Sports News: Spring 2003

Tuesday, May 6, 2003

SIX GREYHOUNDS NAMED TO COMMONWEALTH ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS;
Bortz & Hennessy Garner Player, Pitcher & Freshman of the Year Awards

ANNVILLE, PA --- The Moravian College softball team has had six players named to the Commonwealth All-Conference Teams announced Tuesday by the Middle Atlantic Corporation with sophomore shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) honored as the Co-Player of the Year and freshman pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS) named the Co-Pitcher of the Year and the Freshman of the Year.

The Greyhounds won the team’s third straight Commonwealth Conference Tournament title and fourth straight Commonwealth Conference Championship and garnered the program’s sixth consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance last weekend by winning the 2003 Commonwealth Conference. Moravian, which is 29-8 overall, has been seeded third in the NCAA Division III Regional at Ramapo College. The Greyhounds will play sixth seeded the United States Merchant Marine Academy at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, May 9th in the second game of the tournament.

Bortz and Hennessy were also members of the All-Conference First Team along with junior third baseman Janelle Brey (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) while junior outfielder Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS), junior pitcher Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) and sophomore outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) were named to the All-Conference Second Team.

Bortz, who was the Commonwealth Freshman of the Year in 2002, earned a spot on the First Team for the second straight year, and she leads Moravian in hitting this spring with a .492 batting average. Bortz has collected 58 hits to go along with 25 runs scored, 14 RBIs, ten walks, ten stolen bases, five doubles and three triples this spring, and she has made just eight errors in 141 chances at shortstop.

Hennessy has had a record-breaking debut season for the Greyhounds in the circle. She has posted a 15-4 slate with a school record 148 strikeouts and a school record-tying eight shutouts. Hennessy, who was named the Commonwealth Pitcher of the week five times this spring, has allowed just 90 hits and 32 walks in 133 innings with opponents batting just .191 against her. Of the four game’s Hennessy has lost this season, two were by 1-0 scores, and she has had no-hitters into the sixth inning twice this spring.

Brey, the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year last season, has been named to the All-Conference First Team for the second consecutive year. Brey has continued to rewrite the Moravian record books this spring. Brey currently holds the school records for home runs in a career (21), a season (10) and a game (2); RBIs in a career (115), a season (52) and a game (seven) and doubles in a career (38), a season (15) and a game (three). Brey is hitting .409 this season with 47 hits, 39 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 17 walks, 13 doubles, four triples and six home runs.

Soroka, who was on the All-Conference Second Team a year ago, has contributed a .294 batting average this spring with 35 hits, 21 RBIs, 20 runs scored, nine stolen bases, five walks, eight doubles, two triples and a homer.

Weiner, who was honored on the All-Conference First Team last year, is 14-4 this season. Weiner has a 1.49 ERA, three shutouts, 48 strikeouts and just 108 hits and 24 walks allowed in 122 innings of action.

Cianfichi has a .319 batting average for the Greyhounds and she has added 38 hits, 25 runs scored, seven RBIs, six walks, five stolen bases and three doubles from the leadoff position.