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. |