With a third place finish in the NCAA Division III East Regional this spring, the Moravian College softball team moved a step closer to the program’s ultimate goal of winning a NCAA Division III National Championship. The third place showing was one better that in 1998, the team’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, when the Greyhounds were fourth in the region.

The team, under the direction of head coach John Byrne for the sixth season, posted a 28-16 overall record, the sixth straight 20-win season under Byrne. It was also the program’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance. In his six years at the helm, Byrne has posted a 168-69 overall record.

At the NCAA Division III East Regional, the fourth-seeded Greyhounds opened the tournament with a 3-0 victory over #5 Gettysburg College. Moravian then fell to top-seeded Messiah College, 6-5, in the third game of the first day. In their first elimination game, the Greyhounds defeated #2 Methodist College 6-0 before being knocked out of the tournament in the semifinals by Messiah, 7-0.

On the field this season, a pair of juniors led the Greyhounds.

Pitcher Becky Stroup (Palmerton/Palmerton Area HS) posted a 15-7 record on the mound and set the Moravian school record for shutouts in a season with eight this spring. Stroup, a Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League Second Team All-Star and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-East Region Second Team honoree, led the Moravian pitching staff with 90 strikeouts and a 1.71 ERA in 143 1/3 innings.

Shortstop Zan Azzolino (Lodi, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) led the squad in hitting this season with a .412 batting average. She collected 49 hits in 119 at-bats with five doubles and three triples. Azzolino, a MAC Commonwealth League First Team All-Star and NFCA All-East Region Third Team honoree, also had 26 runs scored, 17 RBIs and led the team in the field with 88 assists. Azzolino was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the NCAA Division III East Regional. During the season, Azzolino set the school record for assists in a career and has 250 assists with one season left to play.

Two other Greyhounds hit over .400 this spring. Sophomore outfielder Missy Hummel (Walnutport/Northampton HS) finished the season with a .407 batting average with 55 hits in 135 at-bats. Hummel’s hit total was the third highest single season total in school history. Hummel, a MAC Commonwealth League First Team All-Star and NFCA All-East Region First Team player added five doubles, six stolen bases, 28 runs scored and 14 RBIs during the season.

Freshman outfielder Debbie Noble (Cranford, NJ/Cranford HS) had seen limited action until late in the season when she broke into the starting line-up with several strong hitting performances. Noble finished the season with 17 hits in 39 at-bats for a .436 batting average. Noble, a member of the All-Tournament Team at the NCAA Division III East Regional, also added 16 RBIs, five doubles, six runs scored and a triple.

Sophomore designated player Meg Ryan (Edison, NJ/Edison HS) was named the MAC Commonwealth League All-Star First Team and the NFCA All-East Region Second Team, after hitting .331 this season. Ryan, who paced Moravian with 26 RBIs, had 42 hits in 127 at-bats along with 18 runs scored, seven doubles, three triples and a team leading 16 walks. Ryan, a member of the All-Tournament Team at the NCAA Division III East Regional, also pitched 10 games for the Greyhounds this season, posting a 5-4 record and a 1.97 ERA in 60 1/3 innings of action. She also had 27 strikeouts and allowed just eight walks.

Junior first baseman Ali Harteveld (Lodi, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) also hit over .300 for Moravian this spring with a .305 batting average. Harteveld had 40 hits in 131 at-bats and added 23 RBIs, 13 runs scored and a team leading eight doubles. She also set the school record for putouts in a season with 284.

Freshman catcher Stacy Matuczinski (Bethlehem/Liberty HS) was named to the MAC Commonwealth League All-Star Second Team and collected 23 hits in 81 at-bats in her debut season. Matuczinski led the Greyhounds in sacrifices with 13 and was second on the squad with two triples. She scored 18 runs during the season and added nine RBIs and three doubles.

Senior outfielder Heather Bennett (Franklin, NJ/Wallkill Valley HS) had 26 hits in 104 at-bats during her final season with the Greyhounds. She drove in 14 runs and scored 18 more to go along with four doubles. Bennett led the Moravian outfielders with four assists this season.

Three other players saw action in almost every game this past season for Moravian. Freshman second baseman Laurie Rentschler (Slatington/Northern Lehigh HS) started all 44 games and had 23 hits in 99 at-bats with 16 runs scores, 10 RBIs, 10 sacrifices and three doubles. Junior outfielder/third baseman Krysten Mack (Canton, CT/Canton HS) and freshman third baseman/pitcher Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown/Saucon Valley HS) each had 18 hits during the season with Mack scoring 14 runs and Mowrey crossing the plate 15 times. Mowrey had five doubles and 14 walks on the year while Mack had a double and a triple. On the mound, Mowrey had a 7-5 record with a 2.07 ERA in 81 1/3 innings of action. She struck out 33 batters and allowed just seven walks.

Freshman outfielder Summer Miller (Mt. Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS) also had 18 hits during the season in limited action while classmate Sarah Leiby (Fleetwood/Fleetwood HS) had 13 hits. Junior Marcia Zangrilli (Douglassville/Daniel Boone HS) and Stroup each had five hits during the season while classmate Trish Salomonsen (Effort/Pleasant Valley HS) collected four hits including the Greyhounds only homerun during the year.

Junior Katie Warren (Farmington, CT/Farmington HS) and freshmen Brandi Bok (Walnutport/Northern Lehigh HS) and Stacey Schellinger (Boyertown/Boyertown HS) all had two hits on the season and were used mostly as pinch runners. Warren scored eight runs while Bok crossed the plate three times. On the mound, Warren pitched one complete game for a victory and had four strikeouts and two walks in the contest.

Off the field, Azzolino and Ryan were named to the MAC Executive Director’s All-Academic Team while Salomonsen, Warren and Zangrilli were named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll.