Sports News: Spring 2001

Wednesday, May 2, 2001

GREYHOUNDS PREPARE FOR COMMONWEALTH PLAYOFFS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- For the seventh straight year, the Moravian College softball team is preparing for the postseason and has won at least 25 games as the Greyhounds (29-10) will be the second seed in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs this Friday and Saturday, May 4th and 5th at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA.

Moravian, the second seed, will play third seeded Messiah College at 1:00 p.m. on Friday while top seed Susquehanna University will battle fourth seed Lebanon Valley College at 11:00 a.m.  The winners will play at 3:00 p.m. on Friday while the losers will start the action on Saturday at 9:00 a.m.  Saturday's other games will be at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (if necessary).

The Greyhounds, under the direction of eight-year head coach John Byrne, will be looking for their fourth straight berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament, which is awarded to the Commonwealth Conference Tournament Champion.  Byrne has led Moravian to a 223-91 record in eight seasons with at least 23 wins every year and two 31-win seasons.  Under Byrne, Moravian has made the NCAA Tournament in 2000, 1999 and 1998 and the MAC Playoffs in 2000, 1997, 1996 and 1995.  Moravian also received a national ranking this season, being ranked 19th in the nation in the first National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Poll released on April 4th.

The key to Moravian's success in 2001 has been the pitching staff, which despite 10 losses including three by the score of 1-0, ranks sixth in the nation with a 0.94 earned run average.  Junior Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown/Saucon Valley HS) leads the staff with a 14-3 record (two losses by one run in extra innings) and a 0.93 ERA.  Mowrey has tossed 121 innings with 53 strikeouts and just 16 walks.  She has allowed 91 hits, 28 runs and 16 earned runs.

Freshman Donna Weiner (Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) stepped right into a starting role this spring and has a 12-7 record and a 1.06 ERA.  Of Weiner's seven losses, five are by one run including one-run losses to New Jersey Athletic Conference powers Rowan University and the College of New Jersey.  Weiner leads the Greyhound staff with126 inning pitched and 71 strikeouts.  She has allowed 33 walks, 93 hits, 32 runs and just 19 earned runs.

Freshman Jessica Naugle (Mohrsville/Schuylkill Valley HS) is 2-0 on the season with a 0.58 ERA, nine strikeouts and two walks in 12 innings pitched.  Sophomore Jill Simms (Hampton, NJ/ Voorhees HS) has a 1-0 mark with three strikeouts and one walk in nine innings of work.

At the plate, Moravian is being led by a trio of freshmen including shortstop Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS), utility player Jenn Hastings (Pottstown/Owen J. Roberts HS) and centerfielder Janelle Brey (Allentown/Dieruff HS).  Soroka leads the Greyhounds in most offensive categories with a .383 batting average, 133 at-bats, 29 runs scored, 51 hits two triples, 27 RBIs and seven stolen bases.  Soroka has added eight doubles, three homeruns and 11 walks.  Hastings has a .372 batting average with 42 hits in 113 at-bats with 15 runs scored, 18 RBIs, three doubles and a triple.

Brey, who missed 14 games due to a broken hand, set several Moravian records in a limited season.  Brey tied the school record for homeruns in a season with five and set the mark for homeruns in a game with two and for RBIs in a game with six.  The Greyhounds broke the single season record for homeruns with nine so far this spring.  Brey is hitting .354 with 28 hits in 79 at-bats.  She has added 16 runs scored, 24 RBIs and nine doubles.

Junior designated player/first baseman Deb Noble (Cranford, NJ/Cranford HS) has collected 33 hits in 107 at-bats for a .308 batting average.  Noble leads the Greyhounds with 10 doubles and she has added 19 runs scored, 13 RBIs and 12 walks.  Junior second baseman Laurie Rentschler (Slatington/ Northern Lehigh HS) has a .302 batting average with 32 hits in 106 at-bats.  Rentschler has added 19 runs scored, 16 RBIs, 10 sacrifices and four doubles.

Junior catcher Stacy Matuczinski (Bethlehem/Liberty HS) has 28 hits on the season and leads the Greyhounds with 12 sacrifices.  She has scored 15 runs while driving in 12 more.  Matuczinski has two doubles and has thrown out nine of 26 attempts base stealers.

Junior outfielder Summer Miller (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional HS) has 24 hits on the season for Moravian with 17 runs scored 12 RBIs, four doubles and a triple.  Junior outfielder Sarah Leiby (Fleetwood/Fleetwood HS) leads the Greyhounds with 13 walks and she has added 21 hits, 10 runs scored, seven RBIs and four doubles.

Freshman outfielder/third baseman Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS) has 14 hits, 12 runs scored, 10 RBIs and a homerun in her debut season with Moravian while freshman third baseman Megan Smith (Phillipsburg, NJ/Belvidere HS) has 13 hits, 12 runs scored and a pair of doubles.

Senior outfielder Missy Hummel (Walnutport/Northampton HS) has played just 23 games this season due to leg injuries and she will miss the rest of the season.  Hummel had 17 hits, 18 runs scored and six RBIs this spring.  The Greyhounds have also had to play the entire season without sophomore infielder Kim Gehman (Topton/Brandywine Heights HS), who has been sidelined after ankle surgery during the off-season.

Capsules of other competing teams:

Susquehanna University

Overall Record - 16-10-1
Commonwealth Conference Record - 10-4, 1st place by tiebreaker

Top Pitchers - Senior Kristen Hogan (12-3 record, 1.86 ERA, 101 2/3 innings, 100 K, 22 BB, 94 hits)
Freshman Amy Kleman (3-6 record, 2.27 ERA, 71 innings, 28 K, 20 BB, 65 hits)

Top Hitters - Junior Shelly Zimmerman (3B, .400 BA, 90 AB, 36 H, 18 RBI, 12 R, 6 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR)
Sophomore Teresa Ely (OF, .385 BA, 91 AB, 35 H, 7 R, 7 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B, 5 SB)
Freshman Melissa Bird (OF, .350 BA, 60 AB, 21 H, 7 R, 9 RBI, 2 2B)
Sophomore Alli Ackerman (C, .308 BA, 78 AB, 24 H, 13 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 1 HR)
Freshman Kelli Thompson (OF, .295 BA, 88 AB, 26 H, 10 R, 9 RBI, 3 2B, 4 SB)

Messiah College

Overall Record - 22-19
Commonwealth Conference Record - 9-5, 3rd place

Top Pitchers - Sophomore Jaime Batchelor (11-5 record, 1.37 ERA, 107 2/3 inn., 36 K, 32 BB, 97 hits)
Junior Stephanie Gerig (8-8 record, 1.41 ERA, 104 1/3 innings, 45 K, 13 BB, 108 hits)

Top Hitters - Senior Christina Wessman (SS, .433 BA, 141 AB, 61 H, 33 R, 12 RBI, 3 2B, 1 3B, 31 SB)
Gerig (P/1B, .352 BA, 105 AB, 37 H, 17 R, 21 RBI, 9 2B, 14 BB, 4 SB)
Sophomore Stacey Greiner (OF, .330 BA, 115 AB, 38 H, 19 R, 19 RBI, 4 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 8 SB)
Freshman Jen Quigley (2B, .326 BA, 89 AB, 29 H, 13 R, 10 RBI, 4 2B, 13 SB)
Sophomore Michal Chaffinch (3B/P, .323 BA, 99 AB, 32 H, 19 R, 19 RBI, 9 2B, 1 3B, 11 BB)

Lebanon Valley College

Overall Record - 17-14
Commonwealth Conference Record - 8-6, 4th place

Top Pitchers - Junior Sam Rill (7-4 record, 2.33 ERA, 75 innings, 30 K, 16 BB, 73 hits)
Senior Tera Irmen (6-2 record, 3.41 ERA, 53 1/3 innings, 14 K, 18 BB, 67 hits)

Top Hitters - Sophomore Amanda Stevenson (2B, .326 BA, 49 AB, 15 H, 9 R, 2 RBI, 3 SB)
Junior Jamie Bailey (OF, .325 BA, 83 AB, 27 H, 9 R, 8 RBI, 4 2B, 2 3B, 4 SB)
Rill (P/OF, .319 BA, 91 AB, 29 H, 11 R, 12 RBI, 13 2B, 2 3B, 6 BB)
Irmen (P/OF, .318 BA, 14 H, 44 AB, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 2B)
Senior Heather Domracki (OF, .312 BA, 93 AB, 29 H, 17 R, 5 RBI, 4 SB)