Tuesday, May 14, 2002

SOFTBALL TEAM NAMED MORAVIAN ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The 19 members of the Moravian College softball team have been named the Moravian College Student-Athletes of the Week for their performance last week.

The Greyhounds competed in the NCAA Division III Regionals for the fifth straight year and finished the 2002 season with a school record for any sport with 34 victories. Moravian, the second seeded team in the five team regional hosted by Cabrini College, fell to third seeded Rowan (NJ) University, 4-2 in nine innings, and fourth seeded and regional champion Salisbury (MD) University, 7-4.

Leading Moravian at the plate were sophomore outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) and sophomore third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS).  Brey and Soroka were each four-or-eight in Moravian's two games. Brey added a RBI and had five putouts, six assists and just one error in 12 chances in the field. Soroka had three RBIs with two coming on a two-run home run in the loss to Salisbury. Soroka also scored two runs and made three putouts from her centerfield position.

Senior outfielder Summer Miller (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional HS) and senior first baseman Sarah Leiby (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood HS) each had three hits in the tournament with Leiby driving in a run on a double. Senior designated player Deb Noble (Cranford, NJ/Cranford HS) and senior catcher Stacy Matuczinski (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) each had two hits with Matuczinski scoring a pair of runs.

Senior second baseman Laurie Rentschler (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh HS), sophomore outfielder Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS), sophomore pinch hitter Jenn Hastings (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) and freshman shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) each had one hit in the tournament with Rentschler driving in a run with a squeeze bunt.

Freshmen Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) and Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) each scored runs as pinch runners while sophomore Megan Smith (Belvidere, NJ/Phillipsburg HS) and freshman Ashley Hughes (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh HS) also saw action as pinch runners. Freshman Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) had an at-bat as a pinch runner.

On the mound, senior Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) suffered the loss to Rowan, allowing four runs on 12 hits with two walks and four strikeouts in nine innings. Sophomore Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) took the loss against Salisbury, allowing seven runs, six of them earned, on ten hits and three strikeouts.