Wednesday, May 1, 2002

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL PREPARES FOR CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- For the eighth straight year, the Moravian College softball team is preparing for a trip to the postseason as the Greyhounds earned the top seed in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament to be held at Lebanon Valley College this Friday and Saturday, May 3rd and 4th

Moravian, ranked 20th in the nation, finished the regular season with an overall record of 31-6 and a 12-1 slate in the Commonwealth Conference. The top-seeded Greyhounds will take on fourth seed Susquehanna University (21-12-1) on Friday at 11:00 a.m. while second seeded Elizabethtown College (29-10) will battle third seeded Albright College (24-8) at 1:00 p.m. The winners will play at 3:00 p.m. Friday and tournament will conclude with at least three games on Saturday. The winner of the tournament earns an automatic berth in the upcoming NCAA Division III Tournament.

Greyhound head coach John Byrne, in his ninth season at the helm, has led the Greyhounds to a record of 258-99 and at least 23 wins every season and four years with at least 31 victories. Byrne has guided Moravian to the NCAA Division III Tournament the last four seasons and the conference playoffs six times in the last eight years.

Moravian has been solid in all facets of the game this season as shown in the NCAA Division III statistical rankings release on Wednesday, April 24th. The Greyhounds are ranked 12th in the nation earned-run average at 1.06; 12th in win-loss percentage at .829, 17th in batting average at .352, 21st in the nation in fielding percentage at .958 and 25th in scoring, averaging 6.69 runs per game.

On the mound for the Greyhounds have been senior Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) and sophomore Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS). Mowrey finished the regular season at 14-3 for the second straight year and she was a perfect 7-0 against Commonwealth Conference opponents. Mowrey has posted a 1.05 ERA with six shutouts, 45 strikeouts and just eight walks in 113 2/3 innings of action. Weiner is 11-3 on the year with a 1.41 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings. Sophomore Jessica Naugle (Mohrsville, PA/Schuylkill Valley HS) is 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA, a no-hitter and 15 strikeouts in 20 innings while freshman Ashley Hughes (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh HS) is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 23 innings of work. The Greyhound pitching staff has won 14 of 31 games this season by shutout.

At the plate, the Greyhounds' bats have been on fire with four starters hitting over .350 and a total of seven over the .350 mark. Leading the squad has been freshman shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS), who leads the team and the Commonwealth Conference with a .440 batting average despite missing six games this season. Bortz has 48 hits on the year and she is tied for the team lead with 31 runs.  She has also contributed 13 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and two triples.  Senior first baseman Sarah Leiby (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood HS) is hitting .408 with 40 hits, 19 runs, 16 RBIs, ten walks, six doubles and a home run in her final season. Leiby moved from the outfield to first base this season. Sophomore outfielder Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS) is hitting .390 for the Greyhounds with 39 hits, 29 runs scored, 28 RBIs, ten doubles, a triple and two homers.

Sophomore third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) is hitting .361 on the year with 39 hits. She leads the Greyhounds in most other offensive categories having broken school record for RBIs (49), home runs (10), doubles (14) and total bases (85). Brey also leads Moravian with 31 runs scored and she has added 12 walks.

Coming off the bench for coach Byrne, freshman outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) has a .400 batting average with 22 hits, 19 runs scored and eight stolen bases. Sophomore designated hitter/first baseman Jenn Hastings (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) is hitting .370 with 17 hits, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, three doubles and a dinger while freshman infielder Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) is hitting .368 with 14 hits, ten runs scored, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases.

Moravian's other starters include sophomore outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) hitting .333 with 37 hits, 28 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 13 walks, nine RBIs and six doubles, senior second baseman Laurie Rentschler (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh HS) hitting .325 with 25 hits, 16 runs scored, ten RBIs and four doubles, senior designated player Deb Noble (Cranford, NJ/Cranford HS) hitting .311 with 23 hits, 14 RBIs, 13 walks, 12 runs scored, three doubles and a home run, senior outfielder Summer Miller (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional HS) hitting .274 with 17 hits, nine RBIs and six runs scored and senior catcher Stacy Matuczinski (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) hitting .263 with 20 hits, 12 runs scored and ten RBIs.

The Greyhounds other reserves include junior infielder Kim Gehman (Topton, PA/ Brandywine Heights HS), who is hitting .344 with 11 hits, 11 RBIs, five runs scored and three doubles, sophomore infielder Megan Smith (Belvidere, NJ/Phillipsburg HS), who has six hits, seven runs scored, a homer and six RBIs, and freshman outfielder Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS), who has nine runs scored, four hits and two RBIs.

Moravian's first round opponent, Susquehanna University is 21-12-1 overall and finished 8-6 in the Commonwealth Conference. The Crusaders have been led at the plate by sophomore outfielder Becky Mann, who is hitting .343 with 36 hits, 16 runs scored, 14 RBIs, six doubles and two triples. Junior shortstop Shana Lalo has a .324 average with 34 hits, 18 runs scored, 15 RBIs, 12 walks, five doubles and four triples while senior third baseman Shelly Zimmerman is hitting .302 with 32 hits, 19 RBIs, 17 runs scored, five doubles, two triples and two home runs. On the mound, freshman Heather Litzenbauer leads Susquehanna with a 12-5 record, a 1.48 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 118 innings. Freshman Shannon Nagy is 4-3 with a 1.44 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings.

Elizabethtown has had the best season in school history, finishing 29-10 overall and 10-4 in the Commonwealth Conference. Sophomore Emily Morris leads the Blue Jays at the plate with a .393 batting average, collecting 48 hits with 12 doubles, two triples, a home run, 27 runs scored and 19 RBIs. Senior Jenn Zemba is hitting .330 with 37 hits, 14 doubles, 26 RBIs, ten runs scored and a homer. Sophomore Erin Malone leads Elizabethtown with four home runs and she has added 32 hits, eight doubles and 23 RBIs. On the mound, sophomore Michelle Morris has broken just about every Elizabethtown record this season.  She is 16-3 overall with a 1.14 ERA, seven shutouts, 167 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 159 1/3 innings. Sophomore Pam Pike is 9-5 on the year with a 1.38 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 96 1/3 innings.