Sports
Page S
"ITic Blue Jianner — Scr\ ing the L'ni\ ersit\ of North CJarolina at Ashe\ille since 1982
Thursday, April 5, 200?
Eagles
soar past
men and
women’s
tennis
By Gordon Gundlach
SrA#^ WfMfER
The men (4-10) and women’s
(3-11 j tennis dropped their last
conference matches of the sea
son to Winthrop (men 16-7,
women 16-10), the No. 1 seed,
on .Saturday afternoon in Rock
Hill.
The women lost 7-0, the men
lost 5-2. No matches went to
three sets. The men won the
doubles point and freshman
Damien Snare won his singles
match, 7-5, 6-2, recording his
fifth singles win of the season.
"We did better than last year,”
said junior Tyler Begg.
I,ast season the Eagles
crushed the men 6-1, winning
the doubles point.
The women returned to action
on Tuesday, edging past
Division 11 Mars Hill. Leslie
Smith, Rachel Rhoney and
Rachel Poole all picked up wins
for the Bulldogs. Smith took her
match in three .sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Smith and Tania Mateva
picked up the tie-hreaking dou
bles point 9-8 to give the
Bulldogs the doubles point and
win.
Against, Winthrop juniors
Whitney Abbot and Rachel
PiKileo of the women’s team
were unable to compete after
getting into a car accident.
“Unfortunately we were a bit
handicapped with five girls,”
Assistant Coach Joanna Cahi
said.
Leslie Smith fell 6-1, 6-0 to
Winthrop's No. I and No 2
Louise Bottomley fell 6-0, 6-0.
“Winthrop is our toughest
competition anyway. They all
played well. Louise played well,
hung in there and was tough,”
Cahi said.
In the men's doubles matches,
one Winthrop player was
knocked out after the tennis ball
hit his racket and bounced into
his face, according to Cahi.
Nunnery, Asheville’s No. 1
fell to Winthrop's Rodrigo
Santos 6-1, 6-2.
“Rob’s guy was one of the top
players in the conference. They
competed, showed heart and
spirit,” Cahi .said.
“Pretty realistic about the
level of play. Just need to com
pete, and concentrate on basics,
and not get beat by them.selves.
The talent is there, just got to
bring it out.” Cahi said.
The men’s team ranks sixth in
the Big South Conference,
ahead of Birmingham-Southern
(1-6) and liberty (0-5).
"We won the doubles, they
were just too tough in singles.
We did better than last year,”
freshman Joseph May said.
The men’s team caps their .sea
son with three non-conference
opponents while the women
face four.
Both teams travel to Radford
for the Big South tournament on
April 19.
^SQfW
Tennis Rankings
Men’s
1. Winthrop (6-1)
2. Radford (5-1)
3. High Point (5-1)
4. Charleston So. (2-1)
5. Charleston So. (3-2)
6. Coastal Carolina (3-3)
7. UNCA (2-5)
8. Liberty (0-6)
Women \s
1. Winthrop (7-0)
2. Coastal Carolina (4-1)
3. Charleston So. (4-1)
4. High Point (4-2)
5. Liberty (3-4)
6. Birmingham-So. (2-5)
7. Radford (1-4)
8. UNCA (0-7)
‘Dogs come up short to Tourists, fall 8-6
Photograph courtesy of David Oppenhei*
Brett Robinson faces off against Tourist pitcher Zach Simons. Trailing early on, the Bulldogs tied the game in the fifth inning 5-5, but the Tourists took control in the seventh inning,
scoring three runs to win their season opener 8-6. The Bulldogs fell again on Wednesday as Appalachian State held off a ninth inning assault to edge the Bulldogs 8-7. '
Bulldogs drop two out of three to Winthrop, then battle against the Asheville Tourist and Appalachian at McCormick Field.
By Devon Dow
Staff Writer
After defeating East Tennessee
State University and losing a 2-1
series to Winthrop over the week
end, the Bulldogs returned home
to play the Asheville Tourists in an
exhibition game at McCormick
field, falling 8-6 in the Tourists’
season opener.
“We saw some things for the
future of our program that looked
pretty promising,” said Head
Coach Willie Stewart. ‘The young
guys pitched and hit well for us
tonight. If nothing else this exhi
bition was a good opportunity for
us to put these guys in certain situ
ations to see what they could do.”
On Wednesday against the
Appachian State Mountaineers,
the Bulldogs trailed 8-1 going into
the eighth inning, but rallied from
behind, scoring two and four runs
in the final two innings.
With the bases loaded, a full
count and the Bulldogs trailing by
just one run, junior Kevin
Mattison popped out to end the
game. The Mountaineers won 8-7.
Rob Vernon led the Bulldogs,
going 3-4 from the plate with an
RBI. Mattison went 2-4.
“A game like this is great for the
community, plus for us a lot of our
guys have aspirations to play on
The Asheville Tourists
The Bulldogs scored four runs in
the first inning led by senior out
fielder David Williams who
smacked a triple off of the center
field to drive in two runs. Senior
infielder Matt Henson continued to
swing the bat well, recording two
base hits on the nights.
“It was a good experience,” said
freshman pitcher Matt Dalby. “It
was good to play against guys who
got drafted, and guys who are sup
posed to be better than you.”
After the Bulldogs shut the
Tourists out in the first, the
Tourists returned in the second to
put five runs on the board, includ
ing a home run. The Bulldogs bat
tled back and tied the game in the
sixth. During the bottom of the
seventh inning the Tourist tacked
on three more runs to give them
the cushion needed to win the
exhibition game.
the next level,
“Tonight they
got to see what
the next level is
all about. I
guarantee you,
some of our
guys are walk
ing away from
this game say
ing that they
can compete
with these guys
Stewart said.
Justin Shumer
and give them a run for their spot
on a professional team.”
The Bulldogs played five pitch
ers throughout the game with
sophomore Jordan Dorsett starting
and throwing for an inning.
Freshman Dan Weller pitched the
second, and Matt Dalby, freshman,
replaced him, throwing for four
innings. Sophomore Michael
Bogaert and freshman Justin
Shumer rounded-up the evening
for the Bulldogs, pitching two and
one inning respectively.
For the freshmen, the game gave
them an opportunity to show what
they, could do against profession
als.
“It’s a whole different ball game
playing against the Tourists,”
Schumer said. “There are guys that
I played against in high school
who are getting paid to play base
ball now, and it is so different than
the college game. The profession
als play with wooden bats and
we’re playing with aluminum. It’s
a completely different atmos
phere.”
“This year’s freshman class has
contributed for us on and off the
field. They get it done in the class
room and on the playing and prac
tice field,” said senior infielder
Steve Bumich. “They are all good
guys and great teammates. Dalby
pitched really well tonight for us.
The freshmen are good teammates,
although we give them a bunch of
crap because they’re new to the
team.”
As the upper classmen headed to
the locker room, the freshman
gathered up the baseballs from the
practice mounds and cleaned out
the dugout, according to Shumer
who said he hopes this is his only
year doing the dirty work.
“We do my
share of work
as a freshman
on this team, it
isn’t anything
harsh,”
Schumer said.
“I have to carry
a lot stuff, do
what I’m told
it’s all in fun.
Hopefully next
year things will change with bek
a sophomore because we are pay
ing our dues this year."
Steve Bumidi
East Tennessee State
Over the weekend the Bulldogs
traveled to Tennessee and downd
the East Tennessee Buccaneers)
3. Down 3-1 in the top of the nini
the Bulldogs came back and
scored three runs with hits fron
SEE Baseball page 5
Bulldog runners grab top spots at Western Invitational
By Ben Smith
Sports Editor
After facing heavy compretition
at the UNC Charlotte and Wake
Forest invitational meets, the track
and field team squared off against
local colleges, including Division I
schools Western Carolina,
Appalachian State and East
Carolina at the Western Carolina
Invitational this weekend.
“I thought it was good to have a
small meet to give everyone a
chance to compete on a more level
playing field so we’re not going up
against ACC or SEC teams every
weekend,” said Head Coach Dean
Duncan. “It’s good to go against
some other schools of our size.”
Natalie Pearson continued her
streak of dominance, taking first
place in the 100-meter in 12.00
seconds and in the 200-meter in
24.53.
Pearson approaches the national
qualifying standards for both
events, set at 11.75 for the 100 and
23.96 for the 200.
Surpassing the national standard
qualifies athletes for East
Regionals held at the University of
Florida from May 25-26.
The freshmen sprinter holds the
school record in both events.
Junior Ingrid Allstaedt took sec
ond place in the 1500 in 5:02,
behind East Carolina’s Jennifer
White.
“I was in the fast heat, but we
didn’t have the tons of competition
like we have at Wake or at Duke
this upcoming weekend,” Allstaedt
said. “I just took it out in first place
and tried to set a place and hold it.
I held it for three laps then she
passed me, I just tried to hang on
with her.”
Allstaedt’s personal record is
few
to
Natalie Pearson
Natalie Pearson
Ingrid Allstaedt
Erika Walker
Liza Dnncan
Morgan Weeks
I . , . , , j r-i- r, . SMrrH - SPORTS EDITOR
Juniors Ingrid Allstaedt and Eliza Duncan practice together in prepa
ration for Duke Relays this weekend. Allstaedt placed second in the
mile in 5:01.78 and Duncan took eight place in the 800 in 2:25.36
4:50.
“I always prefer to run at big
races out of my league, “ Allstaedt
said. ’That pushes me to a person
al record more than likely.”
Troy Young picked up second
place in the javelin, throwing
56.16 meters, his best distance this
season.
The national qualifying standard
for the javelin is 61.60. Young
used the entire 1:30 minutes allot
ted to competitors to get his throw,
balking twice before throwing for
his season’s best with just a
seconds left, according
Assistant Coach Kyle Wies.
“I thought he was going to get a
bad throw, but he went up his
third time and with only couple
seconds left, he unleashes a 56,”
Wies said. “I don’t know how he
does that.”
Also for throws,
Daniel Corriher set
two personal
records, placing
fifth in the shot put
throwing for 13.94
feet, and throwing
40.59 in the ham
mer.
“I felt great even
though I know I
can throw the ham
mer a lot farther,”
Corriher said. “I
haven’t practiced,
but it will come ErikNabi
eventually toward
the end of the season. But for the
shot put, everything felt really
smooth.”
Freshmen Keith Scruggs placed
16 in the shot put, throwing 11.16
feet, and placed 13 in the hammer
throw, throwing 40.59 feet.
“I’ll predict that Keith throws 43
in the hammer on Saturday,” Wies
said.
In last week’s issue of The Blue
Banner, Wies predicted Erika
Walker to break one minute in the
400-meter.
Walker finished in 59.66, shav
ing over one second off of her pre
vious record. Wies hesitated in
picking Walker to break 59 sec
onds this week.
“I predicted it last week,’
said. “I don’t know if I should ti)
to predict that she’ll break 59 yet’
Western Carolina’s Raquell
Ramseur took first, running 54,871
in the 400, while Walker took|
fifth.
“She won her heat and that wa5|
a little bit of a confidence booster!
for her,” Duncan said.
In the 400 hurdles, Junior |
Top 10 Performances
women
PUCE TIME
1(X)
200
1500
400
800
javelin
men
TVoy Young javelin 2
Omar Abmad trip, jump 5
Daniel Corriher shot put 5
Brandon Hamilton 400 hurd. 6
12.00
24.53
5:02
59.66
2:25
10 24.98f
B r a n d 01
Hamilton took^
sixth place, set
ting a personal
record with 56!
96 seconds.
“That was
my personal
record,”
said. “I
under 57 whidt
was my
for the entire
and I’s'®
1 ^
a
a
javelin
year
already
matched it. i®
for-
tbe
for
Wies
56.16
12.85f
13.94f
56.96
10 45.93f looking
ward to
conference meet, placing fi
maybe picking up some points
the team.”
Brandon said his new goal is ®
break 55.5.
Taylor Little and Emily
took the weekend’s competiti®
off, choosing to rest for
Relays this weekend.
Little also approaches the l5'7'*
national qualifying time
regionals, set at 3:47.80. Littler®'
3:53.40 at the Wake Fores'
Invitational on March 25.
“Trey’s obviously closing
Natalie’s getting close, Taylor*
getting close in the 1500 and 5k
Those three are the one’s that we
we’ll probably be taking ®
regionals in Florida.”