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April 27, 2009 PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) men's and women's track and field enjoyed a monumental weekend at the Penn Relays. In recognition of the efforts freshman Vanessa Henry (Capitol Heights, Md.) and sophomore Thomas Keane-Dawes (Camden, N.C.) have been named UMES Athletes of the Week for the period ending April 26. Henry, a thrower on the women's track and field team, won the college women's eastern shot put event at the 115th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa., on April 23. Henry topped a field of 32 with a mark of 14.76 meters (48 feet, 5.25 inches), just six centimeters off the event record, set at last year's Penn Relays. Keane-Dawes, of the men's track and field team, ran the opening leg of each of the Hawks' three relays on April 24 at Penn. The Hawks won their heat in the 4x100-meter relay, finishing 20th overall in 41.05. UMES also was second in its heat in the 4x200 (1:24.88) for a 15th-place finish and was 25th overall in the 4X400 in 3:13.73. TRACK AND FIELD Keane-Dawes junior Allodin Fothergill and freshmen Damian Miles and Ahkeem Gauntlett helped the Hawks finish in the 4X100 in 41.05 in a 54-school field . The same four athletes were 15th in the 4x200 in 1:24.88 to qualify for the IC4A final in the race Saturday at 2:37 p.m. Also, Keane-Dawes, Fothergill, Gauntlett and sophomore Paul Jones-Burden were 25th in the 4x400 event. That squad crossed in 3:13.84 and was among 84 schools. The women's 4x800-meter relay team finished second in the Championship of America. The Lady Hawks' squad of seniors Celia Whyte and Merrecia James and freshmen Eunice Jones and Cynthia Anais finished in 8:37.56 behind Tennessee, which set a new American, collegiate and Penn Relays record in the race. Whyte, sophomore Danai Lendor, James and Anais also were also seventh in the collegiate women's 4x400 in 3:41.80, beating Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Howard (3:49.63) in the process. BASEBALL The baseball team went 0-5 with losses to Navy and Bethune-Cookman this week. Senior captain Pat Hercinger went 2-for-4 with a run scored, two RBIs and a walk in the first game of a home-and-home series with the Midshipmen, but the Hawks' comeback in the latter innings fell short, 10-6, at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. The Hawks spotted the Mids an 8-0 lead through four innings, but scored all six of their runs from the sixth inning on to give their in-state rivals a scare. Senior first baseman Jorge Pichardo also had a pair of base hits for UMES and was 2-for-5 with an RBI triple and a run. Freshman left-hander John DesChamps turned in a quality start going six innings for UMES. He allowed six earned runs on 11 hits and five walks while striking out six to drop to 3-5 on the season. The result was the same in the second game as the Hawks fell, 10-7, to the Midshipmen at Hawks Stadium. The Hawks trailed, 10-2, after three-and-a-half innings and made things interesting with four runs in the seventh to really place pressure on the Mids. Sophomore Bryan Chaikowsky paced the Hawks' offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Freshman catcher Ben Vasko and sophomore shortstop Remo Orsini also had three hits each for the hosts. Senior left-handed starter Brian White threw 3.1 innings and took the loss to drop to 0-6. He allowed all 10 runs on nine hits and three walks. He struck out one. Bethune-Cookman scored at least one run in 12-of-16 innings to sweep a doubleheader from the University of Maryland baseball team, 12-2 and 15-3, at Hawks Stadium Saturday. Orsini was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in game one. Elliott Alston also came on as a pinch hitter and third baseman to pick up a hit and a run in two at-bats. In the second game, Troy King was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Hercinger was a combined 2-for-6 with an RBI and a run on the day. Freshman third baseman Alston went 2-for-3 but it wasn't enough as Bethune-Cookman defeated the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team, 10-0, in eight innings at Hawks Stadium Sunday. Chaikowsky collected the only other base hit for the Hawks on the day, a single through the right side of the infield in the second inning. Tri-captain Phil Vaughn swiped his team-leading 21st base of the season in the sixth inning out of the ninth spot in the batting order for the first time this year SOFTBALL The UMES softball team split the first day of their series at Coppin State University Saturday afternoon. After UMES won the first game 8-0 in five innings, the Lady Eagles rallied in the bottom of the seventh to take the second game, 2-1. Hannah Mills led UMES' attack in the opener going 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two RBI. Fellow freshman Inde Whitehurst earned the win for the Lady Hawks. She pitched five innings allowing just two hits and striking out six to improve to 8-5 on the season. Two in the park home runs highlighted the softball team's come from behind win over Coppin State University Saturday morning to close out their three game series. Coppin held UMES scoreless through four innings, holding onto a 3-0 lead until Kayla Nelson knocked in pinch runner Kaminie Jeeuth on a standup triple to left center field. Freshman pitcher Whitehurst brought Nelson across on an in the park home run down the right field line to tie the game 3-3. Cassandra Carlos legged out a single to short and stole second to move into scoring position. She would advance to third on a dropped third strike and scored when Chelsea Logan reached on an error by the third baseman to put the Lady Hawks up 4-3. Both Carlos and Logan racked in doubles on the day with the latter finishing 2-for-3 from the plate. UPCOMING SCHEDULE The UMES men's and women's track and field teams next head for the MEAC Championships at Irwin Belk Track at North Carolina A&T. Competition gets underway Thursday (April 30) and continues through Saturday (May 2). The baseball Hawks close out a four-game series with Mount Saint Mary's begun in March with a doubleheader in Emmitsburg, Md., Wednesday, April 29. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Softball plays a doubleheader at Morgan State Monday, April 27. |
