Ty Mankovitch makes a play at second base against Capital University at Grayson Stadium during the Feb. 27 game. The Bees won 11-8. Photo by Wayne C. Moore

By Michael MacEachern

The Savannah College of Art and Design baseball team picked up its third consecutive victory as they scored eight runs in the first inning on its way to an 11-8 decision over Capital University Feb. 23 at Grayson Stadium.

The Bees improved to 6-6 while the Crusaders fell to 1-2.

SCAD sent 12 batters to the plate in the first inning and the first nine reached base safely off Capital starter Bryan White (0-1). The Bees took advantage of three errors and wildness by White as he issued five walks.

Andy Welsh and Scott Frederick each drove in a run with a hit in the decisive inning while Chris Tirro drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Bo Noon and Jarrod Norrell each drove in runs with bases-loaded walks.

Capital closed the margin to 8-2 in the third on Jake Butler’s two-run homer just inside the right field fair pole. The Bees got those runs back in the fourth before the Crusaders added three in the sixth to close the gap to 10-5. John Elliott drove in one run on a sacrifice fly while Will Rutherford and T.J. Brown collected RBI singles.

SCAD added a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Welsh before the Crusaders got a run in the eighth and two more in the ninth to get within three runs at 11-8. The Crusaders had the tying run at the plate in the ninth, but SCAD reliever Rich Fallat picked up his first save as he got Stuart Zainea to fly out to end the game.

Matt Courtright (1-0) picked up the win as he pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief for the Bees.
The baseball team scored five times in the first four innings as the Bees held on for a 6-4 decision over Capital Feb. 22 at Grayson Stadium.

After Capital scored a run on a single by Graham Holmberg, the Bees touched up Capital starter Marcus Mercer (0-1) for two runs in the bottom half of the inning. James O’Connell, who went 2-for-4, drove in the first run while Welsh’s single through the right side scored the other.

SCAD took a 4-1 lead with two more runs in the third. Steven Argo drove in Frederick, who started the inning with a bunt single, with a single to right-center field. Sean Smith, who scored three runs for SCAD, also scored on the play as Argo was thrown out on the play trying to get to second base.

The Bees scored another run in the fourth as Noon scored after Capital right fielder Jimmy Haas dropped a fly ball that would have been the third out. SCAD took a 6-1 lead in the eighth on a RBI triple by O’Connell.

Capital rallied for three runs off two SCAD relievers in the ninth as the Bees issued four walks. The Crusaders scored its first run on a wild pitch before Jake Butler and White each drove in a run.

SCAD starter Tyler King (1-1) picked up his first win of the season. King scattered six hits over seven innings while just walking two. Reliever Craig Chaffee got the final out for SCAD to pick up his first save.

The Bees rallied for three runs in the fifth inning to pull out a 4-2 decision in the second game to earn a split of its doubleheader with Wabash College Feb. 21.

In the nightcap, Wabash took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Jared Bogan and a sacrifice fly from Mike Mack.

SCAD scored an unearned run off Wabash starter Bill Goff (0-1) in the bottom half of the inning. O’Connell, who went 2-for-3, started the two-rally with a single to right field. O’Connell moved to second on a Wabash error and to third on a Goff balk. O’Connell then stole home to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Noon started the fifth inning rally with a two-out walk. After Noon stole second base, Tirro drove him home with a single to center to tie the game at 2. Tirro followed with his own stolen base. After Norrell reached on a walk, both runners moved up a base on a passed ball. Smith drove them both home to give the Bees a 4-2 lead with his triple to right field.

SCAD starter Kevin McKesson (1-2) picked up the complete-game victory as he scattered five hits over seven innings.


Softball wins big opening weekend

The softball team pounded out 22 hits and 27 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Edward Waters College Feb. 22 at the Paulson Softball Complex.

The Bees improved to 3-1 after defeating the Tigers 19-0 and 8-0. Both games were called after the fifth due to the eight-run mercy rule. SCAD returns to action Feb. 27 with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs.

It was the most runs scored in a game and in a doubleheader since the Bees swept SUNY Old Westbury in a doubleheader 21-0 and 15-0 during the 2002 season.

The Bees wasted little time in the opener as they sent 16 batters to the plate in the first inning. Lisa Donofrio, who went 4-for-5, drove in a run with a single before Kayla Timulak, who drove in five runs, hit a grand slam to give the Bees a 5-0 lead. It was her second homer in as many days for Timulak. Sarah Areheart and Charity Graham also drove in runs in the first.

Graham’s two-run double and Donofrio’s two-run homer to left gave the Bees a 14-0 lead in the second. SCAD added five more runs in the third, including three on Areheart’s homer to center.

In the nightcap, it was the same story for the Bees as they sent 14 batters to the plate and scored all eight runs. Timulak’s two-run double highlighted the explosion. Donofrio, Neelum Tiwari, Greta Snodgrass, and Christina Queen also drove in runs for the Bees.

Areheart (2-1) picked up the win for the Bees in the opener, while Alex Alcott (1-0) was the winner in game two.

Timulak’s three-run homer to left field propelled the Bees to a 4-0 victory over Brewton-Parker College in the second game to earn a split of a doubleheader Feb. 21. The Barons edged the Bees 3-2 in the opener.

In the nightcap, the Bees took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Queen started the two-out rally with a single to right and moved to second on a stolen base. Queen scored on the play as catcher Stacey Norton’s throw went under the infielder’s glove and scooted out to center field.

SCAD added some insurance an inning later. Donofrio and Areheart started the inning with singles. Brewton-Parker starter Tonya Golden looked to get out of the inning by striking out the next two batters, but Timulak responded with a homer to give the Bees a 4-0 lead. Prior to the home run, the Bees were 1-of-14 with runners in scoring position in the doubleheader.

Areheart, who pitched two complete games for the Bees, tossed a two-hit shutout in the second game.


Equestrian riders capture championship

Two equestrian riders won titles at the Coastal Hunter Circuit Horse Show held Feb. 21 at Norwood Farms.

Lindsey Fisher and SCAD’s “Animation” were named champions in the Walk, Trot Canter division, while Ellie Mallis and SCAD’s “Painting” captured the championship in the Walk, Trot division.

Jessica Brown and SCAD’s “Architecture” were named the Reserve Champions in the Child/ Adult Hunters competition. Pete Cooney, Gray Morris, Danielle Niedzielski and Thea Lassen also received top ribbons at the show.

The team competes again intercollegiately March 6 at the College of Charleston Horse Show.
Members of the equestrian program also competed at the Florida Classic Feb. 18-22 as part of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla.

Senior Ansley Grainger and “Sculpture” placed first and fourth in the Adult Amateur Hunters 18-35 year old competition. Grainger competed on her second mount, “Rococo”, and placed second, fifth and seventh.

SCAD sophomore Jordan Siegel riding “Art History” placed seventh in a class. Grainger and Siegel competed against 33 of the country’s top hunters.

They will compete again in the Wellington Masters, which will be held Feb. 25-29.


Women’s basketball earns No. 4 seed for independent tournament

The SCAD women’s basketball team has earned the No. 4 seed for NAIA Division II Independent Tournament hosted by Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla., Feb. 26-28.

The winner of the independent tournament earns one of the 32 berths for the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship that will be held in Sioux Falls, Iowa, March 10-16.

The team features six of the seven independent schools in NAIA Division II. The teams were seeded by using the Hunter Power Ranking.

SCAD (11-15) will face No. 5 seed Florida Memorial College (8-14) in a 7:30 p.m. first-round game Feb. 26 at Flagler Gymnasium. The other first-round game features No. 3 seed Webber International University (19-11) against No. 6 seed Tri-State University (3-22) at 5 p.m.

No. 2 seed Warner Southern College (18-12) will face the highest remaining seed in one semifinal at noon Feb. 27. Host and No. 1 seed Flagler College (11-14) will face the lowest seeded team in the other semifinal at 5 p.m.


The championship game will be played at 5 p.m. Feb. 28.

The Bees ended their regular season with a 70-38 decision over Wesleyan College Feb. 20 in Macon. Rachel Hennon led the balanced attack for SCAD with 13 points, while Nicole Moody added 10.

SCAD took a 30-18 lead at the half as they held the Pioneers to just 20.7 percent shooting from the field (6-of-29) in the opening 20 minutes. The Bees broke the game open in the second half as they made 56.7 percent of their shots (17-of-30) while forcing Wesleyan into 17 turnovers.

April Aguilera led the Bees with 11 rebounds and eight points. Jen Hamilton and Kacie Moreland also scored eight points for SCAD.


Rowing teams compete in championships

Five members of the rowing team competed Feb. 22 at the annual C.R.A.S.H.-B Sprints Indoor Word Rowing Championships in Boston, Mass.

Clinton Leite and Eric Vergne each established personal best times for their 2,000 meter events on Concept 2 indoor rowers. Leite finished 155th of 281 rowers in the open men’s competition with a time of 6:33.90, while Vergne finished 101st out of 159 rowers in the lightweight men’s category.

Sara Schalliol had the best finish of any SCAD rower as she finished 59th out of 77 rowers with a time of 8:13.20 in the lightweight women’s category. Nick Huber finished 223rd in the open men’s competition with a time of 6:53.10 while Stephanie Waugh finished 291st out of 351 rowers in the open women’s category with a time of 8:04.10.

MacEachern is sports information director at SCAD