Sports
April 22, 1999
27
Athletes of
the Week
Baseball defeats nationally ranked ECU
Chris Papst
The Lowdown: Papst hit a
game-winning, two-out single in
the bottom of the 12th inning to
score Jim Swenson from second
base and defeat 21st-ranked East
Carolina 4-3 Wed., April 14.
Whitney Godfrey
The Lowdown: Godfrey went
2-4 with 5 RBIs and one run scored
in a 8-3 victory of Charleston South
ern on 4/19. Both her hits were
doubles.
Unsung
Hero
Josh Phoebus
The Pendulum
As Elon’s baseball season be
gins its swan song, the time arises to
reflect upon what has occurred over
the last few months.
Despite all the ups and downs
of a challenging season, Elon’s base
ball team has persevered and shown
the heart and courage of a cham
pion.
Elon’s five game swing was a
microcosom of the Fightin’ Chris
tians season. For starters, the swing
started with a exclamation point
with a 4-3 triumph in twelve in
nings over No. 21 East Carolina
University.
Chris Papst came through in
the clutch with a two-out single in
the bottom of the 12th inning that
scored Jim Swenson and secured an
uplifting victory for the Fightin’
Christians.
Most baseball men will agree
that if you score first, pitch well,
and get timely hitting, you stand a
good chance of winning the ball
game.
Elon’s men proved these ad
vantages to be true with the win
over ECU. They jumped out to an
early 2-0 lead that was fueled by a
solo homer to center by starting
pitcher Tim Schilling.
However, the talented crew
from East Carolina responded. ECU
cut the lead in half on a solo homer
by Chris Gentup in the fifth inning
and took a 3-2 lead in the seventh on
a two-out single by Erik Bakich that
scored John Williamson and Lee
Delfino.
The Fightin’ Christians tied
the game at three in the eighth in
ning on Tim Schilling’s single to
left field that scored Swenson.
Swenson doubled down the left-
field line and advanced to third on a
sacrifice bunt by Shaun Kopzcynski.
Whit Bryant (3-3) earned the
win for Elon with 1.2 innings of no
hit relief Kevyn Fulcher (3-1) took
the loss after surrendering the win
ning run. Fulcher pitched effectively
as he surrendered just one run and
four hits over 3.1 innings.
However, as good as Elon
played on Friday in pulling off the
shocker over East Carolina, they
did an about-face in a three-game
series against Liberty University.
The Flames swept the Fighti n’
Christians without truly outplaying
Elon.
In the series opener, Fightin’
Christian hurlers issued 15 walks
which helped the Flames put the
game away early, scoring 15 runs in
the first three innings.
Scott Light (2-3) suffered the
loss for Elon as he allowed five runs
on two hits in just 1.1 innings. Joe
Mueller (2-0) received the win for
Liberty by scattering one run over
three hits in 3.2 innings.
The struggle continued on
Saturday as Liberty took both ends
on a doubleheader 2-1 and 4-2 re
spectively.
Herein lies the very thing that
has plagued Elon all season. When
the pitching succeeds, the hitting
seems to take a day off. The situa
tion reverses itself on other days.
In the first game, Chris
Hughes (1 -4) took the loss despite
pitching a good ballgame as he went
the distance and struck out 10 while
walking only two.
Liberty starter Darren Holmes
(4-1) got the win by hurling five
shutout innings and striking out
three.
Likewise, an inability to get
the key hit tormented the Fightin’
Christians in the night cap of the
doubleheader.
Nathan Holcumb (2-7) was
the tough-luck loser while Josh Brey
(2-4) earned the victory by giving
up just two runs and four hits over
5.1 innings of work.
Despite the troubled times,
the Fightin’ Christians regrouped
and found their missing offense
against a woeful Campbell pitching
staff with a 9-8 win to end the losing
skid.
Elon’s offensive attack was
led by Shaun Kopzcynski who went
2-4 and hit a monstrous two-run
homer to right field in the fourth
that helped key a four-run outbreak
which increased the Fightin’ Chris
tian lead to 7-3.
This win didn’t come easily
at all as Coach Mike Kennedy had
to watch most of his 9-4 lead disap
pear before Elon hurlers slammed
the door shut and secured the vic
tory.
Whit Bryant (3-3) got the win
for Elon and Campbell hurler Andy
Wade fell to 2-1 as he got ham
mered for six runs over eight hits in
3.1 innings.
Fast
Facts:
— Kelly Lloyd is one RBI away from the cateet school record of 96.
—Lloyd is also only 13 assists short of that career school record of 319.
—^The two records would give her 17 total,
‘ Lloyd's current ,274 average is ,102 below her record career average of .376.
‘Scott Brendle set his second record of the season, claiming the career doubles
record on 4119,
— Brendte i$ only S hits away from the all time career hits record of 192.
—-Elon women's tennis is a combined 75-8 in singles play; 36-9 in doubles
— Elon men^s tennis is a combined 57-36/ 34-16 in doubles play
Entergy, mmm
F W CM
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Summer Special
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Shaun Kopczynski
The Lowdown: Kopczynski
went 2-4 with 3 RBIs and hit his
third HR of the season in a 9-8 win
vs. Campbell on 4/19. He has hit
two HRs in the past week, is hitting
.301 and leads Elon with 46 hits.
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