s PageS Widener University May 3(2002 Widener baseball splits . with Etown ~.) ~~ . Steve Cesarini . Last Saturday, plete-game victory. He gave up only two hits and shaky start, all owing three first-inning runs, but ~ c ~ ' , , • the WIdener PlOneers struck out four Pioneers in seven innings of work. settled down quickly and went on to pitch a gem, . ' :~"",~ Staff W ntcl' baseball team closed At this point , th e Pioneers knew what it was In th e bottom of the first, the Pioneers got to ou t their 2002 regular that they had to do. In order to secure home-fi eld Lobb early and often . Appearing to show nothing season with a doubleheader against the Blue Jays in the first round of the playoffs, they had to win but a weak curveball and breaking ball, the of Elizabethtown. With their split, th eir final the second game. Widener bats sat on his pitches and to uched him record was 23-14 overall and 14-7 in the up for six in the bottom half of the fi rst. Middle Atlantic Conference. By winning Lobb was very wil d, walking four in just the second game 7-4, th ey clinched the sec­ three innings of work. The Pioneers bat­ ond seed in the MAC playoffs and a first· ted around, plus-two in the inning. tound home ga me, which was played this Lobb barely got through the second, week. The tournament continues into this :md gave up another t.a Lly in the Widener weekend, at Owls Field in Reading. third, on a Matt Barber RBI. double. In the first game, senior Jeff Kennedy Barber caught both games for the took the mound for the Pioneers. He and P ioneers and did an admirable job of han­ E-town starter Drew Kelley pitched quick dling the pitchers In the fo urth, Lobb first inning!:l , but Kennedy was rough ed up was replaced by righthander Mike Nocar. a bit in the second, wh en h e surrendered a Nocar shut the Pioneers out for the rest of two-run homerun to Seth Guida. Those the ga me. two r uns turned out to be all the Blue J ays However, Meccariell o cruised righ t. needed en route to their 7-0 victory. along until the fifth , when he gave up a Kelley continued to roll along, mowing run on a sacrifice f1 y to Mark Dixon. That down Pioneers hitters and using good loca­ was all he wo uld give up the rest of the tion and velocity to right h anded hitters at game. Diorisio was seen warming up peri­ the plate and a nasty slider to lefties. The odicall y in the bullpen for most of the best Wi dener could do was must er a num­ final few innings, in case h e was needed. ber of lazy fl y balls and weak grounders He was not however, Meccariell o p itc hed against him. a complete game, fini shing with a line of The score remained the same until right four runs on 11 hits, with two walks and fi elder Brad Biehl doubled and Steve three strikeouts, On the final out, a Luongo followed with a centerfield home­ grounder to Kennedy, who played second run to double th e Elizabethtown lead. The base in the ca p, Meccariello jump ed up Jays added three more in the top of the an d pumped his fist in the air in exc ite­ seventh, and Kennedy was finally chased Junior infielder Lee Spinella waits for the sign after hitting a ment, with two outs. His final li ne was seven single and advancing to first base. runs on 10 hits an d two strikeouts. Tony Photo By: University Relations Widener faced third-seeded Messiah Diorisio came in and retired th e only hitter Wednesday in the first round of the play­ he faced, Biehl. Freshman standout Tony Meccariello took the off's , and will continue play this weekend in Kelley finished th e game, retiring the Pioneers ball in the afternoon-cap, opposed by lefty Derek Reading as the MAC tournament continues. in the bottom of the seven th to record the com- Lobb for Elizabethtown. Meccariello got off to a Fivers lire Barber. After taking blame for Flyers' playoff collapse, Bill Barber was fired from the Flyers organization. He is the fifth Flyers. coach to be terminated since 1997 and the,sixth since 1995 when general manager Bobby Clarke took the helm. Flyers fans wonder: Who's next? l ~ ~I · · "'\: ~ Pam Gargano With a payroll of $55. 5 million and He and Clarke were linemates on The Flyers struggled at the start of a roster at the start of the season Philadelphia's Broad Street Bullies the season, and were 15-1 0-5-1 by H e a d that included seven players who teams of the 1970s. Barber ranks the middle of December. Bu t, they c o a c h have been All-Stars and three form er first on th e Flyers' career list with went 18-5- 1-2 the next two months, Bill Barber was fired by the 50-goal scorers, Philadelphia was a 420 goals, third with 463 assists and and had the best record in the East Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, one strong favorite to reach the Stanley second wi th 883 points at the Olympic break. After return­ day after players said the coach was Cup finals. Since his playing career ended, ingfrom the brea k, Philadelphia won at fault for the team's collapse in the The Flyers were 31 -16-7 after Barber served numerous coaching just nine of 26 games. first round of the playoffs for the sec­ Barber took over for Craig Ramsay and scou ting roles. He was head Goalten der Brian Bouch er saiel ond straight year. in December 2000, but they lost in coach of the Hershey Bears, the Barber didn't make adju stments Ge neral manager Bob Clarke, six ga mes to Buffalo in the playoffs . Flyers' former AHL affili ate, in 1984- when th e team was los ing to Ottawa. announcing the dismissal at a news Several players, including cap- 85 and 1995-96 and was an assistant "All h e ever said was 'work hard­ conference, said veteran players lost tain Keith Primeau, who said the coach with the Flyers from 1985-88 er,'" Boucher said. "We needed a respect fo r Barber. coaching staff wasn't open to sugges- and January 1994 to 1995, He was game plan to somehow counter what "We just felt that there was no way tions from the players, criticized, the team's director of pro scouting they were doing. There's always a of being able to heal the wounds that Barber Monday. from 1988-96. way to come up with a counter." had developed between the coach "We had the worst power play in Barber spent four years as head Clarke fired Terry Murray after imd the players," Clarke said. the league, why are we not practicing coach of the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Flyers were swept in the 1997 Clarke, Barber's former t ea mmate, it?" Prim eau said. "Th e tirades on the Flyers' current .AJ-IL affiliate. Stanley Cup finals by Detroit . I-li s called him a close frie nd and said he the bench. All season long we said if before becoming Ramsay's assistant replacement, Wayne Cashman , last­ would be offered another job in the someone makes a mistake, they're at the start of the 2000-.01 season. He ed only 6 1 games into the 1997·98 organization. getting yell ed at. led the Phantoms to the Calder Cup season before he was let go in favor Barber, the NHLs coach of the "We say when we come to the championship in 1998. Barber lost of Roger Neilson. year last season , is the fifth coach bench , ma ke that adjustment. He his wife Jenny to lung cancer in Neil son underwent treatment for the Flyers have let go since 1997. It wants the player to make the adjust- December, but didn't miss any cancer after coaching 57 ga mes in is the sixth coaching change Clarke men t. Our job is to play. I felt like I games, preferring to keep his mind t he 1999-00 season. Ramsay took has made since returning to was having to make the adjustments on work. over on an interim basis and led the Philadelphia as GM seven years ago. on the bench. I don't fe el that's part Clarke spent $101 million on long- Flyers to the conference fin als, The Flyers won the Atlantic of my job description." term con tracts last summer, includ- wh ere they blew a 3· 1 series lead to Division with 97 points, earning the A member of Philadelphia's only ing a $45 million, fiv e-year deal for the New Jersey Devils and lost Game No. 2 seeding in th e Eastern Stanley Cup ,championship teams in forward John LeClair, who scored 7 at home. Conference playoffs. But they lost 1974 and 1975, Barber played his just 25 goals and had no points in the After the successful playoff' run, the best-of-seven series to the No, 7- entire 12·year career with the playoffs. He also traded a top Ramsay was retained - but not for seeded Ottawa Senators in five Flyers, was elected to the Hockey prospect and three draft picks for 39- long.