Page 188 - Phoenix1999-2000
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Wanted: DICeD Ili1ecI Sports writers Teffilr and photogra- phers Callx8600 Volume XXI, Number 6 Western Maryland College Thursday, May 4, 2000 Terror Baseball sets their sights on the Conference Title GREG LEDERER driven in by Kevin Culbertson's StaffWriler sixth RBI of the season with a sac- Last year when the Western rificefly ball. Maryland College Men's baseball Later in the week, the team lost the final regular season to looked to get payback when Wash- Ursinus for the Centennial Confer- ington College visited on April 14. ence title, the team set a goal to re- The team got another great pitch- gain the championship this spring. ing performance from senior Brent All of their practices and games Fuchs whose first career shutout come down to a few mores 'games and career-high 14 strikeouts car- with the conference title on the line. ried them to a 5-0 victory. With the playoffs around the The offense started up in the corner, team is still in contention second inning when sophomore for the Centennial Conference title. right fielder Kevin Culbertson hit Presently in third place in the divi- his second home run of the season, sion and winners in 7 out of their a solo shot, and senior Tim Smith last 8 league games, the team still tripled and was then driven in with trails conference leader Urslnus by a catcher Jon Vandernat sacrifice only two and a half games with one fly. Kevin Culbertson slides to avoid the tag during a game. He hit his second home run of the season in a recent more pivotal weekend to go in the The team struck again-in the game against Washington College. Culbertson was instrumental in their win over Franklin & Marshall. season. eighth when junior shortstop Mike The season will end with a huge Wolfe (3 for 4) doubled and was Jack Griffith and a RBI double On April 20, the team played Saturday doubleheader against the followed by three RBI base hits from third basemen Tim Smith to key away game against conference a pitcher Dan EIbaz and great hitting to get a 10-6 road from the offense conference leader away and a Sun- from seniors Sean Giblin, Barrett plate five runs and held on despite rivaJ, Johns Hopkins. With second win. From the start, the offense :~h':r:~ day home game against runner-up Gugliotta, and junior Kacy Jenkins. a late charge from the home team. place in the division on the line, the pounded the opposing pitching for ::~;~:~Pdk:~~~yTtel! washington College tri~? to In the nightcap, the Fords teams competed in a stugfest de- a 8-0 lead in the third inning with make a late rally in the ninth when scored early to grab a 2-0 lead in at another championship season. the loaded the bases with only one the third inning, but the offense spite having both teams aces on the catcher Jon Vandernat's 3 for 3, 2 hill: Yani Rosenberg and Fuchs. On April J I, the team played an out, but Fuchs knuckled down and bashed for five runs in the fifth and Hopkins jumped ahead to a 7-2 doubles, and four RBI leading the way. away game against league foe struck out the next batter and got a three more in the seventh to get a lead in the fourth inning, but the Senior Tim Smith went 2-4 and Washington College. The Green groundout to register a victory for sweep on the road. Green Terror struck back quickly junior Mike Wolfe was 2-4 with Terror had a tough game against the home team. Gugliotta went 3-4 In the pivotal fifth inning, the with a six run attack in the top of two RBIs to pace the offense. It was opposing pitcher Dave Briggs who on the night with an RBI and team used RBI hits from Gugliotta. the fifth inning to take a 8-7. It was the second sweep of a double- earlier in the week set a conference Jenkins raised his RBI total on the Wolfe, and Ryan Legge and a to be short lived as the home team header in a row for the team and record with 16 strikeouts in one season to 25. couple of sacrifice flies from senior struck back with five more in the puts them still in contention for the game, and only managed four hits The team looked to continue catcher Rich Steigerwalt and bottom of the inning and fought for on the night. their great play this season when Jenkins to put them up for good. a 12-10 win. conference title. The opponent scored all three they visited conference foe Freshman right-hander Justin The offense was paced by Wolfe The team was looking to con- of the runs they would need in the Haverford for a Saturday double- Raynor got the win, allowing two (2 for 2), and home runs by Guy tinue their sizzling play when they second inning and cruised to a 3-1 header. In a tight first game, the runs in and five hits in three inning Sheetz (4 RBIs) and Kacy Jenkins. visited conference foe, Dickinson home win. Green Terror got solid pitching of work, and junior second The loss put the Green Terror at 14- for a April 25 game. The Green Terror scored their from junior Dan Elbaz and early basemen Alben Pero hit his first The team got off to a hot start lone in the sixth inning when offense to pull out a 5-4 win. home run of the season. lion the year. by putting four runs on the board On April 24, the team Centerfielder Sean Giblin was hit The team got all their runs in Earlier in the week, senior out- Franklin and Marshall College visited for in the first inning, which is all they by a pitch, was moved to third on a the second inning with RBI singles fielder/designated hitter Ryan a Saturday doubleheader. The first would need with ace pitcher Brent Fuchs on the mound. Fuchs pitched single by senior Ryan Legge, and by Mike Wolfe and sophomore Legge was honored as the Centen- game was an old fashioned pitch- another complete game master- nial Conference player of the week. ing duel between WMC's senior piece by allowing only runs and 7 After Jast year of batting only .204, Barrett Gugliotta and F&M's Geoff hits and fanning ten batters. he has raised his average this sea- Graydon, as both teams couldn't The Ridgely, MD product is son to a sizzling .429 with a lofty muster any offense until late in the now only six strikeouts away from eight doubles and is fourth in the game. breaking the school record of 212 conference in batting. His hard F&M struck first with a run in for a career. In the scoring burst, work and dedication in the off-sea- the bottom of the sixth, but the Tim Smith and Kevin Culbertson son has paid off with his tremen- Green Terror would in the seventh drove in a run each, and senior dous play this year as a senior. and final inning. With two men on, Ryan Legge finished- off the rally Another honor was bestowed sophomore third basemen Guy with a two-run double to cruise to upon the Green Terror as senior Sheetz hit a sacrifice fly to tie the a 4-2 away win. right-hander Brent Fuchs was game at I-I and with two outs.jun- The win was the team's third named pitcher of the week in the ior catcher Rich Steigerwalt drove consecutive road win, which gives Centennial Conference for the sec- in the winning run with a double. them a chance at the league title ond time in the month of April. He Steigerwalt, a two-year when they visit conference leader is 4-2 on the season with a 1.53 era letterman, has missed many games Ursinus for a Saturday double- and his 16 career wins puts him in this season with fracture on his header that will most likely decide fifth place in the history of the pro- hand and his winning hit was only the fate of this year's team. gram. He has struck out 192 men his second RBI of the year. If the team continues to their which is just 20 strikeouts short of Gugliotta got his second win by solid play of late, there is a good the team record and holds the team only yielding one run over seven chance that this could be a another Pitcher Brent Fuchs, shown in action, was named pitcher of the week in record for saves with 10. He will inning of work. championship season for the West- the Centennial Conference for the second lime in April and is only six be badly missed next season for the In the nightcap, the team re- ern Maryland College Men's Base- strikeouts away from breaking the school record of212 in a career. program. ceived solid inning from junior ball.
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