Monday, May 5, 2003

GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS SIXTH STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the sixth consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the third seed in the 2003 Regional Tournament hosted by Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey.

The tournament begins on Friday, May 9th with fourth seeded Hunter (NY) College (22-11-1), the City University of New York Athletic Conference Champion taking on fifth seed Muhlenberg College (14-19), the Centennial Conference Champion at 10:00 a.m. The Greyhounds (29-8) will battle sixth seed the United States Merchant Marine Academy (16-23), the Skyline Conference Champion, at 12:00 p.m.

Top seed and host Ramapo College (30-5) played the winner of the Hunter-Muhlenberg game at 2:00 p.m. while second seeded Salisbury (MD) University (37-3-1) will play the winner of the Moravian-US Merchant Marine Academy contest at 4:00 p.m.

The tournament will run through Monday with the champion earning one of eight berths in the NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Virginia, which begins on Thursday, May 15th. Saturday’s action will begin at 10:00 a.m. as well while Sunday and Monday’s if necessary game will begin at 12:00 p.m.

The Greyhounds under the direction of ten-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 290-109, have posted a 29-8 record this spring, the tenth consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games four times under Byrne including the last two years, won the Commonwealth Conference for the fourth consecutive year and the conference tournament for the third straight season last weekend. Moravian, which is in the postseason for the ninth consecutive year, has also been in the NCAA Tournament the last six years, finishing third in the regional in 1999 and 2000.

One of the keys for the Greyhounds again this season has been their pitching staff, which has a 1.15 ERA, 11 shutouts, 196 strikeouts, 198 hits allowed and just 56 walks allowed in 255 innings.

Freshman pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS) has posted a 15-4 record in her debut season, and she has already broken the school record for strikeouts in a season with 148. Hennessy has posted a school record tying eight shutouts and a 0.95 ERA in 133 innings of work, and she has allowed just 90 hits and 32 walks.

Junior hurler Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) is 14-4 this season. Weiner has a 1.49 ERA, three shutouts, 48 strikeouts and just 108 hits and 24 walks allowed in 122 innings of action.

As a team at the plate, Moravian has a .311 batting average this season with 320 hits, 61 doubles, 14 triples and nine home runs. The Greyhounds have scored 192 runs and drawn 77 walks while striking out just 72 times in 1,028 at-bats.

Sophomore shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) is leading the Greyhounds at the plate with a .492 batting average. Bortz has 58 hits on the season and became the fastest player in school history to reach 100 career hits with a single in a victory at Albright College on April 28th. Bortz has also contributed 25 runs scored, 14 RBIs, ten stolen bases, ten walks, five doubles and three triples this spring. Bortz was named the Lehigh Valley Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Softball Player of the Year last week among the seven schools in the Lehigh Valley, which includes two Division I schools.

Junior third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) has continued to rewrite the Moravian record books this spring. Brey currently holds the school records for home runs in a career (21), a season (10) and a game (2); RBIs in a career (115), a season (52) and a game (seven) and doubles in a career (38), a season (15) and a game (three). Brey is hitting .409 this season with 47 hits, 39 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 17 walks, 13 doubles, four triples and six home runs.

Sophomore outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) has a .319 batting average for the Greyhounds and she has added 38 hits, 25 runs scored, seven RBIs, six walks, five stolen bases and three doubles from the leadoff position. Junior outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) has contributed a .294 batting average this spring with 35 hits, 21 RBIs, 20 runs scored, nine stolen bases, five walks, eight doubles, two triples and a homer.

Sophomore second baseman/designated hitter Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) has 26 hits, 22 runs scored, ten RBIs, seven walks, four doubles and four triples this spring while junior outfielder/designated hitter Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS) has added 28 hits, 14 RBIs, ten runs, eight doubles, a triple, a home run, five stolen bases and four walks. Junior first baseman Jenn Hastings (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) has 29 hits, 18 RBIs, 11 runs, nine doubles and seven walks on the year.

Freshman catcher Kira Weller (Sinking Spring, PA/Wilson West Lawn HS) has collected 18 hits this spring while sophomore outfielder/designated player Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) has 17 hits. Weller has added eight runs scored, seven RBIs and nine walks while Eddinger has contributed 15 runs scored, ten RBIs, five doubles, five stolen bases and three walks. Junior second baseman Megan Smith (Phillipsburg, NJ/Belvidere HS) has collected seven hits on the year with freshman first baseman Richelle McWilliams (Riegelsville, PA/Wilson HS) adding six hits. Smith has contributed eight runs, two RBIs, four walks and a double and McWilliams has added three runs scored, two RBIs, two walks, two doubles and a home run.

Freshman catcher Mary Smith (Phillipsburg, NJ/Belvidere HS) has five hits, five runs scored, three RBIs and two doubles while Hennessy has four hits, three runs, a double and an RBI. Freshman outfielder Angela Delonti (Peckville, PA/Valley View HS) has two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in limited action as a reserve.