BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The No. 19 ranked and top seed Moravian College softball team advanced to the championship round of the 2016 Landmark Conference Championship Tournament with a 6-1 win over second seed The Catholic University of America in a winner's bracket game Saturday afternoon at Blue & Grey Field.
The Greyhounds are now 34-4 on the season and in the Landmark Conference Championship round for the seventh time in the nine-year history of the conference. Moravian is scheduled to play at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 8 needing just one victory for the program's 17th conference title and an automatic berth to the 2016 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament, which would be a 16th trip to the NCAA appearance for the Moravian.
Catholic is now 25-11 on the season and will play in the final elimination game on Sunday, May 8 at 10:00 a.m. at Blue & Grey Field.
Moravian had 10 hits in the contest with freshman center fielder Kat Spilman going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Junior designated player Victoria Conner was 2-for-2 while freshman shortstop Kaela Kane was 2-for-3.
Junior third baseman Erin Adams went 2-for-3 for Catholic as the Cardinals collected six hits in the game.
Greyhound sophomore pitcher Amanda Carisone improved to 16-2 in the circle this season as she allowed a run on six hits and no walks to go with three strikeouts. Catholic sophomore pitcher Megan Colline took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk in three-plus innings of action. Freshman Kelly Lynch tossed three innings with a walk on three hits and two walks.
Moravian took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Spilman led off with inning with a single and scored on an RBI single to center field by Conner.
The Cardinals tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third inning on an RBI single by junior shortstop Rebekah Hoisl. The Greyhounds moved back in front in the bottom half of the third when Spilman connected on an RBI double to score senior right fielder Mary Schlosbon, who had started the inning with a single.
Moravian added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend the lead to 6-1. Sophomore catcher Janae Matos led off with a single and junior Lizzie Deutsch came on to pinch run. Conner followed with a single before sophomore first baseman Jean Markovic ripped an RBI single to score Deutsch. Schlosbon would reach on a fielder's choice before Kane hit an RBI double down the right field line to score Markovic. Spilman finished off the scoring with a two-RBI single to left field.
