Monday, March 14, 2005

MORAVIAN’S HENNESSY NAMED COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK

ANNVILLE, PA --- Junior pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS) of the Moravian College softball team has been named the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week for her performance last week.

Hennessy posted a 3-1 record for the Greyhounds last weekend at the 8th Annual Salisbury Seagull Invitational in Salisbury, Maryland. Moravian’s only loss of the weekend was in its final game, a battle of the two teams ranked #2 in the 2005 NFCA Division III Preseason Poll with Salisbury defeating Moravian, 3-1 in nine innings.

Hennessy opened the weekend allowing just a double to lead off the fourth inning to #23 Oneonta State in a 1-0, eight inning win. Hennessy also walked one batter and recorded 12 strikeouts in the victory. Hennessy picked up her third win of the season in the circle while breaking Amy Croll's career strikeout record in a 2-1 victory over Christopher Newport University, which received votes in the NFCA preseason poll. Hennessy allowed an earned run on three hits while walking three batters. Hennessy had a total of 11 strikeouts in the game with her eighth of the contest, which came in the sixth inning, gave Hennessy 375 career strikeouts for the Greyhounds, surpassing Croll's previous record of 374 set from 1994 until 1997.

Hennessy tossed her second shutout of the year, defeating Lynchburg College, 8-0 in six innings. Hennessy scattered three hits and allowed just two walks while striking out nine batters in the victory. In the loss to Salisbury, Hennessy allowed six hits, two runs and one walk while striking out six batters. The runner that scored after being placed on second base by the international tiebreaker rule is not charged to the pitcher. It is an unearned run charged to the team.

For the weekend, Hennessy struck out 38 batters in 29 2/3 innings and had a 0.71 ERA. She allowed just six hits while walking seven batters.

Moravian is 6-3 on the season and will return to action on Saturday, March 19th in the team’s home opener, a non-conference doubleheader versus Haverford College beginning at 1:00 p.m.