Tuesday, June 4, 2002

FIVE GREYHOUND SOFTBALL PLAYERS NAMED ECAC SOUTH ALL-STARS;
ESPOSITO EARNS FIRST TEAM HONORS

CAPE COD, MA --- The Moravian College softball team had five members named to the 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Southern All-Star Teams announced Monday. Sophomore outfielder Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS) was a First Team Southern All-Star while senior pitcher Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS), senior second baseman Laurie Rentschler (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh HS), senior first baseman Sarah Leiby (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood HS) and sophomore third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) were each Second Team honorees

Moravian finished the 2002 season with a 34-8 overall record, a school record for wins by any sport. The Greyhounds also won their third straight Commonwealth Conference Championship and competed in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year.

Esposito, a Commonwealth Conference Second Team All-Star and an at-large selection on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Third Team, hit .372 for Moravian this spring with 43 hits, 30 runs scored, 28 RBIs, ten doubles and two homers.

Mowrey, the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Year, a First Team Commonwealth Conference All-Star and a NFCA Second Team All-Region selection, paced the Moravian pitching staff with a 1.13 ERA and a 16-4 record. Mowrey also had seven shutouts and 51 strikeouts in 136 2/3 innings to lead Moravian. Mowrey's final career victory, which won Moravian the Commonwealth Conference Championship, was the 50th of her career, a mark only two other Greyhound pitchers have reached.

Rentschler, a Second Team Commonwealth Conference All-Star and a NFCA All-Region Second Team player, set the Moravian record for games played in a career at 167.  She only missed two games in her four seasons. Rentschler had a .330 batting average this season with 29 hits, 19 runs scored, 13 RBIs and a team leading ten sacrifices.  She also added four doubles and nine walks. Rentschler had a .983 fielding percentage with just three errors in 172 chances.

Leiby, who was a Commonwealth Conference First Team All-Star, hit .395 for the Greyhounds with 45 hits, 20 runs, 18 RBIs, 11 walks, seven doubles and a homer. Leiby led Moravian with 249 putouts this season.