GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS 12TH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON APPEARANCE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the postseason for the 12th consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the top seed for the fifth straight year in the 2006 Commonwealth Conference Tournament being played at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania this weekend.

The tournament begins on Friday, May 5th with five-time defending champion Moravian playing fourth seeded Susquehanna University at 11:00 a.m. Second seeded Albright College will battle third seed Lebanon Valley 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 2006 NCAA Division III National Tournament.

The Greyhounds under the direction of 13-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 400-131, have posted a 30-6 overall record this spring, the 13th 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 eight times under Byrne including the last six years, are in the conference tournament for the seven straight year and the 11th time in 12 years. Moravian has also been in the NCAA Tournament the last eight years including a regional runner-up finish last year and a 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 0.85 ERA, 17 shutouts, 289 strikeouts, 129 hits allowed and 82 walks allowed in 246 2/3 innings.

Senior All-American Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township HS) is 19-4 in the circle this season with a 0.37 ERA, 13 shutouts, five saves, two no-hitters, 209 strikeouts and just 65 hits, 46 walks and 15 runs (nine earned) in 169 2/3 innings of action. Hennessy, who already owns every Moravian pitching record, is continuing to climb the NCAA Division III record books. She is 7th in career strikeouts with 818, tied for 2nd in shutouts with 50, tied for 8th in wins with 86, tied for 9th in career ERA at 0.86, 9th in innings pitched with 754.2, tied for 11th in complete games with 96, 16th in games started with 105, and tied for 15th games with 120. Hennessy, who has been the Commonwealth Conference Pitcher of the Week five times this season, has one hit at the plate this spring and has scored 11 runs.

Freshman Kristie Pellicani (Sparta, NJ/Sparta HS) is 9-2 on the year with two shutouts, 23 walks, 67 strikeouts and a 1.58 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. Freshman Katie Agnew (Doylestown, PA/Lansdale Catholic HS) had a 2-0 record with 11 walks and 13 strikeouts in ten innings in the circle for the Greyhounds. Pellicani has one hit, an RBI and three runs scored while Agnew has a hit and an RBI.

As a team at the plate, Moravian has a .325 batting average this season with 328 hits, 52 doubles, four triples and a school record 22 home runs. The Greyhounds have scored 162 runs and drawn 51 walks while striking out just 94 times in 1,118 plate appearances.

Freshman Erica Klepeisz (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS) leads the Greyhounds with 46 hits to go with a .354 average, 17 RBIs, 16 runs, seven doubles, a triple, two homers and 12 stolen bases. Junior Justina Black (Orefield, PA/Parkland HS) is hitting .343 with 34 hits, 12 runs, 19 RBIs, two homers, four doubles and a triple while sophomore Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) has 39 hits, a .328 average, 19 runs, 14 RBIs, six doubles and a homer.

Sophomore Kelly Santry (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland HS) has a .367 average with 36 hits, 18 runs, 14 RBIs, eight doubles and three homers, all hit in one game at Haverford College to set the single game school record. Freshman Jordan Oplinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) has 37 hits, 20 runs, seven RBIs, six doubles, a triple and six stolen bases while senior Richelle McWilliams (Riegelsville, PA/Easton HS) is hitting .368 with 35 hits, 22 RBIs, ten runs, seven doubles and seven home runs.

Junior Lauren Homa (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has contributed 29 hits, 12 runs, eight RBIs and a double while freshman Sheri Bienick (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS) has 22 hits, ten runs, 15 RBIs, six doubles, four home runs and a .306 average. Junior Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) has 19 hits, 13 RBIs, eight runs, a homer and four doubles, and she became the school's all-time leader in putouts last Thursday and has a career total of 741 putouts.

Freshman Deanna Mangieri (Pleasantville, NY/Byram Hills HS) has 12 hits, four runs, a double, a triple and five RBIs while sophomore Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) has added ten hits, 12 runs, three RBIs and two home runs including the first one at Blue & Grey Field with the new six-foot fence. Sophomore Keri Traficante (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has added four hits and six runs while junior Becky DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/Sacred Heart HS) has two hits, both doubles, with a run.

Albright is making its second straight trip to the Commonwealth Conference Tournament. The Lions have posted an overall record of 13-21 and were 10-4 in the Commonwealth regular season, earning the second seed with a sweep of Lebanon Valley.

Senior Meredith Hippert leads Albright with a .329 average, 28 hits, 20 RBIs, 11 runs, four doubles, two triples and two home runs while sophomore Stevie Crouse has 30 hits, 20 runs, 11 walks, three stolen bases, four doubles, a triple and four RBIs. Junior Erica Romond has added 23 hits, 11 runs, eight RBIs, six doubles and a homer while freshman Jennifer Lynch has 23 hits, five runs, five RBIs, four doubles and a triple. In the circle, senior Ashley Young is 9-8 with a 1.86 ERA, three shutouts, 123 strikeouts and 29 walks in 132 innings of action, and Young has contributed 22 hits, nine runs, ten RBIs, four doubles and two home runs. Junior Meredith Mayes has a 3-7 mark in the circle with a 3.74 ERA, 42 strikeouts and 19 walks in 69 1/3 innings. Mayes also has 21 hits, 11 runs, 15 RBIS, 12 walks, five doubles, a triple and four homers.

Lebanon Valley is returning to the Commonwealth Tournament for the third straight season and the fourth time in six years since the Commonwealth Conference Tournament began. The Flying Dutchmen are 24-10 overall this season and earned the third seed with a 10-4 record in Commonwealth Conference action.

Junior Amy Batz is hitting .381 to lead Lebanon Valley, and she has 43 hits, 24 runs, 20 RBIs, six doubles, a triple and four stolen bases. Freshman Crystal Nolen is hitting .318 with 28 hits, 11 runs, 16 RBIs, nine doubles and two home runs while junior Jenn Parks has added 342 hits, 16 runs, 24 RBIs, ten walks, eight doubles, two triples and a pair of homers. Freshman Katie DeJulio and sophomore Lauren Sanford each have 24 hits with DeJulio adding ten runs, six doubles and six RBIs and Sandford contributing 27 runs, 27 walks, four stolen bases, three doubles, a triple and six RBIs. Junior Jenn Roberts has a 9-3 mark in the circle with a 1.30 ERA, six shutouts, 84 strikeouts and nine walks in 80 2/3 innings, and she has added 22 hits, nine runs, 17 RBIs, eight doubles and three home runs. Senior Alisa Albers has an 8-2 mark with a save, four shutouts, a 1.40 ERA, 59 strikeouts and eight walks in 70 innings while junior Kelly O’Toole is 5-4 with a 1.85 ERA, a shutout, 35 strikeouts and six walks in 60 2/3 innings. O’Toole also has 21 hits, four runs, 11 RBIs and four doubles at the plate.

Susquehanna is making its fourth appearance in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament for the first time since 2004. The Crusaders were 22-10 overall and 8-6 in conference action.

Junior Sarah Shaffer leads Susquehanna at the plate with a .437 average to go with 45 hits, 28 runs, 23 RBIs, eight doubles, six home runs and five triples. Sophomore Megan McCurley has a .346 average, 36 hits, 18 runs, 12 RBIs, ten walks, six doubles, triple and three stolen bases while junior Kerri Brugger has a .351 average with 33 hits, 30 RBIs, 14 runs, 11 walks, seven doubles and three doubles. Junior Kelsey Conway has contributed 18 hits, 22 runs, 13 walks, a triple, a homer and seven RBIs. In the circle, senior Jess Nastelli has a 10-3 record with a 0.90 ERA, two shutouts, 69 strikeouts and 42 walks in 101 2/3 innings, and Nastelli has 12 hits, three runs, a double and seven RBIs. Junior Kelly McHale has posted a 10-5 record with one shutout, a 2.38 ERA, 31 strikeouts and 13 walks in 91 innings while sophomore Bekah Bennett is 2-2 with a shutout, a 1.85 ERA, eight strikeouts and 14 walks in 30 1/3 innings.