Sports News: Spring 2004

Monday, May 3, 2004

FIVE GREYHOUNDS HONORED AS MORAVIAN STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

BETHLEHEM, PA --- Seniors Melissa Soroka (Newton, NJ/Pope John XXIII HS) and Donna Weiner (East Hanover, NJ/Hanover Park HS) of the softball team, junior Kirsten Rotzell (Bangor, PA/Bangor HS) from the women’s track & field squad, freshman Matt Bailey (Reading, PA/Reading HS) of the men’s track & field team and junior Steve Tomaszewski (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) from the baseball squad have been named the Moravian College Student-Athletes of the Week for their performances last week.

Soroka, an outfielder, helped the Greyhounds claim their fourth consecutive Commonwealth Conference Tournament Championship, and the program’s seventh straight NCAA Division III Tournament berth last week. Soroka was six for 13 (.462) at the Commonwealth Tournament with two runs scored, an RBI, a triple and three putouts. Her biggest play of the tournament was a diving catch in deep left centerfield in the bottom of the seventh inning of the championship game that kept Lebanon Valley College from beginning a rally. Soroka was also three-for-four in the championship game.

Weiner, a pitcher, won a pair of games in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament. Weiner tossed an 8-0, five-inning shutout of Lebanon Valley College in the second game of the first day and then defeated the Flying Dutchmen, 2-1, in the if necessary game to give Moravian the title. Weiner allowed just one run on 13 hits and no walks in 12 innings while striking out three batters. Weiner has won her last 15 decisions after losing the opening game of the season.

Moravian is 34-3 overall, which ties the single season record for victories, and will return to action as the top seed in the Mahwah, New Jersey Regional of the 2004 NCAA Tournament on Friday, May 7th in a game versus the winner of fourth seeded Union (NY) College and fifth seeded the College of Staten Island at 2:00 p.m.

Rotzell, a sprinter and jumper, won the triple jump with a leap of 11.28 meters (37 feet 1/4 inch) to lead Moravian to its 12th straight Middle Atlantic Conference Championship last weekend. Rotzell was fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.64 seconds, and she also ran a leg of Moravian's winning 4x100-meter relay squad. Rotzell also earned a second place finish in the long jump at 5.21 meters (17 feet, 1 1/2 inches).

Bailey, a sprinter and hurdler, was named the Rookie of the Year and won the individual title in the 110-meter high hurdles to lead Moravian to a sixth place finish at the 2004 MAC Championships. Bailey captured the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.93 seconds, and he placed sixth in the 400-meter hurdles in 58.11 seconds. Bailey also ran on Moravian's 4x400-meter relay team that placed seventh.

Tomaszewski, a pitcher/outfielder, won hits only start of the week, tossing a nine-inning complete game victory over Widener University to help Moravian clinch a playoff berth. Tomaszewski allowed four runs, just two earned, on ten hits and two walks while striking out seven batters in his sixth complete game of the season. Tomaszewski also saw action in the outfield and had three hits and an RBI during the week. Moravian is 13-20 overall and is the third seed in the 2004 Commonwealth Conference Tournament. The Greyhounds will return to action on Wednesday, May 5th in the first round of the tournament in a 2:30 p.m. game at second seeded Juniata College.