Thursday, May 13, 2004

MORAVIAN’S BORTZ & HENNESSY NAMED LOUSIVLLE SLUGGER/NFCA FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS

STARKVILLE, MS --- Junior shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) and sophomore pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS) of the Moravian College softball team have been named to the 2004 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-American First Team announced by the NFCA Thursday evening at the banquet to kickoff the 2004 NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Virginia.

Bortz and Hennessy, who are the first two First Team All-Americans at Moravian, have helped the Greyhounds to a 37-4 record this season and the team’s first-ever NCAA Division III World Series appearance that begins on Friday, May 14th at 11:00 a.m. versus Chapman (CA) University. Moravian has won at least 23 games for the 11th consecutive season and broke the school record for wins in a season by any sport. Moravian was also 14-0 in the Commonwealth Conference regular season. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games six times under head coach John Byrne including the last four years, are in the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year and the postseason for the tenth consecutive season. Moravian reached the World Series with a 1-0 victory over Ramapo College of New Jersey in the regional championship.

Bortz, the 2004 Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, is leading the Greyhounds at the plate with a .483 batting average. Bortz, who drew a bases loaded walk to drive in the only run in Moravian’s regional championship win, has a single season school record 70 hits on the season and has broken the school record for career hits with 187. Bortz, who had an NCAA all-division record 44-game hitting streak from April 15, 2003 to April 17, 2004, has also contributed 45 runs scored, 17 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, ten walks, seven doubles and three triples. Bortz was the 2003 Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year and was on the 2003 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Second Team All-American, the first All-American in Moravian history.

Hennessy, the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second straight year, has posted a 19-2 record, a school record for victories, with a school record ten shutouts and three saves. Hennessy, who started the season 15-0, has a 0.89 ERA in 150 innings of work, and she has allowed just 91 hits and 38 walks while striking out 149 batters. Hennessy became just the second pitcher in school history with 300 strikeouts in a career.