tim Alquist finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) took the loss for the Blue Jays as he yielded six runs on nine hits in three innings of work. Shane Zellers scattered three hits over five scoreless innings to pick up the win for the Crusaders. Alvernia College 6, Elizabethtown Coll. 3 Alvernia College 8, Elizabethtown Coll. 0 Back to top 3/5/2008 Blue Jays sweep doubleheader from Eastern, 7-3 and 14-3 ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Sweep Doubleheader From Eastern Click here for the game one box score FORT PIERCE, Fla. --- The Elizabethtown College baseball team swept a doubleheader from Eastern University on Wednesday, winning the opener 7-3 and claiming the nightcap by a 14-3 score at the Lawnwood Complex. In game one, Elizabethtown scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit, capped by a three-run home run from junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban). Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) and sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) each finished 3-for-4 with a run batted in for the Blue Jays, who outhit the Eagles by an 11-7 margin. Junior Kurt Smith (York, PA/Eastern York) picked up the win for Elizabethtown after allowing six hits and two earned runs in six innings of work while striking out four. Ryan Doran allowed four runs in 1/3 of an inning of relief to take the loss for Eastern. In game two, the Blue Jays (5-2 overall) spotted the Eagles (0-6 overall) a run in the top of the first inning before tallying eight runs in the bottom of the frame. Elizabethtown added five runs in the fifth to put the game away, and finished the contest with 15 hits off three Eastern pitchers. Francis went 4-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored for the Blue Jays, while senior Brandon Watson (Philadelphia, PA/Central) went 2-for-2 with three runs batted in and sophomore Brian Kiernan (Garden City, NY/Garden City) finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sophomore Steve Shuleski (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) nabbed the win for Elizabethtown after yielding five hits and two earned runs in five innings of work with five strikeouts, while Ben Jones surrendered eight runs in 2/3 of an inning to come away with the loss for Eastern. Elizabethtown Coll. 7, Eastern University 3 Elizabethtown Coll. 14, Eastern University 3 Back to top 3/3/2008 Etown falls to Susquehanna in 10 innings, 6-5 ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Blue Jays Fall to Susquehanna in 10 Innings, 6-5 FORT PIERCE, Fla. --- John Lunardi drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Susquehanna University a 6-5 victory over Elizabethtown College in baseball action at the Lawnwood Complex on Monday afternoon. The Crusaders (1-2 overall) trailed 5-2 after six innings, but scored twice in the seventh and once more in the eighth to force extra innings, before coming away with the win in the 10th. The Blue Jays (3-2 overall) were led by junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove), who went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in, while sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) finished 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Tyler Reichard finished 3-for-5 with a run scored for Susquehanna, while Pat Murphy added two hits and scored a run as part of an 11-hit attack by the Crusaders. Sophomore Adam Hartzell (Spring City, PA/Owen J. Roberts) started for the Blue Jays and allowed five hits and four runs (one earned) in six-plus innings of work, striking out eight. Brian Ahearn gave up five runs on nine hits in seven innings for the Crusaders, with Rob Fox earning the win out of the bullpen with three scoreless innings of relief. Susquehanna Univ. 6, Elizabethtown Coll. 5 (10 inn.) Back to top 3/2/2008 Blue Jays open spring break trip with 17-8 win over La Roche, 8-5 loss ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Opens Florida Trip With Win, Loss Box score vs. La Roche FORT PIERCE, Fla. --- The Elizabethtown College baseball team opened its annual spring break trip with a win and a loss in action on Sunday at the Lawnwood Complex. The Blue Jays began the day with a 17-8 win over La Roche College before falling 8-5 in evening action to the College of St. Scholastica. Against La Roche, sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run for the Blue Jays, who scored seven runs in the first innings and pounded out 14 hits and drew 13 walks from four Redhawk pitchers. Elizabethtown tacked on four runs apiece in the second and third innings en route to a 17-0 lead after five innings. La Roche (0-1 overall) scored eight unearned runs in the top of the sixth, but was unable to dent the deficit any further. Sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) finished 3-for-3 with four runs batted in for the Blue Jays, while sophomore Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) and junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) drove in three runs apiece. Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) allowed two hits over five scoreless innings while striking out seven to improve to 2-0 on the season for the Blue Jays, while Max Zingle took the loss after yielding 10 runs on six hits and six walks in 1 1/3 innings of work for the Redhawks. Against St. Scholastica, the Blue Jays (3-1 overall) fell behind 4-0 after two innings, but rallied twice to within a run before the Saints (2-1 overall) put the game away with two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. Sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs batted in for the Blue Jays, while Yeager finished 2-for-4 with a run and senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) dropped to 1-1 on the season for the Blue Jays after yielding seven hits and four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Steve Gerten (1-0) took the win in relief for St. Scholastica after allowing one run and striking out five in 4 2/3 innings of relief. Elizabethtown Coll. 17, La Roche College 8 Coll. of St. Scholastica 8, Elizabethtown Coll. 5 Back to top 2/24/2008 Adam Sheibley's grand slam, six RBI boost Blue Jays past Eastern Mennonite ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Picks Up 10-4 Win over Eastern Mennonite WINCHESTER, Va. --- Junior Adam Sheibley (Landisburg, PA/West Perry) finished 4-for-6 with a grand slam and six runs batted in to lead Elizabethtown College to a 10-4 victory over Eastern Mennonite University in action at Shenandoah University's Bridgeforth Field on Sunday afternoon. The grand slam by Sheibley gave the Blue Jays an 8-3 lead in the seventh inning, and he added a two-run double in the eighth for the Blue Jays (2-0 overall), who pounded out 13 hits in the victory. Chris Harpine and Jameson Jarvis homered for the Royals (0-7 overall), who committed four errors and issued 10 walks in dropping their seventh straight game to open the season. Senior Jared Auman (Northumberland, PA/Shikellamy) went 3-for-4 with two doubles for the Blue Jays while sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) and sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) each finished with two hits and two runs scored. Junior Matt Kutz (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) picked up the win in his 2008 debut by scattering six hits and three runs in six innings of work while striking out four for Elizabethtown. Elizabethtown took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Auman, and extended its lead to 2-0 in the third on a bases-loaded walk to junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban). After the Royals plated a run in the third on an RBI double by Jarvis, the Blue Jays pushed their advantage to 4-1 in the sixth on an RBI groundout by sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and a wild pitch. Eastern Mennonite cut the Elizabethtown lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth on back-to-back home runs by Harpine and Jarvis to lead off the inning. In the seventh, the Blue Jays loaded the bases on a single, walk and error with one out, and Sheibley followed with a grand slam to right-center field to give Elizabethtown an 8-3 lead. Sheibley added a two-run double in the eighth to push the Blue Jay lead to 10-3, and the Royals closed out the scoring in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Ben Wise. Jarvis finished 4-for-4 for the Royals, who tallied 11 hits in all in the contest. Michael Moles (0-2) took the loss after allowing seven hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings while striking out two and walking six. Elizabethtown Coll. 10, Eastern Mennonite U. 4 Back to top 2/23/2008 Etown opens 2008 season with 4-1 win at Shenandoah ELIZABETHTHOWN COLLEGE BASEBALL Elizabethtown Downs Shenandoah 4-1 in Season Opener WINCHESTER, Va. --- Junior Sam Heaps (Landenberg, PA/Avon Grove) scattered two hits and struck out four over eight innings of work as Elizabethtown College defeated Shenandoah University 4-1 in its 2008 baseball opener on Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Matt Vinagro (Fredericksburg, VA/Stafford) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored for the Blue Jays (1-0 overall), who scored twice in the fifth and added single runs in the seventh and eighth to pick up the win over the Hornets (2-2 overall). Heaps allowed singles to the Hornets' Scott Lambert in the third and sixth innings, but induced double-play grounders to escape any damage. The lone run for Shenandoah came in the fourth as Drue Vernon walked and came around to score on a groundout by Scott Van Dusselorp to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. Elizabethtown plated two runs in the fifth via three Shenandoah errors, as a throwing error on a fielders choice grounder allowed Vinagro and sophomore Eric Luff (Lincoln University, PA/Avon Grove) to score. In the seventh, Vinagro singled and came in on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Rodney Francis (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead, and in the eighth Heaps singled and later scored on an RBI single by sophomore Ben Yeager (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts). Senior Chris Minakowski (Roslyn, PA/Abington) relieved Heaps after the leadoff batter reached on an error in the ninth, and retired all three batters he faced for the save. Greg Van Sickler (0-1) took the loss for Shenandoah after allowing seven hits and three runs (one earned) in 6 1/3 innings of work while striking out seven. Junior Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, PA/Bishop Hoban) went 2-for-5 for the Blue Jays as part of a 10-hit attack. Elizabethtown 4, Shenandoah Univ. 1 Back to top 2/21/2008 Blue Jays favored in Commonwealth Conference preseason poll FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elizabethtown College Favored in Commonwealth Conference Baseball Poll ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Two-time defending Commonwealth Conference champion Elizabethtown College has been picked to finish first in the annual preseason coaches poll, as voted upon by the league's five head coaches and released Thursday. The Blue Jays finished 23-18 overall and 13-8 in the Commonwealth Conference in 2007, defeating Widener 12-1 in the title game to earn their second straight championship. Head coach Cliff Smith begins his second year on the Elizabethtown bench with 17 letterwinners back from last year's squad, including six starting position players and two of the team's top three pitchers. Senior catcher Jared Auman was the Commonwealth Conference Co-Player of the Year after hitting .404 with 11 doubles and 28 runs batted in. Senior outfielder Brandon Watson joined Auman as a first-team All-Conference pick after hitting .350 with 14 runs batted in, while junior Sam Heaps was a second-team All-Confernece selection after going 8-4 with a 3.01 earned run average in 11 starts. Elizabethtown earned 18 points, including two first-place votes, to snag the top spot in the poll just ahead of Widener (17 points, two firsts). Messiah College (15 points, one first) and Lebanon Valley College (15 points) tied for third with Albright College in fifth with 10 points. The Blue Jays open their 2008 schedule on Saturday, Feb. 23 at Shenandoah University, and play their first home game on Sunday, March 9 against Franklin & Marshall College. Elizabethtown opens its 12-game conference schedule on Friday, March 28 at Widener. |
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