GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS TENTH STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the tenth consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the top seed in the 2007 Regional Tournament hosted by Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey.

The tournament begins on Thursday, May 10th with fourth seeded Ramapo College of New Jersey (30-8), an at-large berth to the tournament, taking on fifth seeded Gettysburg College (24-13), the Centennial Conference Champion at 10:00 a.m. Third seeded King’s College (33-7), the Freedom Conference Champion, will play sixth seed College of Staten Island (27-11), the City University of New York Champion, at 12:00 p.m.

The second seeded and host Red Hawks (35-6), an at-large berth to the tournament, will play seventh seed Manhattanville College (27-8), the Skyline Conference Champion, at 2:00 p.m. The winner of the Ramapo-Gettysburg game will take on the top seeded Greyhounds (32-5), the champions of the Commonwealth Conference, at 4:00 p.m.

The tournament will run through Sunday with the champion earning one of eight berths in the NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Virginia, which begins on Friday, May 18th. Friday’s action will begin at 10:00 a.m. as well while Saturday and Sunday will begin at 12:00 p.m.

The Greyhounds under the direction of 14-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 439-139, have posted a 32-5 overall record this spring, the 14th 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 nine times under Byrne including the last seven years, are in the NCAA Tournament for the tenth straight year and the postseason for the 13th consecutive season. Moravian, which is 22-18 in NCAA games, won an NCAA regional championship in 2004 and had 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 1.19 ERA, 18 shutouts, 263 strikeouts, 130 hits allowed and 117 walks allowed in 253 1/3 innings.

Sophomore Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS) is 16-2 with a 0.88 ERA, 11 shutouts, a no-hitter of Eastern University on April 24th, 159 strikeouts and 48 walks in 119 1/3 innings of action.

Sophomore Kristie Pellicani (Sparta, NJ/Sparta HS), who was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2007 Commonwealth Conference Tournament, has posted a 16-3 mark and a 1.20 ERA with seven shutouts, a no-hitter of Hunter (NY) College to begin the season on March 2nd, a save, 93 strikeouts and 59 walks in 122 1/3 innings. Pellicani also has a hit and a run scored.

Junior Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) has tossed 3 1/3 innings for the Greyhounds with two strikeouts and six walks while sophomore Katie Agnew (Doylestown, PA/Lansdale Catholic HS) has pitched 8 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts and four walks.

As a team at the plate, Moravian has a .310 batting average this season with 302 hits, 60 doubles, four triples and 20 home runs. The Greyhounds have scored 186 runs and drawn 78 walks while striking out just 79 times in 1,123 plate appearances. Moravian also has a .975 fielding percentage this spring.

Junior second baseman/shortstop Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) has a team high 40 hits to go with 26 RBIs, 18 runs, eight doubles, a triple, five homers and a .354 average this spring while sophomore outfielder Erica Klepeisz (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth HS) has 39 hits to go along with 27 runs, ten doubles, seven stolen bases, a triple, three home runs, ten RBIs and a .358 batting average.

Sophomore shortstop/outfielder Jordan Oplinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) has 23 hits, 19 runs, two doubles, eight RBIs and eight stolen bases while sophomore catcher Deanna Mangieri (Pleasantville, NY/Byram Hills HS) has 27 hits, six doubles, two homers, 12 runs and 11 RBIs. DeBonis, who hits as the designated player when not pitching, has 26 hits, 15 runs, five doubles, a triple, two home runs and 17 RBIs this year while senior first baseman/outfielder Lauren Homa (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has contributed 22 hits, 17 runs, 13 RBIs, three doubles, a home run, six stolen bases and a team high 15 sacrifices bunts.

Junior third baseman Kelly Santry (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland HS) has added 26 hits, 15 RBIs, seven doubles, a triple, a home run and ten runs while sophomore first baseman Sheri Bieniek (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley HS) has 21 hits, 16 runs, five doubles and four home runs to go with 19 RBIs and a team high 15 walks. Senior outfielder Justina Black (Orefield, PA/Parkland HS) has contributed 16 hits, six runs, four doubles and three RBIs while Ritchey has 13 hits, nine runs, two doubles, two homers, four stolen bases and 11 RBIs.

Senior catcher Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) has 15 hits, seven runs, a double and eight RBIs this year while Agnew, who has also seen action at second base, has 11 hits, five runs, four doubles and seven RBIs. Freshman Chrissy McGlinn (Lansdale, PA/Gwynedd Mercy HS) has scored seven runs this season and added five hits including a double and three RBIs while freshman Kelly Maressa (Allentown, PA/William Allen HS) has three hits, three runs, a double and three RBIs.

Senior first baseman Rebecca DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/Sacred Heart HS) has three hits and three runs while freshman outfielder Katie Flood (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville HS) has crossed the plate seven times as a pinch runner and has one hit. Freshman Danielle Massa (Livingston, NJ/Livingston HS) has contributed seven hits, four runs and an RBI while freshman Anastasia Morris (Annville, PA/Palmyra HS) has two his and classmate Jackie Seidler (Feasterville, PA/Mt. St. Joseph HS) has added one hit with an RBI.