Wednesday, June 18, 2008

MORAVIAN’S PALY & DeBONIS NAMED TO ECAC DIVISION III SOUTH SOFTBALL ALL-STAR FIRST TEAM

CAPE COD, MA --- Senior second baseman/shortstop Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) and junior pitcher/designated player Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS) of the Moravian College softball team have been named to the 2008 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Softball All-Star First Team announced Wednesday by the ECAC.

The Greyhounds won the inaugural Landmark Conference Tournament title this past weekend and completed the 2008 season with a 33-6 overall record.  The program had its streak of ten straight NCAA Division III National Championship appearances snapped when Moravian did not received one of the five Pool B independent berths to the 2008 tournament on Monday.

Paly, who was a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-East Region Second Team as a freshman in 2005 and on the All-East Region First Team in 2007 & 2008, had a team leading 51 hits, a .418 average, 30 runs, eight doubles, two triples and 22 RBIs this spring.  Paly, who was named the 2008 Landmark Conference Player of the Year and a First Team Landmark All-Conference honoree, completed her career tied for fourth in school history with 190 hits and third in games played with 171.

DeBonis, who was named a Louisville Slugger/NFCA Second Team All-American last season, was 19-3 with a 0.72 ERA, 192 strikeouts, 43 walks allowed, 12 shutouts and four no-hitters including three perfect games in 146 innings.  DeBonis, who was named the 2008 Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year as well as earning spots on the Landmark All-Conference First Team as a pitcher and as a designated player, also had 32 hits with 26 runs, a team high 29 RBIs, eight doubles, a triple, a team leading six home runs, ten walks and a .348 average.

The complete ECAC Division III All-Star Team can be found at http://www.ecacsports.com/sports/spring/sball/AllStars/2007-08/summary.