LOCAL CONNECTIONS: BC's Vince Cimini homers at Fenway

What do Ted Williams, Carl Yasrtzemski and Vince Cimini (Scranton Prep) have in common? All have hit home runs in Boston’s Fenway Park.

Boston College baseball team played its 12th annual ALS Awareness Game against the University of Virginia at the famous stadium. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with two outs and a runner on base, Cimini hit a 1-2 pitch down the right-field line and around the Pesky Pole — the foul pole 302 feet from home plate named after Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky — for a two-run home run. It gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead on their way to an 8-2 victory.

It was Cimini’s fifth home run this season.

On the links

University of Scranton sophomore Juliano Nieto (Holy Cross) was named Landmark Conference men’s golf Rookie of the Year following his performance at the conference championships over the weekend at Shawnee Golf Course.

Nieto shot 3-over-par 147 (75-72) to finish tied for fifth in the individual standings and help the Royals rally on the back nine to take their second consecutive team title by two strokes over Drew University. He also earned first-team all-conference.

Joining him on the first team was junior teammate Danny Harding. Scranton sophomores Jack Novis and Gehrig Shannon were second-team selections, while Ed Karpovich was chosen Landmark Coaching Staff of the Year.

For the Scranton women, senior Maddy Buhler and freshman Alex Schaul were second-team all-Landmark Conference, while sophomores Lidia Marranca (Scranton Prep) and Cassie Weir received honorable mention.

Heard it before

For the second straight week, Lebanon Valley College sophomore Megan Heard (Abington Heights) was named MAC Freedom Conference softball Player of the Week for the period of April 22-28.

Heard batted .545 (6 for 11) during a 3-1 week that enabled the Dutchwomen to clinch the top seed for this weekend’s Freedom Conference Championships. In the regular-season title-clinching win over Arcadia, she was 3 for 3. She also handed 16 of 17 chances in the field at shortstop during the week (2 putouts, 14 assists).

Shark attack

Long Island University baseball team won all five of its games last week to improve to 22-18 overall and 18-6 in the Northeast Conference, tied for first place with Sacred Heart University.

Redshirt senior Jake Mastillo (North Pocono) batted 5 for 19 in the five games with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, five runs and nine RBIs. Redshirt freshman Noah Sorensen (Scranton Prep) was 6 for 19 with one double, one triple, four runs and four RBIs.

Both players contributed to a comeback victory over Delaware State in the second game of a three-game series sweep.

LIU trailed after 5½ innings, 10-1, its one run coming on a Mastillo sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the sixth, Mastillo started the rally with a two-run double. In the bottom of the seventh, he hit a three-run home run to cut the deficit to 10-8. In the bottom of the ninth, he was hit by a pitch and wound up scoring the tying run on a wild pitch. Sorensen then hit a walkoff RBI single to cap the comeback and give LIU an 11-10 victory.

Relief effort

West Chester University baseball senior Dylan Howanitz (Valley View) retired all four batters he faced with two strikeouts in the sixth and seventh innings of Game 1 of a doubleheader against East Stroudsburg University. When the Rams scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to win, 2-1, Howanitz got the victory to improve his record to 4-0.

He also got the final out of the sixth inning of the second game as West Chester completed a doubleheader sweep, 9-2.

Howanitz has appeared in 22 games, all in relief, and has a 2.16 earned run average with 29 strikeouts in 25 innings. He has not allowed a run in 14 of his last 16 appearances, covering 17.2 innings, with 20 strikeouts.

• When Moravian University loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh inning in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the University of Scranton, senior Jason Carpenter (Scranton) came on and got a strikeout to preserve an 8-5 Royals win. It was Carpenter’s third save of the season, which is tied for fifth in the Landmark Conference.

Carpenter is 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 25 innings.

Quick connects

Mansfield University softball sophomore Carly Wywoda (Holy Cross) contributed a two-run double in a 6-4 win in Game 2 of a doubleheader split with Shippensburg University. The win was No. 500 in coach Edith Gallagher’s career. … University of Pittsburgh baseball freshman Gavin Chillot (North Pocono) pitched the final 1.1 innings scoreless in an 11-8 loss to Bryant University with one walk and two strikeouts. In his last five appearances, covering 5.1 innings, Chillot has allowed just one run (earned) and three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

WEEKLY WINNERS

WEEKLY WINNERS

Clarks Summit University’s Maddison Atkins was chosen United East Conference Skye Division softball Pitcher of the Week for the period of April 22-28.

Atkins tossed a seven-inning perfect game in the nightcap of a doubleheader against Valley Forge. She threw 83 pitches and struck out 15 in a 3-0 win. She also allowed one run on six hits with 11 strikeouts in a 3-1, eight-inning triumph over Cairn that clinched a playoff berth for the Lady Defenders.

SCOTT WALSH covers area college athletes. Contact him at swalsh@scrantontimes.com; 570-209-8327; and follow him @swalshTT on X.