The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times
The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times
The Martha's Vineyard Times The Martha's Vineyard Times

Sports Highlights

By Don Lyons - April 5, 2007

Tennis pros at B.U.

Tennis fans may want to know that Champions Cup Boston will bring Pete Sampros, John McEnroe, Jim Courier, and Mats Wilander, among others, to the Agganis Arena at B.U. for a Champions Cup tournament May 2-6. The event will benefit Tenacity, a youth development organization offering free tennis instruction to more than 3,000 young people in Boston.

See www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.

MVRHS softball looks strong

Entered in a 12-team scrimmage Jamboree at Mashpee over the weekend, the MVRHS softball team gave a good accounting of itself against strong competition.

Saturday the Islanders beat Grafton, 4-3, behind Jackie Panek's six K, one earned run pitching with timely hitting by Erin Morris, Kelly Silvia, and Brittany Stone.

Then two freshmen, Caroline Davey and Martha Scheffer, took the mound but were victims of shaky support. Caroline gave up two earned runs in an 8-1 loss to Amherst. Martha fanned five, went 2-for-2 and had an RBI in a 3-5 loss to Murdock.

Sunday, with Jackie serving bullets, the Vineyarders trounced Nantucket, 4-0. Jackie struck out eight Whalers. Brittany Stone was 2-for-2, had 2 RBI, and a steal. Cayla Morris walked twice, scored twice and drove the ball over the centerfielder for a triple.

Game five was a win, 5-3, versus Falmouth with Davey and Scheffer sharing mound duties. Kelly Silvia was 2-for-2, a single and a triple, and drove in two runs. Amira Madison pinchhit an RBI double in the fifth.

The final game of the tourney was a 4-3 loss to powerhouse Wellesley. Jackie Panek fanned four, gave up two earned runs and walked none. Brittany Stone walloped a home run in the fourth inning. At game's end, MV had the tying run on third base.

Coach Burgoyne was more than pleased with the team's showing.

The softball and baseball seasons open today at 3:30 pm with visiting D/Y teams. Baseball coach Gary Simmons reports that the team has greater depth this year and is confident of improving on last year's losing record.

All-stars all

Congratulations to Terrell Johnson for being named to the South Coast Conference all-star basketball team; to Joel Rebello, Stephen Greenberg, Tad Gold, Zach Sylvia, and Alex Minnehan, all of whom were placed on the boys South Coast all-star hockey team; and to girls hockey players Lainy Aristide and Jen Ward, as reported in Sunday's Boston Globe.

Gunning it

Former MVRHS three-letter man Ben Gunn, now a dean's list sophomore at St. Anselm's in Manchester, N.H., has made the transition from ice hockey to baseball, playing third base for the Hawks. He contributed a three-run double to center helping his team to an 8-3 win over Saint Rose College of Albany, N.Y.

Twins Erin and Liz Gunn have decided to run their third Boston Marathon, this year as members of the Mass General Cystic Fibrosis team. To sponsor the girls and support the effort to fight the disease, see www.firstgiving.com/eringunn.

Red Raiders win net opener

The perennially powerful Barnstable boys tennis team had all it could handle on their own courts when the Vineyarders came to call on Tuesday.

M.V.'s Tim McHugh lost his first singles match in straight sets to Chris Liverini, 6-3, 6-0.

But Vineyarders won at second and third singles. Andrew McHugh prevailed 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, and Timo Nivala won 6-0, 7-5.

Seth Seeman and Win Grimm were no match at second doubles, 1-6, 1-6, which left everything up to the first doubles pair of Daniel Han and Dylan Hutchinson who won their first set, 6-4 but lost the second and third, 6-4, 6-3. Final score: Barnstable 3, M.V. 2.

Weather permitting, the team is home to Sandwich today.

The M.V. girls tennis team was swept by Barnstable, 5-0.

Potpourri

Dining Out. A spaghetti and meat balls dinner with salad will be served at the PA Club, next Wednesday, April 11, to benefit of the boys lacrosse team. All you can eat for $10. Hard to beat that price. Martha's Marathoners: Liz Fox and Mel Ben David will walk the marathon and half-marathon in Boston, May 19 and 20, a benefit for breast cancer research. To learn more, call Liz at 508-939-9687. Peter & Paul: The Times was wrong last week reporting the generous sponsor of the girls travel basketball team as Peter Pertile. His name is Paul Pertile. Youth Tennis: A Vineyard Youth Tennis team will take on a squad from Falmouth Tennis Academy at Falmouth, Saturday. Girls Travel Basketball: The team defeated Milford, 28-22, at the Bourne invitational, then lost to Plymouth by 15 points. A last second 3-pointer by Jill McHugh sent the game with Carver into OT. Carver finally won, 19-17. The MVRHS Sailors swept Harwich, Tuesday, 3-0. They face stronger opposition today at Barnstable and Saturday at St. George's School.

Volleyball semis

The Tisbury Tigers, who have yet to be beaten, swept the winless Oak Bluffs Blazers in the semi-final round of the interscholastic playoffs, at Tisbury, Tuesday and the Edgartown Eagles did as well versus the West Tisbury Hawks. The best three-out-of-five-games finals will be Monday, at Edgartown.