Thursday, May 6, 2010

GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS 16TH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON APPEARANCE &
TO HOST 2010 LANDMARK CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the postseason for the 16th consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the top seed for the 2010 Landmark Conference Tournament being hosted by Moravian in Bethlehem this weekend.

The tournament begins on Friday, May 7th with Moravian playing fourth Juniata College at 11:00 a.m.  Second seeded Susquehanna University will battle third seed The University of Scranton 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.  Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors while children under 10 are free. http://www.moravian.edu/athletics/softball/10/10Landmark/index.htm

The Greyhounds, who are the two-time defending Landmark Conference Champions, under the direction of 16-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 537-169, have posted a 21-11 overall record this spring, the 17th consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and an 11-1 mark in Landmark Conference action.  The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games 11 times under Byrne including the last nine years, are in the conference tournament for the 11th straight year and the 15th time in 16years.  Moravian has also been in the NCAA Tournament 11 of 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.

Moravian, which was ranked third in the East Region in the final NCAA Division III Regional Rankings released Wednesday, is hitting .300 with 313 hits including 78 extra-base hits.  Moravian has out-scored its opponents, 215-102, and the Greyhounds have a .939 fielding percentage this season.  However, the Greyhounds are just 3-5 in one-run games this season with three of those losses in extra innings.

Leading Moravian at the plate is freshman shortstop Katie Gross (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS), who has a .360 average, a team high 40 hits, 33 runs, five doubles, 16 walks, 21 sacrifice bunts, 14 stolen bases and ten RBIs.  Junior second baseman Stephanie Falzarano (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield HS) has added a .342 average, 39 hits, 28 runs, seven doubles, 11 walks and nine RBIs while freshman first baseman Amanda Dizinno (Budd Lake, NJ/Mt. Olive HS) has a .320 average, 40 hits, 25 runs, nine doubles, three homers and 35 RBIs. 

Junior outfielder Maura Agnew (Doylestown, PA/Lansdale Catholic HS) has a .343 average, 34 hits, 16 runs, six doubles, a home run, nine walks and 21 RBIs while freshman third baseman Shannen Mohr (Slatington, PA/Parkland HS) has a .320 average and has put up 31 hits, nine doubles, 21 runs, five home runs, 25 RBIs and a team leading 19 walks.  Sophomore pitcher/designated player Jenna Carmon (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central HS) has a .310 average to go along with 36 hits, 26 runs, seven doubles, a triple, three home runs, six walks and 26 RBIs while freshman outfielder/designated player Samantha Mulderig (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township HS) has 26 hits to go along with 12 runs, six doubles, three triples, 11 walks and 11 RBIs. 

Sophomore outfielder Olivia Evanko (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS) has connected for 20 hits, nine runs, three doubles, a triple and 14 RBIs so far this season while freshman outfielder/designated player Brook Kowal (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis HS) has contributed 15 hits, two doubles, ten RBIs and 14 runs.  Junior outfielder Amanda Paulus (Easton, PA/Easton HS) has nine hits, a triple, eight runs, six RBIs, four walks and two stolen bases while freshman infielder Rebekah Battersby (Dingmans Ferry, PA/Delaware Valley HS) has added six hits, a double, nine runs and two RBIs. 

Freshman catcher Tori Thomas (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C. Ketchem HS) has five hits, two RBIs and three runs scored while senior outfielder Katie Flood (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS) has one hit, an RBI and five runs scored this season.  Freshman outfielder Marla Bianca (Reinholds, PA/Wilson West Lawn HS) has two hits to go along with a walk and a run while senior catcher Kelly Maressa (Allentown, PA/William Allen HS) has tallied a hit, a double, two RBIs, two runs and three walks. 

In the circle for Moravian are Carmon and junior Elizabeth Python (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman HS).  Carmon has a 19-8 record to go with a 1.38 ERA, 21 walks, 101 strikeouts, 17 complete games and five shutouts in 177 1/3 innings of action while Python has a 5-2 record in 57 1/3 innings pitched with a 1.71 ERA, 22 walks, 34 strikeouts, four complete games and a no-hitter.  Freshman Alyssa Fegley (Mertztown, PA/Brandywine Heights HS) has tossed 16 innings with a 0.44 ERA, three walks, seven strikeouts and a 3-0 record.