Sports News: Spring 2005

Thursday, May 19, 2005

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

STARKVILLE, MS --- Senior shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) and junior pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS) of the Moravian College softball team have been named to the 2005 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-American Second Team announced by the NFCA Thursday evening at the banquet to kickoff the 2005 NCAA Division III World Series in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bortz, who was an at-large selection, and Hennessy, who were the first two First Team All-Americans at Moravian last spring, helped the Greyhounds to a 37-8 record this season and the team’s eight straight trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament including a third straight berth in the regional championship game last weekend. Moravian won at least 23 games for the 12th consecutive season and was also 13-1 in the Commonwealth Conference regular season. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games seven times under head coach John Byrne including the last five years, won their fifth straight Commonwealth Conference Tournament title and sixth consecutive Commonwealth Conference Championship.

Bortz, who was the Commonwealth Conference Rookie of the Year in 2002 and the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005, earned a spot on the All-Commonwealth Conference First Team for the fourth straight year, and she led Moravian in hitting this spring with a .428 batting average. Bortz, who has been on the NFCA All-Region First Team for three consecutive years, had a team high of 62 hits to go with 30 runs scored, six doubles, five triples and 21 RBIs. Bortz also added two sacrifice flies, seven stolen bases and 15 walks. Bortz, a three-time All-American earning Second Team honors in 2003 & 2005 and First Team accolades in 2004, was the first player in school history to reach 200 career hits and finished with 253 hits in her career. She also led the 2005 team with 79 assists in the field. Bortz also owns the school career records for at-bats with 567, runs scored at 137 and batting average at .446.

Hennessy, who was named the Commonwealth Conference Co-Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2003 and Pitcher of the Year in 2004 & 2005 while being named to the All-Commonwealth Conference First Team each season, was 29-6 in the circle this season, a school record for wins, with a 0.64 ERA, 18 shutouts, three saves, three no-hitters, 277 strikeouts, all season school records, and just 131 hits, 44 walks and 37 runs (23 earned) allowed in 250 innings of action. Hennessy, who was on the All-Region First Team the last two years, has already broken the Moravian career records for strikeouts with 609, innings pitched with 585.0, shutouts with 37 and wins with 67.

The complete list of NFCA All-Americans is available at www.nfca.org.