“The championship of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Leadoff Classic, ranked #1 in the nation for four weeks, a 29-game winning steak, an undefeated Commonwealth Conference season, a fifth straight conference championship, a seventh straight berth in the NCAA Tournament, the first-ever NCAA Regional Championship and trip to the World Series, a school record 40-win season and you just played for the national championship. I’d say that is a pretty good season.”

That is how head coach John Byrne began his speech in right field to the 2004 Moravian College softball team after the squad had just lost the NCAA Division III National Championship game, 2-0 to the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) in the final game of the World Series played at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia from May 14th to 17th.

Moravian posted a 40-6 record, a school record in victories for all sports at the school, and was 14-0 in Commonwealth Conference during the regular season. The Greyhounds also won their first-ever NCAA Regional Championship, defeating host Ramapo College of New Jersey, 1-0, in the regional title game.

The Greyhounds would play the comeback kids at the World Series, rallying from a 6-1 deficit in the top of the seventh inning for a 7-6, nine-inning victory over top seeded Chapman University in the first game. Moravian then came back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Salisbury (MD) University, 6-5 in 11 innings in the Greyhounds’ second game of the series.

The Greyhounds under the direction Byrne, who as a career mark of 333-117 in 11 seasons, won at least 23 games for the 11th consecutive season and broke the school record for wins in a season by any sport. Moravian was undefeated in the Commonwealth Conference regular season. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games six times under Byrne including the last four years, were in the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year and the postseason for the tenth consecutive season. Bryne earned his 300th win this past season with the Greyhounds 11-3 victory over Methodist College in the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

One of the keys for the Greyhounds again this season was their pitching staff, which had a 1.34 ERA, 17 shutouts, 251 strikeouts, 234 hits allowed and just 90 walks allowed in 318 innings.

Sophomore pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS), the 2004 Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Year, posted a 22-4 record, a school record for victories, with a school record 11 shutouts and three saves. Hennessy, who started the season 15-0, had a 1.18 ERA in 184 innings of work, and she allowed just 125 hits and 47walks while striking out a school record 168 batters. Hennessy, who was named a First Team Louisville Slugger/NFCA First Team All-American, a First Team NFCA All-Region and a First Team Commonwealth All-Conference player, became just the second pitcher in school history with 300 strikeouts in a career. Hennessy was also named to the All-Tournament Team at both the World Series and the regional.

Senior hurler Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) was 16-1 this season, having won her last 16 decisions. Weiner, who was named to the Commonwealth All-Conference First Team, had a 1.68 ERA, six shutouts, 79 strikeouts and just 100 hits and 40 walks allowed in 124 2/3 innings of action. Freshman Becky Thomas (Laureldale, PA/Muhlenberg Township HS) had a 2-0 record, a 0.75 ERA and four strikeouts in nine 1/3 innings.

As a team at the plate, Moravian had a .297 batting average this season with 368 hits, 59 doubles, nine triples and 15 home runs. The Greyhounds scored 220 runs and drew 102 walks while striking out just 114 times in 1,429 plate appearances. Moravian also had a .971 fielding percentage with just 27 errors in the team’s last 42 games after committing 12 errors in the first four games of the season.

Junior shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS), the 2004 Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, lead the Greyhounds at the plate with a .448 batting average. Bortz, who drew a bases loaded walk to drive in the only run in Moravian’s regional championship win, had a single season school record 74 hits on the season and tied the school record for career hits with 191. Bortz, who had an NCAA all-division record 44-game hitting streak from April 15, 2003 to April 17, 2004, also contributed 46 runs scored, 19 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, 11 walks, eight doubles and three triples. Bortz was also a First Team Louisville Slugger/NFCA First Team All-American, a First Team NFCA All-Region and a First Team Commonwealth All-Conference player.

Senior third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) continued to rewrite the Moravian record books this spring. Brey currently holds 17 Moravian game, season and career records and ranks in the top five of the career offensive categories she doesn’t own the record. Brey hit .384 this season with 56 hits, 45 RBIs, 34 runs scored, 13 walks, 13 doubles, a triple and seven home runs. Brey also set the school record with 111 assists in the field this season. She was named to the First Team NFCA All-Region and First Team Commonwealth All-Conference, and Brey was on the regional All-Tournament Team.

Senior outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) contributed a .343 batting average this spring with 49 hits, 21 RBIs, 31 runs scored, eight stolen bases, ten walks, eight doubles, three triples and two homers. Soroka was named to the First Team NFCA All-Region and First Team Commonwealth All-Conference, and she was on the World Series All-Tournament Team. Sophomore designated player Richelle McWilliams (Riegelsville, PA/Easton HS) hit .292 with 28 hits, 23 RBIs, nine runs, nine doubles and four home runs while being named to the Commonwealth All-Conference Second Team and regional All-Tournament squad.

Freshman catcher Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) hit .276 in her debut season with 29 hits, 13 RBIs, 13 runs, nine walks, two doubles and a triple while senior outfielder Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS) contributed 23 hits, nine runs, ten RBIs and four doubles.

Senior designated player Jenn Hastings (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) had 19 hits, 14 RBIs, five runs and three doubles while freshman first baseman Lauren Homa (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) added 27 hits, 22 runs, 12 walks, ten RBIs, four doubles and two homers. Homa was on the All-Tournament Team at both the World Series and the regional and led the Greyhounds’ comeback versus Chapman at the World Series with a game-tying two-run home run and the game-winning RBI single.

Junior outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS), who was named to the regional All-Tournament Team, had 19 hits on the season with ten runs, six walks, five RBIs, two double and a triple while junior second baseman Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) added 19 hits, 18 runs, nine walks, seven RBIs and four doubles.

Sophomore catcher Kira Weller (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson West Lawn HS) contributed ten hits, nine walks, four runs, four RBIs and a double while senior second baseman Megan Smith (Phillipsburg, NJ/ Belvidere HS) had eight hits, eight runs, seven walks and four RBIs. Junior outfielder Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) had three hits; three runs and an RBI while freshmen infielder/outfielder LeeAnna Roberts (Meshoppen, PA/Elk Lake HS) and infielder Rebecca DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/Sacred Heart HS) each had two hits on the year. Roberts added six runs and an RBI while DeJulio has two RBIs, two runs and a double.

Coach Byrne will have six seniors to replace next season but with another strong recruiting class headed to Moravian, the Greyhounds look for a return trip to the World Series next year.