Elizabethtown College Baseball News 
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 |
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