5/1/2013 1:49:00 PM
Box Score 1 SUGAR GROVE, Ill. – The Harper bats stayed hot, and two great pitching efforts propelled the Hawks baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of Waubonsee on Tuesday afternoon.
In game one, the Hawks (14-17) won 5-4 in eight innings as Chris Bobo went the distance to earn the victory on the mound. He allowed just two earned runs and struck out seven Chiefs batters.
The Hawks used a three-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of Theo Yfantis (Prospect Heights, Ill., Wheeling), to take a 3-1 lead. The Chiefs responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Harper’s Chris Elliot (Hoffman Estates, Ill., Richards) nodded the game at 4-4 in the top of the sixth with a two-out RBI double.
Bobo held Waubonsee hitless over the final three frames, and the Hawks scored in the top of the eighth on a Chiefs fielding error.
In the second game of the day, Lee Breitzman (Palatine, Ill., Fremd) threw a complete game shutout to lift the Hawks to a 7-0 victory. Breitzman only surrendered four hits and did not walk a batter while striking out three.
Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill., Palatine) provided the pop, going 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. His two-run single in the sixth inning extended the lead to 5-0.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Keegan's Big Day Not Enough as Hawks Drop Series to Madison
5/1/2013 11:31:00 AM
MADISON, Wis. – Despite a big day at the dish from Kaitlyn Keegan (Elk Grove, Ill., Elk Grove), who finished 4-for-6 on the afternoon, the Harper softball team lost 10-3 and 13-1 to the Madison College WolfPack at Madison on Tuesday.
In game one, Marissa Shaner got the win for the WolfPack. She allowed three runs over seven innings. She struck out 13 while yielding nine hits and one walk.
Madison College’s Michelle Farino, Andrea Lawrence, and Jordan Bell combined for five hits and eight RBIs.
Harper jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Keegan singled to ignite the Hawks’ offense and was knocked in on an RBI groundout by Jazlynn Skor (Barrington, Ill., Barrington). Keegan went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the game.
Harper scored once in the third inning, and then followed it up with one more in the fourth. In the third, the Hawks scored on a solo home run by Amanda Forssander (Mount Prospect, Ill., Prospect).
It didn't take long for Madison to answer as it scored three runs of its own in the third. They scored on a fielder's choice and a two-run single by Bell.
Madison didn't relinquish the lead after scoring two runs in the fourth inning when it scored on a groundout by Heather Edgren and an RBI single by Lawrence.
The WolfPack piled on five more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Madison Millsap singled, scoring McKenKie Endres to start the inning. That was followed up by Farino's double, scoring Brianna Wagner, Milsap and Lawrence.
In game two, the Hawks managed just three hits and lost 13-1 in five innings.
Madison’s Paige Weber got it done on the rubber on the way to a win. She allowed one run over five innings. She struck out five, walked three and surrendered three hits.
The WolfPack’s Bell, Marissa Shaner, and Megan Hanke combined for five hits and six RBIs.
The lone run of the game for Harper crossed the plate in the second inning on an RBI single by Keegan, who went 1-for-2.
The losses bring the Hawks’ season to a close, as they finished the year with a 4-20 record.
MADISON, Wis. – Despite a big day at the dish from Kaitlyn Keegan (Elk Grove, Ill., Elk Grove), who finished 4-for-6 on the afternoon, the Harper softball team lost 10-3 and 13-1 to the Madison College WolfPack at Madison on Tuesday.
In game one, Marissa Shaner got the win for the WolfPack. She allowed three runs over seven innings. She struck out 13 while yielding nine hits and one walk.
Madison College’s Michelle Farino, Andrea Lawrence, and Jordan Bell combined for five hits and eight RBIs.
Harper jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Keegan singled to ignite the Hawks’ offense and was knocked in on an RBI groundout by Jazlynn Skor (Barrington, Ill., Barrington). Keegan went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the game.
Harper scored once in the third inning, and then followed it up with one more in the fourth. In the third, the Hawks scored on a solo home run by Amanda Forssander (Mount Prospect, Ill., Prospect).
It didn't take long for Madison to answer as it scored three runs of its own in the third. They scored on a fielder's choice and a two-run single by Bell.
Madison didn't relinquish the lead after scoring two runs in the fourth inning when it scored on a groundout by Heather Edgren and an RBI single by Lawrence.
The WolfPack piled on five more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Madison Millsap singled, scoring McKenKie Endres to start the inning. That was followed up by Farino's double, scoring Brianna Wagner, Milsap and Lawrence.
In game two, the Hawks managed just three hits and lost 13-1 in five innings.
Madison’s Paige Weber got it done on the rubber on the way to a win. She allowed one run over five innings. She struck out five, walked three and surrendered three hits.
The WolfPack’s Bell, Marissa Shaner, and Megan Hanke combined for five hits and six RBIs.
The lone run of the game for Harper crossed the plate in the second inning on an RBI single by Keegan, who went 1-for-2.
The losses bring the Hawks’ season to a close, as they finished the year with a 4-20 record.
New Job
I am blessed to have finally found a job that suits me. After spending the summer of 2012 as a media relations intern for the Rockford RiverHawks, I returned home and had a very difficult time pinpointing exactly what I wanted to do and if I had the abilities to land a job that I would enjoy. I gained valuable experience as an intern for Bleacher Report, but I was burnt out and really wasn't optimistic about my job prospects.
I applied many places and never heard back. I did interviews for jobs that didn't really seem to suit me but I thought I'd do it to gain experience. Finally, after searching with no luck, I got a message from a friend who worked over at Harper College in the sports department. He told me he was leaving Harper for a full-time position as a sports reporter in Kentucky and thought I would be good for the position he was leaving.
I interviewed, applied, and I was hired to be the Sports Communication Assistant at Harper College. I have been working for two weeks at Harper and can already tell this job is perfect for me. I write stories and do all things media-related for the sports program. This job is particularly well-suited for me because I attended Harper for two years and played on the baseball team. I understand the scope of the athletic program and what it's like to be a young student-athlete who is looking to do well in a sport and move on while balancing a new life of independence.
I couldn't be happier to be in this position right now. Much of Smitty's Sports Blog will be a collection of my work for the college. I've realized just how difficult it is to find time for writing about my favorite teams, but I still intend to do so as often as I can. My return to the blogging world took a little bit longer than expected, but it's good to be back!
I applied many places and never heard back. I did interviews for jobs that didn't really seem to suit me but I thought I'd do it to gain experience. Finally, after searching with no luck, I got a message from a friend who worked over at Harper College in the sports department. He told me he was leaving Harper for a full-time position as a sports reporter in Kentucky and thought I would be good for the position he was leaving.
I interviewed, applied, and I was hired to be the Sports Communication Assistant at Harper College. I have been working for two weeks at Harper and can already tell this job is perfect for me. I write stories and do all things media-related for the sports program. This job is particularly well-suited for me because I attended Harper for two years and played on the baseball team. I understand the scope of the athletic program and what it's like to be a young student-athlete who is looking to do well in a sport and move on while balancing a new life of independence.
I couldn't be happier to be in this position right now. Much of Smitty's Sports Blog will be a collection of my work for the college. I've realized just how difficult it is to find time for writing about my favorite teams, but I still intend to do so as often as I can. My return to the blogging world took a little bit longer than expected, but it's good to be back!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Meadows makes statement against Hersey
After losing its last three games by a combined seven points, the Rolling Meadows boys basketball team made a statement on Friday night.
Led by a core group of seniors, the Mustangs upended the Hersey Huskies 49-35 in Rolling Meadows.
Powered by seniors Matt Dolan (game-high 14 points, 10 rebounds), Austin Reed (12 points), and Jack Milas (7 points), the Mustangs avenged a 38-32 loss at Hersey on Nov. 30 with a convincing win over the Huskies, who beat Prospect a week ago to end the Knights’ unbeaten run in Mid-Suburban East play.
“It feels good to get this win,” Mustangs coach Kevin Katovich said after his team snapped a five-game losing skid. “We told the guys we needed to keep sticking with the plan.”
The Mustangs (6-15, 3-5) took an early 7-0 lead and led 11-5 after one quarter. Hersey guard Alex Mueller (team-high 13 points) cut the deficit to 13-11 with a basket with 4:30 left in the first half, but Meadows responded with an 8-0 run, capped off by Tim Smith’s 3-pointer to make it 21-11. Mueller closed the half strong with two baskets to make it 21-16 at the break.
The Mustangs came out strong in the second half with a 6-0 run to push the lead to double digits.
Hersey (6-13, 3-5) closed to 27-21 with two Quinn Orlandi baskets but Matt Dolan scored 7 of his 14 points in the third quarter to give Meadows a 37-26 edge after three quarters.
“Our seniors made a statement to start the third quarter,” Katovich said. “We challenged him (Matt Dolan) at half, and he certainly responded.”
Playing a matchup zone throughout the game, the Mustangs pressured the ball and varied their looks on the Huskies, who only made 13-of-45 shots while Meadows connected on 19-of-49 of its attempts.
The home team pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Mike Dolan’s steal and basket gave the Mustangs their biggest lead of the game at 45-28 with 5:30 left in the game.
“We came out with a lot of energy and this should give us a lot more confidence for the rest of the season,” Reed said. “If we play like this, we can beat anyone.”
Thursday, February 7, 2013
DePaul frustration
After watching the Blue Demons lose at AllState Arena to Villanova the other night, my frustration reached a breaking point. It looks like this program is never going to turn around. I hate to say it, but it's true. It seems like this team can never get over the hump. If head coach Oliver Purnell wants to keep his job past this year, the Blue Demons are going to have to win some more Big East games late in the season.
The overtime losses to Saint John's in Notre Dame were rough, but this loss to Villanova was flat out embarrassing. Sure, Villanova has beaten some good teams lately, but they also lost to Providence and haven't been consistent on offense this year. The two were tied at halftime and it seemed like DePaul could stick around, but the Wildcats shot 60 percent from the field in this game. Call it bad defense or great shooting, but either way it was another letdown for Oliver Purnell's bunch.
Something has to change going forward. I still think Purnell can't keep running this press without the right personnel. He also must recruit legitimate big men who can rebound the basketball and actually score a little bit. Melvin and Young are good players, but there is no consistent third scoring option on this squad.
There is some talent on this team. I thought they would be middle of the pack in the Big East this year, with a chance to surprise a higher-seeded team in the Big East tournament this year. I was severely mistaken.
The overtime losses to Saint John's in Notre Dame were rough, but this loss to Villanova was flat out embarrassing. Sure, Villanova has beaten some good teams lately, but they also lost to Providence and haven't been consistent on offense this year. The two were tied at halftime and it seemed like DePaul could stick around, but the Wildcats shot 60 percent from the field in this game. Call it bad defense or great shooting, but either way it was another letdown for Oliver Purnell's bunch.
Something has to change going forward. I still think Purnell can't keep running this press without the right personnel. He also must recruit legitimate big men who can rebound the basketball and actually score a little bit. Melvin and Young are good players, but there is no consistent third scoring option on this squad.
There is some talent on this team. I thought they would be middle of the pack in the Big East this year, with a chance to surprise a higher-seeded team in the Big East tournament this year. I was severely mistaken.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Return to Action
After some time off from Smitty's Sports Blog, I'm returning to action! Over the course of 2 1/2 months with Bleacher Report, I wrote 56 articles that garnered about 95,000 reads. I learned so much about the world of sports writing and am truly grateful for the experience gained there. I will continue to write for B/R on a part-time basis, writing articles about my favorite teams and other trending topics. I am returning to this blog because I know I love sports and simply can't bottle up the fact that I want to get my opinions out there.
I've taken about four weeks off from writing, so I feel recharged and ready to go. I felt the time off gave me renewed energy to do something I really enjoy doing. I needed the break, but I also realized that I can't stay away from the world of sports. I'm excited about what I plan on bringing to Smitty's Sports Blog in the coming months and hope you enjoy reading my upcoming blog posts.
Stay tuned for the latest sports coverage!
I've taken about four weeks off from writing, so I feel recharged and ready to go. I felt the time off gave me renewed energy to do something I really enjoy doing. I needed the break, but I also realized that I can't stay away from the world of sports. I'm excited about what I plan on bringing to Smitty's Sports Blog in the coming months and hope you enjoy reading my upcoming blog posts.
Stay tuned for the latest sports coverage!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Bleacher Report
I have taken my writing to Bleacher Report as I am in the Sports Writing Internship Program over at B/R. It has been quite the experience so far. I write two articles on-call every Monday and then three other articles throughout the week. Before the internship started, I told them what teams/sports I want to write about, and they've given me a lot of assignments related to those sports/teams, which has been nice. However, I have been put in some peculiar assignments such as writing about soccer. I took it in stride, did research, and turned out the best product I could given the circumstances.
I may return to this blog from time-to-time to return about things that interest me, but for now you can find me here: http://bleacherreport.com/users/1377737-william-smith. Thank you for reading my writing, I hope you enjoy it.
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