WEEKEND ROUND UP
Game
Recaps
Threepeat complete:
Western's men's baseball team wins third straight OUA
championship
Game 3 WESTERN 2 BROCK 1
Game 2 BROCK 4 WESTERN 2
LONDON, Ont. - Reliever
Jeff Newnes came into the game at the top of the ninth
inning with the bases loaded and forced a series-ending
double play to give the Western Mustangs their third
straight OUA Baseball Championship at Labatt Park on
Oct. 21.
Western won the series two
games to one with a thrilling 2-1 victory in the third
and deciding game.
After losing Game 2, 4-2,
earlier in the afternoon, the Mustangs rebounded and
relied on strong pitching and defence to close out the
game.
Western took a 2-1 lead to
the top of the ninth inning when former Mustang hoops
prospect turned baseball star Jeff Newnes came into the
game and forced Badger designated hitter Dan Baribeau to
hit into a double-play. In fact, it was Western's first
inning- or game-ending double play all season long
according to team officials.
Just in time, said Newnes,
when it counted.
"It was just crazy intense
out there to enter the game in that situation," Newnes
said. "Especially considering that it was the third game
of the series."
"You just try to block out
the chirps from the other team. I was looking for a
ground ball and I was trying to throw a strike up in the
middle and it happened. Their guy grounded the ball and
we got the double play."
Andrew Salmon was named as
the game MVP while Newnes was named series MVP,
finishing with a win (Game 1) and a save (Game 3) in the
series to help the Mustangs to victory.
Salmon made a momentum
changing catch in the outfield and then threw the ball
to first-baseman Sean Grimes for an exhilarating
double-play to end the 7th inning and also hit the
game-winning RBI to bring home the championship.
Western opened the scoring
in the deciding game when Mark DiGuilio's single gave
the Mustangs the 1-0 lead. Brock tied the score at 1-1
forcing Mustang starting pitcher Jordan Townshend into
the dugout. Andrew Bergman replaced Western's starter
and was near-perfect until the top of the ninth when he
loaded the bases.
Brock's first run came
following Townshend's lead-off walk to right-fielder
Jeff Gruchy and some strong sacrifice hitting from the
visiting Badgers. Catcher Mike Welbourne drove in Gruchy
with a one-out single and the score was tied at 1-1
after the top of the sixth.
But the Mustangs regained
the lead when Salmon drove in the winning run in the
bottom half of the inning with Brock's relief pitching
failing to bail out starter Anthony Arnone who loaded up
the bases with no outs.
Western won Game 1 on Oct.
20 (rescheduled from Friday Oct. 19 game that was
postponed due to poor field conditions at Labatt Park)
in St. Catharines by a 9-6 score.
Game 2 was played at
Labatt Park at 1 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 21 and featured
strong pitching early on.
Badgers starting pitcher
and game MVP Nathan Penrose was nearly unhittable,
striking out four Mustang batters and allowing just four
hits for the win. Jon Rubin was the losing pitcher for
Western.
In Game 2, Brock drew
first blood in the bottom of the sixth when outfielder
Ben Sylvester drove in teammate and shortstop Joe Kirby
with a two-out single. The Badgers added a second run
when Mustang third baseman Alexander Carducci bobbled a
Mike Walker ground-ball, allowing Jeremy Fernandez to
score.
Reliever Jeff Edmondson
got pulled in favour of reliever Matthew Gasby with the
bases loaded but he walked the lead off batter,
Sylvester, to make it 3-0 for Brock. Badger
second-baseman Casey Burnie hit a two-out single off
Gasby and the Badgers led 4-0 after seven innings.
Western's bats finally got
to Penrose and the Badgers in the ninth but it proved to
be too late. After the Badgers loaded the bases,
reliever TC Murray walked in Salmon for the first
Mustangs' run. DiGuilio also drove in a run to make the
score 4-2 but it was too late with outfielder Matt Bekar
striking out to end the second game.
However, Western recovered
from the loss and won the third game.
"To three-peat and do it
at home, it's a great feeling. We're setting history in
the OUA every year," Salmon said. "We're starting to get
the respect we deserve in the OUA. We've proven we're a
really great baseball team."
Women's Field Hockey
Michelle Weber's three goals
and two assists pace Western to four victories
LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs shocked the field hockey
nation finishing the season with four straight wins in the
final weekend of regular season play at TD Waterhouse
Stadium Oct. 20-21.
The Mustangs (7-5-2) finish in fourth place in the province
and will play at the OUA Championships in Ottawa this
weekend starting with a quarter-final match against Queen's.
On
Oct. 20, Western started the day with their biggest victory
of the season, a 2-1 win over Toronto. Nicole Bisaro and
Jennifer Bryson scored one goal each, while Alicya
Allen got the win in net. Michelle Weber added one
assist.
Later in the day, Western shutout Waterloo 2-0. Allen got
the shutout victory, while the Mustangs got goals form Sarah
Cobourn and Louise Radford and an assist from Weber.
The next morning, Western pulled off another huge victory
with a 1-0 shutout over York. Weber scored the Western goal,
while Allen got her second shutout in as many starts.
In
the afternoon, Western edged McGill 2-1 playing their fourth
game of the weekend. Weber had both goals.
The top three teams at the OUA championships will compete in
the CIS National Championships to be held in Toronto Nov.
1-4.
Men's Football
Mustangs win four straight
to make the playoffs
Randy McAuley finishes
regular season in second overall in career Mustangs scoring
and becomes all-time touchdown leader, passes 1,000 mark on
season
WATERLOO, Ont. - Randy McAuley passed the 1,000-yard mark
and became the all-time Mustangs career touchdown leader as
the Western Mustangs rolled over the Waterloo Warrriors 37-3
at University Stadium on Oct. 20.
McAuley scored two rushing touchdowns and another receiving
in the win which clinches a post-season berth for the
Mustangs.
Western finishes in sixth place in the OUA and will travel
to play at Queen's on Oct. 27 in the OUA quarter-finals.
The Mustangs dropped a game to Queen's in the home opener in
overtime, despite dominating play.
On
Oct. 20, in their final regular season game, both offences
struggled generating offence, competing with the wind in the
opening quarter.
Waterloo generated the only points with a field goal at the
end of the first quarter to lead 3-0.
In
the second quarter, Western got a 20-yard field goal from
Derek Schiavone and a safety and a single to score six
points. The score was 6-3 for the Mustangs at the half.
Western looked like a different team, more determined in the
second half.
McAuley ran the ball in for a major on the first possession
of the third quarter, and then Western's defence scored a
safety to build a 15-3 lead.
Minutes later, receiver David Clayton scored his third
touchdown of the season, a 24-yard reception, on a quick
slant route with a great pass from QB Michael Faulds to
extend the lead to 22-3. Mike Hegarty was a
crucial part of the play with outstanding blocking.
After Waterloo conceded a single, it was a 23-point run for
the Mustangs in the second and third quarters.
The wind gave Western great field position throughout the
second and third frames and allowed them to build a strong
lead.
McAuley scored again with 11:53 remaining in the fourth
quarter to elevate the lead to 30-3. The fifth-year back
finishes his regular season career second overall in Mustang
scoring history and has the all-time touchdown lead passing
Andy Fantuz's mark of 41 career touchdowns.
Faulds was 18/31 and threw two touchdowns for 274 yards. He
did not throw an interception.
But McAuley was the star, finishing with 37 carries for 186
yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, adding another
touchdown on a screen pass and finishing with 41 receiving
yards.
Earlier in the season, McAuley set marks as the all-time
Mustang career leader in rushing yardage and rushing
touchdowns as well as kickoff return yardage.
Quick stats
Rushing Yards: 234
Passing Yards: 287
Turnovers: 2
First Downs: 29
Opponent First Downs: 8
DID YOU
KNOW: Since Matt Carapella returned from injury for the
Sept. 29 Homecoming shutout win over Windsor, Western's
defence has not conceded a touchdown?
Men's Soccer
Western finishes regular
season with 11 shutouts in 14 games
LONDON, Ont. - With second place in the OUA West already
locked up, the Western Mustangs earned two shutouts in the
final regular season weekend of play with a 1-0 victory over
Waterloo and a 0-0 tie with Laurier, with most of Western's
starters getting rest.
On
Oct. 20, Haidar Al-Shaibani made three saves to earn his
10th shutout of the season to pace Western, while Michel
Daoust entered the only Western goal.
A
day later, Kosta Viglatzis earned his first shutout in his
first game of the season in a 0-0 tie with Laurier.
Western (11-1-2) will host an OUA West Semi-Final at 3 p.m.
on Saturday Oct. 27. Location in London (either TD
Waterhouse Stadium or Brescia Fields) and opponent to be
determined late Wednesday.
