The Moravian College softball team continued several streaks in 2003 as the squad posted its best postseason in school history. Moravian won its fourth consecutive Commonwealth Conference title and participated in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the sixth straight year. The Greyhounds finished as the runner-up at the East Regional hosted by Ramapo College of New Jersey, Moravian’s highest finish in the NCAA Regionals, one win from the Division III World Series.

The Greyhounds under the direction of ten-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 293-111, posted a 32-10 record this spring, the tenth consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games five times under Byrne including the last three years, won the conference tournament for the third straight season. Moravian was in the postseason for the ninth consecutive year, and its previous best finish at the NCAA Regionals was third place back in 1999 and 2000. Byrne and his staff were named the 2003 NFCA East Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

The squad finished the 2003 season ranked ninth in the nation in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll, one spot below Moravian’s highest-ever ranking of eighth, which was back in 1998.

One of the keys for the Greyhounds again this season was their pitching staff, which had a 1.45 ERA, 11 shutouts, 226 strikeouts, 237 hits allowed and just 63 walks allowed in 289 innings.

Freshman pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS) posted a 16-6 record in her debut season, and she broke the school record for strikeouts in a season with 164. Hennessy posted a school record tying eight shutouts and a 1.39 ERA in 151 innings of work, and she allowed just 114 hits and 37 walks. Hennessy was named the Commonwealth Conference Co-Pitcher of the Year and the Freshman of the Year, while earning spots on the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team, the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-East Region First Team and the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team.

Junior hurler Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) was 16-4 this season. Weiner had a 1.62 ERA, three shutouts, 62 strikeouts and just 123 hits and 26 walks allowed in 138 innings of action. Weiner was also a member of the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team this season.

As a team at the plate, Moravian had a .310 batting average this season with 363 hits, 68 doubles, 16 triples and 12 home runs. The Greyhounds scored 218 runs and drawn 85 walks while striking out just 90 times in 1,172 at-bats.

Sophomore shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) led the Greyhounds at the plate with a .496 batting average. Bortz had a single season school record 67 hits on the season and became the fastest player in school history to reach 100 career hits with a single in a victory at Albright College on April 28th. Bortz also contributed 29 runs scored, 18 RBIs, ten stolen bases, 11 walks, six doubles, three triples and a home run this spring. Bortz was named a Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III Second Team All-American, the Co-Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, Commonwealth All-Conference First Team, NFCA All-East Region First Team, NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team and Lehigh Valley Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Player of the Year among the seven schools in the Lehigh Valley, which includes two Division I schools.

Junior third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) continued to rewrite the Moravian record books this spring. Brey currently holds the school records for home runs in a career (22), a season (10) and a game (2); RBIs in a career (120), a season (52) and a game (seven) and doubles in a career (40), a season (15) and a game (three). Brey hit .412 this season with 54 hits, 44 RBIs, 40 runs scored, 19 walks, 15 doubles, five triples and seven home runs. Brey was also on the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team, the NFCA All-East Region Second Team and the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team.

Sophomore outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) had a .307 batting average for the Greyhounds and she added 42 hits, 28 runs scored, eight RBIs, six walks, five stolen bases and four doubles from the leadoff position. Junior outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) contributed a .299 batting average this spring with 40 hits, 23 RBIs, 24 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, six walks, eight doubles, two triples and a homer. Both Cianfichi and Soroka were on the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team while Soroka was on the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team.

Sophomore second baseman/designated hitter Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) had 27 hits, 24 runs scored, 11 RBIs, nine walks, four doubles and four triples this spring while junior outfielder/designated hitter Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS) added 35 hits, 15 RBIs, ten runs, ten doubles, two triples, a home run, five stolen bases and four walks. Esposito earned a spot on the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team. Junior first baseman Jenn Hastings (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) had 35 hits, 25 RBIs, 15 runs, nine doubles, a home run and seven walks on the year.

Freshman catcher Kira Weller (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson West Lawn HS) collected 20 hits this spring while sophomore outfielder/designated player Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) had 17 hits. Weller added nine runs scored, seven RBIs and ten walks while Eddinger contributed 16 runs scored, ten RBIs, five doubles, five stolen bases and three walks. Junior second baseman Megan Smith (Phillipsburg, NJ/Belvidere HS) collected eight hits on the year with freshman first baseman Richelle McWilliams (Riegelsville, PA/Wilson HS) adding seven hits. Smith contributed ten runs, two RBIs, five walks and a double and McWilliams added three runs scored, two RBIs, two walks, two doubles and a home run.

Freshman catcher Mary Smith (Phillipsburg, NJ/Belvidere HS) had five hits, five runs scored, three RBIs and two doubles while Hennessy had four hits, three runs, a double and an RBI. Freshman outfielder Angela Delonti (Peckville, PA/Valley View HS) had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in limited action as a reserve.

Coach Byrne returns his entire team next season and with addition of another strong recruiting class, the Greyhounds have their eyes set on the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III World Series.