BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College continues its look back at its 2014-15 athletic campaign with the No. 4 highlight in the Top 10 Exciting Games – the softball team's 3-2, nine-inning walkoff victory on an RBI single by senior center fielder Dior George over host The University of Rochester on the opening day of the NCAA Division III Tournament on May 8.
The victory lifted the Greyhounds, who are making their second appearance in the Top 10 Countdown, to 2-0 on the opening day and just one victory shy of winning the Rochester Regional. Head Coach John Byrne '82 led the program to a 38-8 record this spring along with a Landmark Conference title and a No. 14 ranking in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll.
"That was a big win for us, especially in the three-team regional as it meant we only needed to win one game the next day to advance," commented Byrne. "It would prove to be important as we ended up needing the if necessary game the next day. If Dior hadn't battled with two strikes to get a ball into the outfield to score the runner from second, we may not have won the regional."
With the Hounds batting as the home team because of the NCAA Tournament schedule, the host Yellowjackets headed to the plate first and jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead off of Moravian starting pitcher freshman Josie Novak.
The Blue & Grey would get a runner to second base in the bottom half of the first when junior right fielder Mary Schlosbon reached on a fielder's choice and stole second; however, she would he stranded there.
Each squad put a runner on base in the second inning, and the Greyhounds had senior first baseman Jenn Dalickas intentionally walked for the first time in the game in the third frame but they were unable to move her around.
Moravian finally broke onto the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore left fielder Julie Siragusa led off with a single and moved to second when senior designated player Lizzie Mack put down a sacrifice bunt at reached on a throwing error. After an out, sophomore third baseman Victoria Conner loaded the bases with a bunt single in front of the circle. Sophomore pinch hitter Abby Jeffries followed with an RBI infield single to first that plated Siragusa with the tying run. Sophomore Madison Newhouser came on as a pinch hitter and grounded into an RBI fielder's choice as Mack scored to put the Greyhounds in front.
The lead wouldn't last very long for the Hounds with Rochester using a pair of singles and two errors in the Moravian outfield to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth.
George single and stole second in the bottom half of the fifth inning but the Hounds would strand her there.
Both teams struggled to score in the late innings. Rochester had runners at second in both the seventh and eighth innings before Novak recorded a strikeout to end the seventh and two ground balls to get out of the eighth.
The Hounds put two runners on in the seventh with freshman second baseman Megan Taylor reaching on a fielder's choice and Dalickas receiving her second intentional walk of the game, but the runners would be left out on base.
In the bottom of the eighth, Sirgusa reached on an error to lead off the from, and after a single by Mack and a sacrifice bunt by Conner, Siragusa stood on third with just one out. However, the Greyhounds hit into a ground out and a line out to force a second extra inning.
Rochester put a runner at second with a single and a sacrifice bunt in the top of the ninth but Novak recorded a pair of called third strikes for her eighth and ninth strikeouts of the afternoon.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Dalickas, who was 0-1 with three walks to that point of the game, ripped a double to center field. Freshman Jackie Marshall came on to pinch run and after an out, George would go deep into the count, fouling off numerous pitches including one off of her ankle before connecting on an RBI single over the center fielder's head that allowed Marshall to score the winning run for the Hounds' 36th win of the season.
"That game was absolutely unbelievable," explained George. "Josie was pitching an amazing game, like both of our pitchers had done the entire season. We left so many runners on the whole game, especially when we needed to score in the 5th-8th inning. In the 9th inning, with one out Jenn hit a double. This was huge for Jenn because she hadn't been getting a lot of strikes to hit in the second half of the season because, lets face it, who would want to throw to a (soon-to-be) two time All-American.
"I had been up about two or three other times in the crucial part of the game with runners on and fell short," continued George. "I knew this game was the most important game of the tournament. I got up with Jackie Marshall pinch running for Jenn on second base, and fell behind in the count fairly quickly. I fouled off about six balls with two strikes on me, one hit right back at my ankle in which I didn't know if I could finish my at bat. After that, I knew I had to hit the ball far enough that I could make it to first base without a throw so I didn't have to run with two outs. So, that is when I really focused in and ended up hitting the ball directly over the center fielders head.
"I remember my team running out to me and hugging me and then piggy backing me off the field because I couldn't walk. In my four years at Moravian, that game makes the Top 3 most hardly fought, most amazing games I was ever a part of," George finished.
You can check out the original game day story at http://moraviansports.com/sports/sball/2014-15/releases/2015050851qeio.
Number three on our Top 10 Exciting Games will be announced on Wednesday, July 15.
