BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College continues its look back at its 2014-15 athletic campaign with the No. 7 highlight in the Top 10 Exciting Games – the softball team's 1-0 victory over host Susquehanna University in an elimination game in the 2015 Landmark Conference Tournament.
The Greyhounds, who finished 38-8 this spring and were No. 14 in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll, broke a scoreless tie in the top of the seventh to earn their 32nd win of the season.
Head Coach John Byrne '82 knew the importance of the game for the Hounds. "The win was key because it got us into the championship round against Elizabethtown. I think it also built some character that we would need later in the postseason during the NCAA Tournament."
The contest, which ended up being the first of three for the Blue & Grey on Saturday, May 2 at Sassafras Field in Selinsgrove, started a little after noon. The Greyhounds threatened in the top of the first inning with junior right fielder Mary Schlosbon singling to left field with one out and sophomore left fielder Julie Siragusa ripping a single up the middle with two outs before the Crusaders would get out of the inning.
Moravian starter freshman Josie Novak gave up a walk to the first batter of the game but would get a line out and a double play on a strikeout and interference to end the inning.
Susquehanna would be the next team to have a chance to score. After a leadoff double in the bottom of the third, the only hit Novak would allow in the contest, she recorded a pair of strikeouts and a line out to end the threat.
"Knowing that Susquehanna beat us 1-0 during the regular season, I knew we had to come into the game at our best," commented Novak. "We were doing a good job that day of keeping the batters off balance, changing speeds, keeping batters off bases and keeping their hitters guessing."
The Greyhounds opened the fourth with a single by Siragusa, and she reached second base when senior designated player Lizzie Mack was safe on a sacrifice bunt attempt. However, once again, the Hounds were unable to capitalize and break onto the scoreboard.
The Crusaders had a base runner on a walk in the bottom of the fourth before both squads went down in order in the fifth frame.
Senior center fielder Dior George led off the top of the sixth with a single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Siragusa before a Susquehanna double play ended the inning.
After three outs in the bottom of the sixth, Moravian's first two batters grounded out in the top of the seventh. Freshman catcher Janae Matos doubled down the left field line with two outs. Sophomore Niki Maffettone was called on to pinch hit, and she drew a walk, and then senior first baseman Jenn Dalickas walked for the second time in the game to load the bases. Schlosbon came up and connected on an RBI single to right center field as Matos raced across the plate with the only run of the game.
"It was definitely extremely nerve wracking coming up to bat in the 7th with 0-0 game on the line. Despite how nerve wracking it was, I knew that this was the moment I've been waiting for, and this type of pressure situation was exactly what I had been working for all year," commented Schlosbon. "The energy during the game was so high, and our whole team was focused the entire game I knew there was no way we weren't coming out of this inning without a run. They had been intentionally walking Jenn the whole game, so I knew I had to get in the mindset to come up to the plate with bases loaded.
"Although I had all these thoughts running through my mind, once I stepped in the batter's box all thoughts were gone," Schlosbon continued. "It was just me versus the pitcher and I wanted to do whatever it took to put the ball in play. Foul ball, after foul ball I knew I was on it. As the last pitch came in, I was zoned in and made solid contact. As I was standing on first my emotions were running high thinking about how bad my team wanted this game. I couldn't stop thinking how this is our day and were going to bring back the conference title where it belongs."
Novak headed back to the circle looking for her 15th win of the season. She recorded a pair of fly outs before notching her seventh strikeout of the afternoon to seal the victory and her sixth shutout of the season.
After we scored in the top of the seventh, everyone was so excited and we all had this surge of energy," Novak explained. "Going out in the bottom of the seventh, I knew all we had to do was stay calm and get three more outs and not let our excitement overcome us. Going into an inning with a lead is always what you want especially as a pitcher and having the lead going into bottom half of that inning really pushed me to finish the game and keep Susquehanna off the board and get us into the championship round."
"Josie pitched an outstanding game against Susquehanna, especially after a tough game against them in the regular season out there, and Mary had some timely hitting to get us that run when we needed it," finished Byrne.
Moravian would go on to defeat Elizabethtown College twice that afternoon, 4-3 and 12-2 in five innings, to clinch its sixth Landmark Conference title and the 14th conference title in school history that would send the Greyhounds to the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time since 1998.
You can check out the original game day story at http://moraviansports.com/sports/sball/2014-15/releases/20150502meyejj.
Number six on our Top 10 Exciting Games will be announced on Wednesday, July 6.
