Monday, March 17, 2008

MORAVIAN’S AMANDA PAULUS & MARIA DeBONIS NAMED LANDMARK CONFERENCE
SOFTBALL PLAYER & PITCHER OF THE WEEK

MADISON, NJ --- Freshman outfielder Amanda Paulus (Easton, PA/Easton HS) of the Moravian College softball team has been named the Landmark Conference Softball Player of the Week while junior Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS) earned Landmark Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week honors for their performances last week.

The duo helped Moravian to sweeps in its first two home doubleheaders of the season, shutting out Baptist Bible College, 9-0 and 8-0 in a pair of five inning games, and defeating 17th-ranked Wilkes University, 8-0 and 12-4, both six inning contest.  Moravian is now 6-4 on the season.

Paulus, pictured at right, hit .667 last week with six hits in nine at-bats, and she had seven RBIs, two RBIs, two runs and a home run for the Greyhounds.  Paulus was two-for-two with a triple, a two-run homer and three RBIs against Baptist Bible in the first game of the doubleheader. She was zero-for-one with a putout in the second game as she came in as a reserve.  In the first game with Wilkes, Paulus was one-for-three with two RBIs and a triple.  In the second game, Paulus was a perfect three-for-three with two RBIs, a run scored, two putouts and an assist from right field.
 

DeBonis, pictured at left, was nearly perfect last week in a pair of games in the circle last week.  In 11 innings of action, DeBonis faced just one batter over the minimum with a pair of no-hitters including a perfect game, 20 strikeouts and just one walk.  DeBonis struck out nine batters and allowed a walk in a 9-0, five-inning win over Baptist Bible in Moravian's home opener.  The no-hitter was the second of her career.  At the plate against the Defenders, DeBonis was one-for-two with a triple and a run scored.

DeBonis then became the first player in Moravian history to throw a perfect game and back-to-back no-hitters when she blanked Wilkes, 8-0 in six innings.  DeBonis struck out 11 batters in her third victory of the 2008 season and her third career no-hitter.  At the plate, she was one-for-two with a run scored and a walk in the game.

Moravian is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday, March 18th in a non-conference home doubleheader as the Greyhounds host The College of New Jersey at 3:00 p.m. at Blue & Grey Field.