Tuesday, May 3, 2005

GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS 11TH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON APPEARANCE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the postseason for the 11th consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the top seed for the fourth straight year in the 2005 Commonwealth Conference Tournament being played at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania this spring.

The tournament begins on Friday, May 6th with four-time defending champion Moravian playing fourth seeded Albright College at 11:00 a.m. Second seeded Lebanon Valley will battle third seed Messiah College 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. The tournament champion earns an automatic berth into the 2005 NCAA Division III National Tournament.

The Greyhounds under the direction of 12-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 364-123, have posted a 31-6 overall record this spring, the 12th consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and a 13-1 mark in Commonwealth Conference action. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games seven times under Byrne including the last five years, are in the conference tournament for the sixth straight year and the tenth time in 11 years. Moravian has also been in the NCAA Tournament the last seven years including a regional championship last spring and national runner-up finish at the 2004 Division III World Series.

One of the keys for the Greyhounds again this season has been their pitching staff, which has a 0.74 ERA, 19 shutouts, 262 strikeouts, 131 hits allowed and 63 walks allowed in 245 2/3 innings.

Junior All-American pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold HS) is 24-4 in the circle this season, a school record for wins, with a 0.52 ERA, a school record 14 shutouts, three saves, three no-hitters, 234 strikeouts, another season school record, and just 95 hits, 37 walks and 26 runs (15 earned) allowed in 200 innings of action. Hennessy has already broken the Moravian career records for strikeouts with 566, shutouts with 33 and wins with 62.

Freshman pitcher Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) has a 6-1 record this season with a 1.63 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 27 hits and 24 walks allowed in 38 2/3 innings of action. Sophomore pitcher/outfielder LeeAnna Roberts (Messhopen, PA/Elk Lake HS) has a 1-0 record with a 2.00 ERA and three strikeouts in seven innings of action. Moravian's first loss of the season was charged to the team since the winning run scored on the international tiebreaker rule.

As a team at the plate, Moravian has a .316 batting average this season with 311 hits, 32 doubles, 14 triples and 16 home runs. The Greyhounds have scored 175 runs and drawn 70 walks while striking out just 90 times in 1,112 plate appearances.

Senior shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) leads Moravian with a .395 average with a team high 47 hits, 21 runs, four doubles, four triples and 16 RBIs. Bortz, a two-time All-American, has become the first player in school history to reach 200 career hits and has 238 in her career.

Sophomore outfielder Justina Black (Orefield, PA/Parkland HS) has 33 hits, 15 runs, 13 RBIs, three doubles, a home run and a .372 average. Freshman second baseman/catcher Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/ Whitehall HS) has contributed 39 hits, 19 RBIs, 24 runs, eight doubles and a .368 average while sophomore first baseman Lauren Homa (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has 32 hits, 26 runs, 23 RBIs, four doubles, four triples and two home runs this spring. Sophomore catcher Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) has a .319 average with 29 hits, 13 RBIs, 23 runs, eight sacrifices bunts, two sacrifice flies, a double, two triples and a home run.

Senior outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) has 18 hits, ten runs and 11 RBIs, and Cianfichi became the 20th player in school history to reach 100 hits with 101 in her career. Bortz and Cianfichi each have three stolen bases this spring to lead the Greyhounds. Roberts has 21 hits, 11 RBIs, 13 runs, a double, a triple, a home run and a .309 average while junior designated player Richelle McWilliams (Riegelsville, PA/Easton HS) has 28 hits, 15 runs, 27 RBIs, five doubles, a triple and eight home runs.

Freshman third baseman Kelly Santry (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland HS) has contributed 21 hits, nine runs, two doubles, two home runs, ten sacrifice bunts and eight RBIs while senior second baseman/outfielder Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) has added 14 hits, three runs, a double and two RBIs.

Freshmen first baseman Katie Uhas (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) has added seven hits with a homer, a double, a run and five RBIs while senior outfielder Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) has five hits, six runs, a triple and an RBI. Sophomore first baseman Rebecca DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/ Sacred Heart HS) has seven hits, a double and four RBIs while freshmen outfielder Keri Traficante (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has five hits, six runs and an RBI. Ritchey has contributed five hits, three runs, a double, a triple and four RBIs.

Lebanon Valley is returning to the Commonwealth Tournament for the second straight season and the third time in five years since the Commonwealth Conference Tournament began. The Flying Dutchmen are 25-9 overall this season and earned the second seed with an 11-3 record in Commonwealth Conference action. Both the 25 wins and the 11 conference wins are records for Lebanon Valley.

Freshman Lauren Sanford leads the Flying Dutchmen with a .362 average with 21 hits, 11 runs, a double and four RBIs. Sophomore Amy Batz has posted a .343 average with 37 hits, 16 runs, 14 RBIs, six doubles and two triples while sophomore Jen Parks has 32 hits, 20 RBIs, 15 runs, ten doubles, a triple and ten walks. Senior Melissa Ulrich has contributed 29 hits, 16 RBIs, 15 runs, five doubles three triples and four home runs while junior Lisa DiCristofaro has 30 hits, 18 runs, 13 RBIs, eight doubles, a triple and six stolen bases. In the circle, sophomore Jenn Roberts is 14-1 with a save, six shutouts, a 1.03 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings. Sophomore Kelly O’Toole has posted an 8-4 mark with two shutouts, a save, a 1.34 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings. Junior Alisa Albers has registered a 3-3 record with two shutouts, a 1.99 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings.

Messiah, which earned the third seed with a doubleheader sweep of Elizabethtown College on Monday, is returning to the postseason for the first time since 2003. The Falcons, who are 16-20 overall and 9-5 in Commonwealth Conference action, won seven conference titles back in the 1990s.

Senior Karen Robb paces Messiah with a .368 average to go along with 35 hits, 18 runs, 13 RBIs, three doubles, a triple and a home run. Freshman Lana Trotter has contributed a .349 average, 38 hits, 20 RBIs, 19 runs, 15 stolen bases, nine doubles, three triples and a home run, and Trotter is 6-6 in the circle with a save, a shutout, a 1.71 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings. Junior Gina Weaver has a .309 average with 30 hits, 20 RBIs, 13 walks, eight runs and six doubles while sophomore Jessica DeBoer has added 34 hits, 20 RBIs, 21 runs, ten stolen bases, six doubles a triple and two homers. In the circle, senior Vikke Downes has a 6-4 record with a save, a shutout, a 2.42 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 52 innings while sophomore Rebecca Croft is 3-8 with a save, a 3.52 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings of action.

Albright is returning to the postseason for the first time since the 2002 season. The Lions have posted an overall record of 21-13 and were also 9-5 in the Commonwealth this year.

Junior Meridith Hippert leads Albright with a .412 average, and she has 42 hits, 36 RBIs, ten runs, eight walks, nine doubles, two triples and three home runs this spring. Junior Ashley Young has added a .364 average, 28 hits, 22 RBIs, 16 runs, four doubles and four homers. In the circle, Young has a 9-8 mark with six shutouts, a save, a 1.10 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 115 innings of action. Freshman Stephanie Crouse has contributed a .322 average, 38 hits, 32 runs, ten walks, six stolen bases, nine doubles, two triples and nine RBIs while sophomore Meredith Mayes has a .306 average, 30 hits, 29 runs, 15 RBIs, 18 walks, three doubles, three home runs and four stolen bases. Mayes also has a 10-4 mark in the circle with three shutouts, a 2.51 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 92 innings. Freshman Lauren Every has tossed 27 innings with nine strikeouts, a 2-1 record and a 3.63 ERA.