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LOCAL CONNECTIONS: FitzPatrick rides to nationals with Centenary

scott walsh, the times-tribune, scranton, pa.
·6 min read

Apr. 25—Junior Meghan FitzPatrick (Scranton Prep) is a member of the Centenary University equestrian team that won Zone 3 Region 3 of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association to qualify for the ISHA Nationals on May 4-7 in Lexington, Kentucky.

FitzPatrick is an equine business management major who has been riding for about 15 years.

She will compete in Team Limit Equitation on the Flat at nationals. That is where she draws a random horse she has never ridden and has to ride and show it. She is judged on how effectively she can control the horse and maintain proper form.

"I am very excited and grateful to be part of this team and that my coaches chose me to be team rider for limit flat," FitzPatrick said in an email.

Top defender

For the second consecutive season, Penn State University ice hockey fifth-year senior Paul DeNaples from Moscow was voted the team's top defenseman.

DeNaples tied his career-high this season with three goals and added seven assists for 10 points. He also blocked 49 shots and had a plus-8 rating.

He was the second player in program history to serve as team captain in two straight seasons. He did not miss a game in his five years, playing 172 consecutive games, and finished tied for sixth in career goals (10) and ninth in career assists (34) and points (44) by a defenseman.

On the lanes

Duquesne senior Kiearra Saldi (Holy Cross) competed at the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Nationals in Las Vegas.

Saldi earned the No. 10 seed with a six-game total of 1,225 in qualifying. She won her first-round match over No. 23 Kassidy Gerken from Clarke University, 519-502. However, she lost in the second round to No. 7 Chloe Skurzynski from Stephen. F. Austin, 805-596.

Grand finale

Long Island baseball redshirt junior Jake Mastillo (North Pocono) hit the game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the 11th inning of a 9-6 win over Merrimack in the opener of a three-game weekend series.

Merrimack scored in the top of the 11th to take a 6-5 lead. But in the bottom-half of the inning, the Sharks loaded the bases with one out. Mastillo jumped on a first-pitch fastball and sent it over the left-field fence. It was his first home run since March 24, a span of 14 games.

In the next game, in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning, Mastillo homered on his next swing, depositing a 1-1 pitch again beyond the left-field fence.

Mastillo has 12 home runs, which leads the Northeast Conference, and ranks eighth on LIU's Division I single-season home run list. One more and he will join five players in a tie for third with 13 home runs. The record is 18 set by Lou Deman in 1995.

Quick connects

University of Alabama junior tight end C.J. Dippre (Lakeland) was one of five recipients of the Jerry Duncan "I Like To Practice" Award at the Crimson Tide's A-Day Spring Football Game. ... Wofford baseball junior Dixon Black (Valley View) hit a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Samford, 13-11. It was Black's sixth home run of the season. ... Saint Joseph's University baseball graduate student Cole Stetzar (West Scranton) earned his second save of the season and sixth of his career in a 5-3 win over UMass. Stetzar pitched two scoreless innings with two hits, no walks and one strikeout. He got double-play balls in each inning, including one to end the game. ... James Madison baseball freshman Wyatt Peifer (Wallenpaupack) had RBI doubles in the second and third games of a three-game series sweep against Louisiana. Peifer has hit safely in four straight games and seven of his last eight. ... At the Shippensburg Mid-Week Meet, Bloomsburg University track and field sophomore Kyle Marcinkevich (Mid Valley) set personal-bests in the 200 meters (23.38 seconds, 15th place) and 400 meters (52.50, 12th). Sophomore teammate Doug Walsh (Holy Cross) also had two PRs in the 200 (23.62, 18th) and the pole vault (12-7 1/2 , fourth). ... East Stroudsburg women's golf senior Mariah Minter (Mid Valley) shot 102 to tie for 14th at the Bloomsburg University Husky Invitational at Frosty Valley Golf Course in Danville. Then at the ESU Spring Invitational at Glen Brook Golf Club, Minter placed 11th with an 85 and Kutztown freshman Alexis Peet (Wallenpaupack) was 17th with 92. ... Bloomsburg men's golf freshman Benjamin Galko (Scranton Prep) shot 88 to tied for 27th at the Husky Invitational.

WEEKLY WINNERS

WEEKLY WINNERS

Lackawanna Trail graduate Sam Baltrusaitis of Marywood University was selected the Atlantic East Conference softball Player of the Week for the period of April 17-23. Baltrusaitis batted .565 (13 for 23) in eight games with four doubles, one triple, one home run, 10 runs and five RBIs to help the Pacers go 4-4.

Valley View graduate Jack Baronski from Marywood was chosen the Atlantic East men's track Athlete of the Week. At the Widener Invitational, Baronski finished eighth out of 72 runners in 3:56.92. His time was third among Division III runners and ranks second in Marywood program history.

Marywood's Milana Straub was named Atlantic East women's track Athlete of the Week. At the Moravian University Coach Pollard Invitational, Straub won the 5,000 meters in a personal-best 18:18.37 and second-best time in program history. She also placed sixth in the 1500 meters in 5:06.85, which ranks fourth in the program record book.

Teammate Courtney Humphreys was named to the women's track and field weekly honor roll.

Kaitlyn Smith of Marywood was selected Atlantic East women's lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week. Smith had 10 goals and five assists in a 2-0 week by the Pacers.

CSAC

Keystone College swept the Colonial States Athletic Conference baseball weekly awards for the period of April 17-23.

Griffin Yastremski was chosen Player of the Week after batting 5 for 9 in four games with one double, two home runs, seven walks, five runs and seven RBIs. The Giants went 3-1, including a sweep of a key doubleheader against Wilson College.

Brayan Villar was selected Pitcher of the Week. In Game 1 of the doubleheader against Wilson, Villar went six-plus innings, allowing two earned runs and six hits with four strikeouts to earn the win.

Four Keystone athletes were named to the weekly honor roll in their respective sports: Mara Brooks and Courtney Cienki (softball); and Ryan Smith and Cody Dembski (men's lacrosse).

Landmark Conference

For handing Catholic University its first league loss, the University of Scranton swept the Landmark Conference men's lacrosse weekly awards for the period of April 17-23.

Christopher Crapanzano was chosen Offensive Athlete of the Week after totaling three goals, one assist, four ground balls, one caused turnover and winning 9 of 11 faceoffs in the 10-8 win over Catholic. Declan Allen was selected Defensive Athlete of the Week for making 11 saves in the victory, including six in the second half.

The two players also swept the awards March 27.

— SCOTT WALSH

SCOTT WALSH covers area college athletes and teams in Local Connections. Contact him at swalsh@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 ext. 5109; and follow him @swalshTT on Twitter.

SCOTT WALSH covers area college athletes and teams in Local Connections. Contact him at swalsh@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 ext. 5109; and follow him @swalshTT on Twitter.