Sports News: Spring 2002

Monday, May 6, 2002

MORAVIAN SOFTBALL HEADS TO NCAA TOURNAMENT FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR

BETHLEHEM, PA --- For the fifth consecutive year, the Moravian College softball team is preparing for a trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament as the Greyhounds were awarded the second seed in the NCAA Division III East Regional to be held at Cabrini College this Friday through Sunday, May 10th to 12th.

Moravian, ranked 20th in the nation finished the regular season with an overall record of 31-6 and a 12-1 slate in the Commonwealth Conference and the Greyhounds' won the 2002 Commonwealth Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The second-seeded Greyhounds will take on third seed Rowan (NJ) University (31-14) on Friday at 12:00 p.m. while fourth seeded Salisbury (MD) University (34-8) will battle fifth seeded Western Maryland College (29-6) at 10:00 a.m. Top seed and host Cabrini has a bye in the first round and will play the winner of the Salisbury-Western Maryland game at 2:00 p.m. on Friday while the losers of the first two games will finish the first day of competition in the first elimination game at 4:00 p.m. The winner of the regional will advance to the NCAA Division III World Series in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on May 16th to 20th.

Greyhound head coach John Byrne, in his ninth season at the helm, has led the Greyhounds to a record of 261-99 and at least 23 wins every season and four years with at least 31 victories. Byrne has guided Moravian to the NCAA Division III Tournament the last five seasons, the last three Commonwealth Conference titles and the conference playoffs six times in the last eight years.

Moravian has been solid in all facets of the game this season as shown in the NCAA Division III statistical rankings release on Wednesday, April 24th. The Greyhounds are ranked 11th in the nation in earned-run average at 1.02; 12th in win-loss percentage at .838, 18th in batting average at .352, 26th in the nation in fielding percentage at .958 and 27th in scoring, averaging 6.65 runs per game.

On the mound for the Greyhounds have been senior Rachel Mowrey (Hellertown, PA/Saucon Valley HS) and sophomore Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS). Mowrey, who is 16-3 on the season and won her 50th career game in last weekend's Commonwealth Conference Championship Game, has posted a 0.99 ERA with seven shutouts, 47 strikeouts and just ten walks in 127 2/3 innings of action. Weiner is 12-3 on the year with a 1.34 ERA, three shutouts, 16 walks and 27 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings. Sophomore Jessica Naugle (Mohrsville, PA/ Schuylkill Valley HS) is 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 20 innings while freshman Ashley Hughes (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh HS) is 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 23 innings of work. The Greyhound pitching staff has won 14 of 31 games this season by shutout.

At the plate, the Greyhounds' bats have been on fire with four starters hitting over .350 and a total of seven over the .350 mark. Leading the squad has been freshman shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS), who leads the team with a .426 batting average despite missing six games this season. Bortz has 49 hits on the year and she is tied for the team lead with 32 runs.  She has also contributed 13 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and two triples.  enior first baseman Sarah Leiby (Fleetwood, PA/Fleetwood HS) is hitting .396 with 42 hits, 20 runs, 17 RBIs, 11 walks, six doubles and a home run in her final season.  Leiby moved from the outfield to first base this season. Sophomore outfielder Jessica Esposito (Madison, NJ/Madison HS) is hitting .393 for the Greyhounds with 42 hits, 30 runs scored, 28 RBIs, ten doubles, a triple and two homers.

Sophomore third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) is hitting .357 on the year with 41 hits. She leads the Greyhounds in most other offensive categories having broken the school records for RBIs (51), home runs (10), doubles (15) and total bases (88). Brey also leads Moravian with 32 runs scored and she has added 13 walks.

Coming off the bench for coach Byrne, freshman outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) has a .397 batting average with 23 hits, 22 runs scored and eight stolen bases. Sophomore designated hitter/first baseman Jenn Hastings (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) is hitting .370 with 17 hits, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, three doubles and a dinger while freshman infielder Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) is hitting .359 with 14 hits, ten runs scored, eight RBIs and seven stolen bases.

Moravian's other starters include sophomore outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) hitting .347 with 42 hits, 30 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 13 walks, 14 RBIs, six doubles and a homer; senior second baseman Laurie Rentschler (Slatington, PA/Northern Lehigh HS) hitting .337 with 28 hits, 19 runs scored, 12 RBIs and four doubles, senior designated player Deb Noble (Cranford, NJ/Cranford HS) hitting .333 with 27 hits, 16 RBIs, 14 walks, 14 runs scored, three doubles and a home run, senior outfielder Summer Miller (Mount Holly, NJ/Rancocas Valley Regional HS) hitting .262 with 17 hits, ten RBIs and six runs and senior catcher Stacy Matuczinski (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) hitting .259 with 21 hits, 13 runs scored and 12 RBIs.

The Greyhounds other reserves include junior infielder Kim Gehman (Topton, PA/ Brandywine Heights HS), who is hitting .344 with 11 hits, 11 RBIs, five runs scored and three doubles, sophomore infielder Megan Smith (Belvidere, NJ/Phillipsburg HS), who has six hits, eight runs scored, a homer and six RBIs, and freshman outfielder Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS), who has ten runs scored, four hits and two RBIs.

Moravian's first round opponent, Rowan (NJ) University is 31-14 overall this season and earned the New Jersey Athletic Conference automatic bid to the regional. The Profs and the Greyhounds split a regular season doubleheader with Rowan winning the first game, 5-0, and Moravian taking the nightcap, 3-1. Junior shortstop Erin Byrne leads the Profs at the plate with a .384 batting average. She has 53 hits, 26 runs, 25 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, 12 doubles, three triples and four home runs. Junior second baseman Melissa Geoghan is hitting .360 with 49 hits, 24 RBIs, 15 runs, 14 doubles and three homers. Junior third baseman JoAnne DeVito has a .288 average with 34 hits, 19 RBIs, seven runs, eight doubles and three triples. On the mound, freshman Sara Dickey has a 0.86 ERA, a 13-6 record, four shutout, 37 walks and 100 strikeouts in 146 1/3 innings. Junior Julie Undercuffler is 18-8 overall with a 1.02 ERA, nine shutouts, 34 walks and 129 strikeouts in 158 1/3 innings of work.

Cabrini has the top seed in the tournament and the best record of the five teams at 36-6.  The Lady Cavaliers earned the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference's automatic bid for the third straight season. Junior first baseman Ritz Horning leads Cabrini with a .435 batting average. She has 54 hits, 42 runs, 46 RBIs, 11 doubles, 11 home runs and nine stolen bases. Junior shortstop Heather Tu also has 54 hits on the year with a .409 batting average, 41 RBIs, 29 runs, 15 doubles and two homers. Senior outfielder/pitcher Megan Johnston has a .387 average with 53 hits, 34 runs, 33 RBIs, 19 doubles and five triples at the plate and she has a 12-0 record, ten shutouts, a 0.23 ERA, nine walks and 45 strikeouts in 79 innings on the mound. Freshman pitcher Angela Templin has a 1.14 ERA, a 15-3 record, seven shutouts, 21 walks and 77 strikeouts in 103 innings of work.

Salisbury (MD) University earned one of eight Pool B bids to the tournament and has a record of 34-8 this spring. Pool B is for teams in conferences that do not have enough teams to qualify for an automatic bid and independent schools. Moravian defeated Salisbury, 1-0, earlier this spring. The Sea Gulls compete in the Capital Athletic Conference and won the conference tournament. Junior third baseman Lisa Gentilella leads Salisbury with a .445 batting average and she has added 61 hits, 49 runs, 28 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, 14 doubles, two triples and a homer. Sophomore first baseman Rosie Aley is hitting .387 with 46 hits, 30 RBIs, 27 runs, nine doubles and three homers. Junior pitcher/outfielder Katie Mullinix has a .369 average with 48 hits, 38 runs, 39 RBIs, 13 doubles, two triples and two dingers. Mullinix has a 29-7 record on the mound with a 0.79 ERA, ten shutouts, 53 walks and 94 strikeouts in 221 2/3 innings of work.

Western Maryland College enters the tournament after winning the Centennial Conference automatic bid and the Green Terror has a record of 29-6. Moravian defeated Western Maryland, 9-7, earlier this season. Freshman catcher Caitlin Burns leads Western Maryland with a .342 batting average with 39 hits, 22 runs, 12 RBIs, four doubles and a home run. Sophomore pitcher/infielder Samantha Abrams has a .331 average with 42 hits, 28 runs, 22 RBIs and 12 doubles and she has a 12-5 record with a 1.16 ERA, 36 walks and 102 strikeouts in 121 innings. Sophomore shortstop/pitcher Kim Camponelli has a .323 average with 30 hits, 24 runs, 13 RBIs and six doubles and she has a 17-1 record with a 0.65 ERA, 24 walks and 62 strikeouts in 108 innings.