BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College softball team has made its way to DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana for the 2015 NCAA Division III Super Regional on May 15-16 with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series that begins on May 21 in Salem, Virginia.
The No. 17 ranked Greyhounds and the Tigers will meet in the opening game of the best-of-three series on Friday, May 15 at 12:00 p.m. at DePauw's Tigers Field with Moravian as the home team. The squads will meet again on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. with DePauw batting as the home squad. If the teams split the first two games, the if necessary contest is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m. For links to live stats and video for all of the games, visit http://moraviansports.com/sports/sball/2014-15/schedule. Tickets each day are available at the gate and are $6 for adults and $3 for seniors, veterans and children 12 and under. Children under two years of age will be admitted at no charge.
The Hounds advanced to the Super Regional by going 3-1 at the Rochester Regional last weekend for the program's fourth NCAA Division III Regional title while DePauw was 3-0 in the regional it hosted May 8-10. Moravian and DePauw have met once on the softball field with the Tigers posting a 4-2 win during the opening round of the 2007 NCAA Division III World Series in Salem.
Moravian is under the direction of 22-year head coach John Byrne, who earned his 700th career win on April 25 and has a career mark of 712-219. The Blue & Grey have posted a 37-6 record this spring, the 22nd consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and an 11-1 mark in Landmark Conference action.
The Greyhounds participated in the conference tournament for the 16th straight year, capturing their sixth Landmark Conference title this spring, and Moravian is in the postseason for the 21st straight season. The Hounds have posted NCAA regional championships and berths in the 2004, 2007 and 2010 NCAA Division III World Series and a national runner-up finish at the 2004 Division III World Series, and the Greyhounds are 38-30 in NCAA tournament action.
"We need to keep doing the things that we have been as we head to Indiana for the Super Regional because with just 16 teams left playing, you know you are playing a good team," Byrne said. "These teams will make you pay if you give them extra outs or make mistakes in the field, and you also need to hit the ball and force them to make the plays. Our freshman pitching staff, although they aren't really freshmen anymore at this point, has been very good all season, and we don't expect anything less from them. It will be a matter of us executing in the field and at the plate this weekend."
Moravian is hitting .323 entering the Super Regional with 370 hits including 93 extra-base hits including 62 doubles and 26 home runs for a .454 slugging percentage. Moravian has out-scored its opponents, 249-96, for an average of 5.79 runs per game, and the Greyhounds have a .963 fielding percentage. Moravian has posted 13 shutouts in 37 wins and the squad is fifth in the nation with a 1.41 ERA, and the Hounds' pitchers have recorded 262 strikeouts and just 49 walks this spring in 293.2 innings.
Leading Moravian at the plate is senior first baseman Jenn Dalickas, the 2015 Landmark Player of the Year for a second straight year and an All-Conference First Team honoree again this spring. She also made the National Fastpitch Coaches Association/Louisville Slugger All-Atlantic Region First Team. Dalickas has a .486 batting average with 51 hits, 43 runs, 13 doubles, nine homers, 32 RBIs, 91 total bases and a school record 49 walks including 10 intentional. She is first in the nation with a .656 on-base percentage and 19th in both slugging percentage at .867 and batting average. Dalickas has a team-high 237 putouts to go with 10 assists. She has set the school career home run record with 35, the career walk record with 86 and the career total bases with 370, and Dalickas is second all-time with 158 RBIs and 52 doubles and third with 203 hits.
The Greyhounds have a dynamic duo in the circle this year in freshmen Amanda Carisone and Josie Novak. Carisone, who was selected to the Landmark All-Conference Second Team, has won 19 consecutive decisions, and she has posted an 19-1 mark this spring with a 1.41 ERA, seven shutouts, 102 strikeouts and just 18 walks allowed in 148.2 innings. Novak, who was named the Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Conference First Team, has an 18-5 record in her debut season with a 1.40 ERA, one save, six shutouts, 160 strikeouts, the eighth most in a single season at Moravian, and just 31 walks allowed in 145 innings of action.
Junior right fielder Mary Schlosbon made the Landmark All-Conference First Team this spring, and she is batting .376 with 50 hits, 36 runs, a double, two triples and 17 RBIs. Schlosbon has also contributed a team-leading 20 sacrifice bunts this spring, and she has added nine stolen bases, 48 putouts and one assist. Senior center fielder Dior George, who was selected to the All-Conference First Team for a fourth consecutive spring, reached the 200 hit plateau in April and is second all-time with 209 hits. She is hitting .362 to go along with 51 hits, 38 runs to give her a school-record 181 runs scored in her career, six doubles, one triple, seven homers, 36 RBIs, 13 walks and nine stolen bases. George has added 50 putouts.
Sophomore left fielder Julie Siragusa has a .356 batting average with 42 hits, 22 runs, eight doubles, one home run, 21 RBIs and 15 walks in her first season as a starter while junior infielder Lindsay Sullivan, who was named to the Landmark All-Conference Second Team a second straight season, has a .303 average with 23 hits, eight runs, three doubles and six RBIs to go with 37 putouts and 15 assists. Senior infielder Lizzie Mack is hitting .301 with 31 hits, 17 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 32 RBIs and 12 walks.
Sophomore third baseman Victoria Conner has a .404 average with 19 hits, seven runs, five doubles and nine RBIs while sophomore shortstop Madison Newhouser has contributed 12 hits, nine runs, two doubles and seven RBIs since returning to the lineup after missing 23 contests with an injury. Sophomore designated player Abby Jeffries has 25 hits, 12 runs, seven doubles, two homers and 28 RBIs while sophomore catcher Niki Maffetone has 13 hits, five runs and six RBIs while recording 78 putouts behind the plate.
Sophomore infielder Chrissy Mariano has added 13 hits, seven runs, a double, a homer and 11 RBIs while freshman catcher Janae Matos has 14 hits, 14 runs, four doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs to go with 199 putouts and seven assists this spring. Sophomore infielder Lizzie Deutsch has contributed 15 hits, 17 runs, a double and three RBIs while freshman infielder Megan Taylor has 10 hits, 10 runs, a double, two homers and eight RBIs. Freshman Jackie Marshall has scored four runs and added a hit while junior Kiersten Cain and freshmen Jessica D'Agostino and Jean Markovic each have contributed for the Greyhounds this season.
Photo by Jonah George
