GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS 13TH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON APPEARANCE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the postseason for the 13th consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the top seed for the sixth straight year in the 2007 Commonwealth Conference Tournament being played at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania this weekend.

The tournament begins on Friday, May 4th with six-time defending champion Moravian playing fourth seeded Messiah College at 11:00 a.m. Second seeded Elizabethtown College will battle third seed Albright 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 2007 NCAA Division III National Tournament.

The Greyhounds under the direction of 14-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 436-139, have posted a 29-5 overall record this spring, the 14th 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 eight times under Byrne including the last six years, are in the conference tournament for the eighth straight year and the 12th time in 13 years. Moravian has also been in the NCAA Tournament the last nine years including a regional runner-up finish last year and a 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 1.24 ERA, 16 shutouts, two no-hitters, 246 strikeouts, 123 hits allowed and 107 walks allowed in 232 1/3 innings.

Sophomore Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS), this week's Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week for the fourth straight week and fifth time this season, is 15-2 with a 0.81 ERA, 11 shutouts, a no-hitter of Eastern University on April 24th, 153 strikeouts and 44 walks in 112 1/3 innings of action.

Sophomore Kristie Pellicani (Sparta, NJ/Sparta HS) has posted a 14-3 mark and a 1.36 ERA with five shutouts, a no-hitter of Hunter (NY) College to begin the season on March 2nd, a save, 82 strikeouts and 53 walks in 108 1/3 innings. Pellicani also has a hit and a run scored at the plate.

Junior Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) has tossed 3 1/3 innings for the Greyhounds with two strikeouts and six walks while sophomore Katie Agnew (Doylestown, PA/Lansdale Catholic HS) has pitched 8 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and four walks.

As a team at the plate, Moravian has a .312 batting average this season with 283 hits, 58 doubles, four triples and 16 home runs. The Greyhounds have scored 176 runs and drawn 73 walks while striking out just 75 times in 1,043 plate appearances.

Junior second baseman/shortstop Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) has a team high 37 hits to go with 24 RBIs, 17 runs, eight doubles, a triple, four homers and a .352 average this spring while sophomore outfielder Erica Klepeisz (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS), this week's Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week, also has 37 hits to go along with 27 runs, ten doubles, six stolen bases, a triple, three home run, nine RBIs and a .368 batting average.

Sophomore shortstop/outfielder Jordan Oplinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) has 22 hits, 17 runs, two doubles, eight RBIs and eight stolen bases while sophomore catcher Deanna Mangieri (Pleasantville, NY/Byram Hills HS) has 24 hits, five doubles, a homer, ten runs and ten RBIs. DeBonis, who hits as the designated player when not pitching, has 24 hits, 15 runs, five doubles, a triple, two home runs and 17 RBIs this year while senior first baseman/outfielder Lauren Homa (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has contributed 21 hits, 15 runs, 12 RBIs, three doubles, six stolen bases and a team high 13 sacrifices bunts.

Junior third baseman Kelly Santry (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland HS) has added 24 hits, 15 RBIs, six doubles, a triple, a home run and nine runs while sophomore first baseman Sheri Bieniek (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS) has 19 hits, 15 runs, five doubles and three home runs to go with 17 RBIs and a team high 15 walks. Senior outfielder Justina Black (Orefield, PA/Parkland HS) has contributed 15 hits, six runs, four doubles and three RBIs while Ritchey has 13 hits, nine runs, two doubles, two homers, four stolen bases and 11 RBIs.

Senior catcher Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) has 15 hits, seven runs, a double and eight RBIs this year while Agnew, who has also seen action at second base, has nine hits, four runs, four doubles and six RBIs. Freshman Chrissy McGlinn (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy HS) has scored seven runs this season and added five hits including a double and three RBIs while freshman Kelly Maressa (Allentown, PA/William Allen HS) has three hits, three runs, a double and three RBIs.

Senior first baseman Rebecca DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/Sacred Heart HS) has three hits and three runs while freshman outfielder Katie Flood (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS) has crossed the plate seven times as a pinch runner and has one hit. Freshman Danielle Massa (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) has contributed seven hits, four runs and an RBI while freshman Anastasia Morris (Annville, PA/Palmyra HS) has two his and classmate Jackie Seidler (Feasterville, PA/Mt. St. Joseph HS) has added one hit with an RBI.