Sports News: Spring 2008

Monday, May 5, 2008

MORAVIAN’S MARIA DeBONIS & MEGAN RITCHEY HONORED AS LANDMARK CONFERENCE
SOFTBALL PITCHER & PLAYER OF THE WEEK

MADISON, NJ --- Junior pitcher/designated player Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS) of the Moravian College softball team has been named the Landmark Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week for the third consecutive week while senior outfielder Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) earned Landmark Conference Player of the Week honors for their performances last week in leading the Greyhounds to the 2008 Landmark Conference Championship.

DeBonis, who was named the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Week for the fifth time this season, tossed three shutouts while lead Moravian to a 3-0 record and the inaugural Landmark Conference Championship last weekend.  DeBonis, pictured at right, allowed just eight hits and two walks while striking out 32 batters in 19 innings of action.  She had a 2-0 shutout of Drew University, an 8-0, five-inning shutout of The University of Scranton and a 7-0 shutout of The Catholic University of America in the championship game.  At the plate, DeBonis was four-for-eight with four RBIs, three runs scored, a home run and a walk and she had one assist in the field.

Ritchey, pictured at left, hit .556 last week during the Landmark Conference Championship.  Ritchey was five-for-nine with three runs, three RBIs, two doubles, a home run and a sacrifice bunt during the week, and she had one putout in left field.  Ritchey was held without a hit in a 2-0 win over Drew.  She was then two-for-three with two runs and a solo home run on an 8-0, five-inning win versus Scranton.  In the championship game, a 7-0 win over Catholic, Ritchey was three-for-three with a run, two RBIs, two doubles and a sacrifice bunt.

Moravian, which did not earn a Pool B independent berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament, has completed its 2008 campaign with a 33-6 record.