April 5, 2007

sports

Bulldog sports roundup

Tennis opens 2–1
The YSHS tennis team opened its season with a strong first week of play, easily winning two matches against Springfield Catholic and Xenia Christian and dropping one against Cedarville.

Against the Cedarville Indians on Tuesday, March 27, first singles player Olivia Chen and first doubles players Zeke Hardman and Raphael Allen carried their team with wins on both courts. Chen took Kenny Parker 6–2,6–2, while the doubles team went three sets, taking the third set 6–4.

Second singles player Alex Turner lost in three sets, and Eduardo Garafilla lost at third singles. The first doubles team of Erin Silvert-Noftle and Emile Fleming also lost, while Aiyasha Walker contributed with a reserve match.

Two days later, the Bulldogs had taken enough, and they brooked no mercy to take the Springfield Catholic Fighting Irish 4–1 at home. Chen barely broke a sweat without giving up a game at first singles, while Garafilla won a more challenging 6–4,7–5 match at third. Turner lost in his second tough triple setter.

In doubles the first team of Hardman and Allen won 6–3, 6–4 while Silvert-Noftle and Fleming also took the second doubles court 6–4,6–2. Zach Katz-Stein won a reserve match for the Bulldogs.

It was a similar story at Xenia Christian on March 30. Chen gave up one game to take first singles, while Turner won the second slot in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. Hardman also took third singles in three sets, before Katz-Stein and Fleming took the second doubles court. Allen and Silvert-Noftle lost at first doubles. Max Fleishman showed some style on the reserve singles court, and Aiyasha Walker and John Hempfling also chipped in to play a reserve doubles match for the team.

Donna Silvert-Noftle, who is co-coaching with Chuck Taylor, said she is pleased with the commitment and effort her team members gave to working on their games for the upcoming matches.

Baseball ties 2, loses 1
The Bulldog baseball team got to a 7–7 tie in the sixth inning with Emmanuel Christian on Saturday, March 31, before getting rained out for the rest of that game and the following game against Xenia Nazarene. On Monday, April 2, Yellow Springs lost 11–1 to Newton. The junior varsity team won its game against Southeastern 8–4 on Thursday, March 29. The game against Stivers on Wednesday, March 28, was also rained out.

The Bulldog outfielders were on their game against Emmanuel Christian. Just before the game was called, the team made the play of the day when Kilan Brown caught a flyout in shallow right center and threw to Joe Fugate at the plate to tag a Lion runner who was trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Jeremy Paul had 2 RBI and Jonathon Haller had a double. Todd Sheets pitched the whole way for the Bulldogs.

Against Newton Fugate and Sheets had Yellow Springs’ only hits. Todd Sheets also turned in a couple of excellent plays at third base, including throwing a runner out at the plate.

In the JV game, the youngsters took on the junior Trojans. Lucas Donnell made his debut and pitched five strong innings, giving up 4 runs, only 2 of which were earned. Zach Reichart relieved and pitched two scoreless innings for the save. Yosef Johnson made the biggest defensive play, with a throw to the plate that nailed a runner in the sixth. Offensively, Yellow Springs took advantage of nine walks, three hit batters, and four Trojan errors to win the game. Fugate had two hits.

Distance team leads track openers
The boys distance runners led the Yellow Springs High School track team in its opening week last week.

In a home tri-meet against Beavercreek and Stivers on Wednesday, March 28, the boys team finished second and the girls team finished third.

At the all-boys Versailles Invitational on Saturday, March 31, the boys team came in seventh.

Bulldog distance runners took all seven of the first place finishes, led by senior Sam Borchers who won both the 400-meter run and the 3200-meter run. Andy Peters took both the 1600-meter run and the 300 hurdles, while Alexis Ofroy-Curley won the 800-meter event.

Evan Firestone joined the three boys to win the 3200-meter relay, and the Bulldogs also took the 1600-meter relay with a team of Anthony Pettiford, Peters, Brock GunderKline and Jacob -GunderKline.

First-place finishes for the girls team included Ashanta Robinson in the high jump, Meg Franklin in the discus throw and Maxine Midtbo in the long jump.

Other strong performances were turned in by Ben Adams, Erik Bean, Asa -Casenheiser, Ron Cobb, Chris McElroy, Eric Rudolph and Steve Scott.

At Saturdays’ meet at Versailles, -Borchers again won the 1600- and the 800-meter runs, while Firestone took first in the 3200-meter run. Both boys were joined by Peters and Onfroy-Curley to take the 3200-meter relay in 8:25.6.

Peters also took second place in the 1600-meter run and fourth place in the 300-meter hurdles. Birch Robinson-Hubbuch finished third in the long jump.