Tuesday, May 3, 2005
GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS 11TH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON
APPEARANCE
BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the postseason
for the 11th consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the top seed for the fourth straight
year in the 2005 Commonwealth Conference Tournament being played at Susquehanna University
in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania this spring.
The tournament begins on Friday, May 6th with four-time defending champion Moravian playing
fourth seeded Albright College at 11:00 a.m. Second seeded Lebanon Valley will battle third
seed Messiah College at 1:00 p.m. and the winners of the first two games will play at 3:00
p.m. Friday, with the winner of that game earning a berth in the championship game at 1:00
p.m. on Saturday. The losers of Friday’s first two games will open Saturday’s
action at 9:00 a.m. The tournament champion earns an automatic berth into the 2005 NCAA
Division III National Tournament.
The Greyhounds under the direction of 12-year head coach John Byrne,
who as a career mark of 364-123, have posted a 31-6 overall record this spring, the 12th
consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and a 13-1 mark in Commonwealth
Conference action. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games seven times under Byrne
including the last five years, are in the conference tournament for the sixth straight
year and the tenth time in 11 years. Moravian has also been in the NCAA Tournament the
last seven years including a regional championship last spring and national runner-up finish
at the 2004 Division III World Series.
One of the keys for the Greyhounds again this season has been their pitching staff, which
has a 0.74 ERA, 19 shutouts, 262 strikeouts, 131 hits allowed and 63 walks allowed in 245
2/3 innings.
Junior All-American pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold HS) is
24-4 in the circle this season, a school record for wins, with a 0.52 ERA, a school record
14 shutouts, three saves, three no-hitters, 234 strikeouts, another season school record,
and just 95 hits, 37 walks and 26 runs (15 earned) allowed in 200 innings of action. Hennessy has
already broken the Moravian career records for strikeouts with 566, shutouts with 33 and
wins with 62.
Freshman pitcher Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) has a 6-1
record this season with a 1.63 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 27 hits and 24 walks allowed in 38
2/3 innings of action. Sophomore pitcher/outfielder LeeAnna Roberts (Messhopen,
PA/Elk Lake HS) has a 1-0 record with a 2.00 ERA and three strikeouts in seven
innings of action. Moravian's first loss of the season was charged to the team since the
winning run scored on the international tiebreaker rule.
As a team at the plate, Moravian has a .316 batting average this season with 311 hits,
32 doubles, 14 triples and 16 home runs. The Greyhounds have scored 175 runs and drawn
70 walks while striking out just 90 times in 1,112 plate appearances.
Senior shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) leads Moravian
with a .395 average with a team high 47 hits, 21 runs, four doubles, four triples and 16
RBIs. Bortz, a two-time All-American, has become the first player in school
history to reach 200 career hits and has 238 in her career.
Sophomore outfielder Justina Black (Orefield, PA/Parkland HS) has 33
hits, 15 runs, 13 RBIs, three doubles, a home run and a .372 average. Freshman second baseman/catcher Beth
Paly (Whitehall, PA/ Whitehall HS) has contributed 39 hits, 19 RBIs, 24 runs,
eight doubles and a .368 average while sophomore first baseman Lauren Homa (Chalfont,
PA/Central Bucks West HS) has 32 hits, 26 runs, 23 RBIs, four doubles, four triples
and two home runs this spring. Sophomore catcher Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield,
NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) has a .319 average with 29 hits, 13 RBIs, 23 runs, eight
sacrifices bunts, two sacrifice flies, a double, two triples and a home run.
Senior outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) has
18 hits, ten runs and 11 RBIs, and Cianfichi became the 20th player in
school history to reach 100 hits with 101 in her career. Bortz and Cianfichi each
have three stolen bases this spring to lead the Greyhounds. Roberts has
21 hits, 11 RBIs, 13 runs, a double, a triple, a home run and a .309 average while junior
designated player Richelle McWilliams (Riegelsville, PA/Easton HS) has
28 hits, 15 runs, 27 RBIs, five doubles, a triple and eight home runs.
Freshman third baseman Kelly Santry (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland HS) has
contributed 21 hits, nine runs, two doubles, two home runs, ten sacrifice bunts and eight
RBIs while senior second baseman/outfielder Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington
Heights HS) has added 14 hits, three runs, a double and two RBIs.
Freshmen first baseman Katie Uhas (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) has
added seven hits with a homer, a double, a run and five RBIs while senior outfielder Stephanie
Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) has five hits, six runs, a triple and an
RBI. Sophomore first baseman Rebecca DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/ Sacred Heart HS) has
seven hits, a double and four RBIs while freshmen outfielder Keri Traficante (Chalfont,
PA/Central Bucks West HS) has five hits, six runs and an RBI. Ritchey has
contributed five hits, three runs, a double, a triple and four RBIs.
Lebanon Valley is returning to the Commonwealth Tournament for the second straight season
and the third time in five years since the Commonwealth Conference Tournament began. The
Flying Dutchmen are 25-9 overall this season and earned the second seed with an 11-3 record
in Commonwealth Conference action. Both the 25 wins and the 11 conference wins are records
for Lebanon Valley.
Freshman Lauren Sanford leads the Flying Dutchmen with a .362 average with 21 hits, 11
runs, a double and four RBIs. Sophomore Amy Batz has posted a .343 average with 37 hits,
16 runs, 14 RBIs, six doubles and two triples while sophomore Jen Parks has 32 hits, 20
RBIs, 15 runs, ten doubles, a triple and ten walks. Senior Melissa Ulrich has contributed
29 hits, 16 RBIs, 15 runs, five doubles three triples and four home runs while junior Lisa
DiCristofaro has 30 hits, 18 runs, 13 RBIs, eight doubles, a triple and six stolen bases.
In the circle, sophomore Jenn Roberts is 14-1 with a save, six shutouts, a 1.03 ERA and
122 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings. Sophomore Kelly O’Toole has posted an 8-4 mark
with two shutouts, a save, a 1.34 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings. Junior Alisa
Albers has registered a 3-3 record with two shutouts, a 1.99 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 31
2/3 innings.
Messiah, which earned the third seed with a doubleheader sweep of Elizabethtown College
on Monday, is returning to the postseason for the first time since 2003. The Falcons, who
are 16-20 overall and 9-5 in Commonwealth Conference action, won seven conference titles
back in the 1990s.
Senior Karen Robb paces Messiah with a .368 average to go along with 35 hits, 18 runs,
13 RBIs, three doubles, a triple and a home run. Freshman Lana Trotter has contributed
a .349 average, 38 hits, 20 RBIs, 19 runs, 15 stolen bases, nine doubles, three triples
and a home run, and Trotter is 6-6 in the circle with a save, a shutout, a 1.71 ERA and
40 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings. Junior Gina Weaver has a .309 average with 30 hits, 20
RBIs, 13 walks, eight runs and six doubles while sophomore Jessica DeBoer has added 34
hits, 20 RBIs, 21 runs, ten stolen bases, six doubles a triple and two homers. In the circle,
senior Vikke Downes has a 6-4 record with a save, a shutout, a 2.42 ERA and 39 strikeouts
in 52 innings while sophomore Rebecca Croft is 3-8 with a save, a 3.52 ERA and 34 strikeouts
in 75 2/3 innings of action.
Albright is returning to the postseason for the first time since the 2002 season. The
Lions have posted an overall record of 21-13 and were also 9-5 in the Commonwealth this
year.
Junior Meridith Hippert leads Albright with a .412 average, and she has 42 hits, 36 RBIs,
ten runs, eight walks, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs this spring. Junior
Ashley Young has added a .364 average, 28 hits, 22 RBIs, 16 runs, four doubles and four
homers. In the circle, Young has a 9-8 mark with six shutouts, a save, a 1.10 ERA and 109
strikeouts in 115 innings of action. Freshman Stephanie Crouse has contributed a .322 average,
38 hits, 32 runs, ten walks, six stolen bases, nine doubles, two triples and nine RBIs
while sophomore Meredith Mayes has a .306 average, 30 hits, 29 runs, 15 RBIs, 18 walks,
three doubles, three home runs and four stolen bases. Mayes also has a 10-4 mark in the
circle with three shutouts, a 2.51 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 92 innings. Freshman Lauren
Every has tossed 27 innings with nine strikeouts, a 2-1 record and a 3.63 ERA.
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