Monday, May 4, 2009

EIGHT GREYHOUNDS NAMED TO LANDMARK SOFTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS;
Carmon Named Pitcher of the Year

MADISON, NJ --- The Moravian College softball team placed five players in six positions on the 2009 Landmark Softball All-Conference First Team and four on the Second Team while freshman pitcher/designated player Jenna Carmon (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central HS) earned Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year honors as released by the conference office.

Carmon as a pitcher, senior pitcher/designated player Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS), senior outfielder Erica Klepeisz (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS), sophomore outfielder Amanda Paulus (Easton, PA/Easton HS) and sophomore shortstop Stephanie Falzarano (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield HS) were all named to the Landmark All-Conference First Team with DeBonis earning spots at both pitcher and designated player for a second straight season.  Senior catcher Deanna Mangieri (Pleasantville, NY/Bryam Hills HS), senior first baseman Sheri Bieniek (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS), sophomore third baseman Maura Agnew (Doylestown, PA/Lansdale Catholic HS) and Carmon as a designated player each earned a spot on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team.

The Greyhounds under the direction of 16-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 509-156, have posted a 34-9 overall record this spring, the 16th consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and an 11-1 mark in Landmark Conference regular season action.  The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games ten times under Byrne including the last eight years, won their tenth straight conference title this past weekend with a second straight Landmark Conference Championship, and the program played in the conference tournament for the 14th time in 15 years.  Moravian also received a berth to the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament, its 11th berth in the last 12 years including a regional championship and berth in the 2007 NCAA Division III World Series and a national runner-up finish at the 2004 Division III World Series.

Carmon, this week’s Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Week, has posted a 13-1 record in the circle with 11 straight victories.  She also has two saves and four shutouts this season while posting a 1.02 ERA.  Carmon, pictured at right, has tossed 96 2/3 innings with just 63 hits allowed, 17 runs, 11 earned runs, just four walks allowed and 36 strikeouts in her debut season.  Carmon also has a .317 batting average with 33 hits in 104 at-bats to go with 23 hits, 14 RBIs, 16 walks, eight doubles and three stolen bases.  Carmon has 30 putouts and 45 assists in 80 chances in the field while seeing action at second base as well as in the circle.

DeBonis, who was the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year last season while making the Landmark All-Conference First Team as both a pitcher and a designated player, has a 14-7 record in the circle this spring.  She has added four shutouts, a save and a 1.60 ERA to go with 89 hits allowed, 42 runs, 26 earned runs, 43 walks and 158 strikeouts in 146 innings of action.  At the plate, DeBonis, pictured at left, has a .341 average with 42 hits in 123 at-bats, 25 runs, 24 RBIs, eight doubles, a triple, two homers, 17 walks and three stolen bases.  DeBonis also has seven putouts and 14 assists in 22 chances in the field.

Klepeisz, who was also a member of the Landmark All-Conference First Team a year ago, is hitting .364 with 43 hits in 118 at-bats to go with 24 runs, 19 RBIs, four doubles, three triples, two homers, a .500 slugging percentage, ten walks and three stolen bases.  Klepeisz, pictured at right, has added 53 putouts and four assists in 58 chances while playing left and center fields during the season.

Paulus, who was on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team last spring, has the Greyhounds top batting average a .402 with 47 hits in 117 at-bats.  She has added 28 runs scored, 16 RBIs, ten doubles, a team high four triples, four home runs, a .658 slugging percentage, seven sacrifice hits and three stolen bases.  Paulus, pictured at left, has 40 putouts and six assists in 49 chances while starting all 43 games in right field for the Greyhounds.

Falzarano, pictured at right, also had a team high 47 hits for Moravian to go with a .336 batting average while leading the team with 39 runs scored.  Falzarano has nine doubles, a triple, 15 RBIs, 15 walks, four stolen bases and has struck out just three times in 163 plate appearances this season.  She has started all 43 games at shortstop for Moravian and has 51 putouts and 69 assists in 123 chances.

Bieniek, this week's Landmark Conference Player of the Week, is hitting .363 in her final season with 45 hits in 124 at-bats, and she has team highs of 12 doubles, five home runs and 42 RBIs.  Bieniek, pictured at left, has added a .581 slugging percentage, seven walks, five sacrifice flies and a total of nine sacrifice hits.  In the field, she has 267 putouts and seven assists in 275 chances at first base and catcher during the year.

Mangieri, pictured at bottom right, has 29 hits with 11 runs scored, nine doubles, 20 RBIs, a total of ten sacrifice hits and three stolen bases in her final season.  She has recorded 200 putouts and seven assists in 211 chances while behind the plate for the Greyhounds.

Agnew, who is in her first year as Moravian’s starting third baseman, has 29 hits, 14 runs scored, 14 RBIs, four doubles, two triples, seven sacrifice hits and four stolen bases on the season.  Agnew, pictured at bottom left, has added 39 putouts and a team high 85 assists in 132 chances in the field.

Moravian received one of five Pool B/Independent berths to the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament with action beginning on Thursday, May 7th.  The Greyhounds are the fourth seed in an eight-team regional being played at Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah, New Jersey.  Moravian will take on fifth seed Eastern Connecticut State University at 12:00 p.m. Thursday in the second game of the regional that runs through Sunday, May 10th.  The winner of the regional will advance to the 2009 NCAA Division III Works Series being hosted by Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey beginning on Friday, May 15th.