BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College softball team is set for its 24th consecutive postseason appearance as the Greyhounds earned the top seed for the 2018 Landmark Conference Tournament that begins on Friday, May 4 at Blue & Grey Field in Bethlehem.
The starts with the Greyhounds playing fourth seed The Catholic University of America at 11:00 a.m. Second seed The University of Scranton and third seed Susquehanna University will battle at 1:00 p.m. and the winners of the first two games will play at 3:00 p.m. Friday, with the winner of that game earning a berth in the championship round on Saturday. The losers of Friday's first two games will begin action on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors while children under 10 and all Landmark Conference students, faculty and staff with ID are free. Follow the tournament at http://moraviansports.com/sports/sball/2017-18/Landmark/index.
Moravian enters the Landmark Tournament as the top seed for the seventh time in the 11-year history of the conference. Moravian has won a total of seven Landmark Conference Championships and is the only program in the conference to make the tournament in each of the conference's 11 seasons.
The Greyhounds, led by 25-year head coach John Byrne who has a career slate of 815-239, has posted a 29-5 overall record this spring, the 25th straight year that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and an 11-1 mark in Landmark Conference action. The Blue & Grey are also ranked No. 11 in the nation in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 poll, and Moravian is ranked sixth in the Atlantic Region in the latest NCAA Division III Regional Rankings.
The Greyhounds, who have won over 30 games 18 times under Byrne, are in the conference tournament for the 19th consecutive season and the 23rd time in 24 years. Moravian posted NCAA regional championships and berths in the 2007 and 2010 NCAA Division III World Series and a national runner-up finish at the 2004 Division III World Series. The Hounds also won a regional championship in 2015 to advance to the first Super Regional in program history.
Moravian is hitting .338 entering the tournament with 308 hits including 86 extra-base hits with 54 doubles and 24 home runs for a .493 slugging percentage. Moravian has out-scored its opponents, 237-83, for an average of 6.97 runs per game, and the Greyhounds have a .952 fielding percentage. Moravian has posted 10 shutouts in 29 wins for a 1.80 ERA, and the Hounds' pitchers have recorded 179 strikeouts and just 49 walks this spring.
In the circle, senior pitcher Josie Novak has a 15-2 record with a 1.50 ERA, four shutouts and 115 strikeouts in 112 innings while senior pitcher Amanda Carisone is 14-3 with a 1.88 ERA, four shutouts and 60 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. Sophomore pitcher Paige Lesher has tossed four innings while freshman pitcher Meghan Bauer has two innings.
Senior center fielder Kat Spilman leads the Greyhounds with a .427 average, 44 hits, 30 runs, seven doubles, four triples, six homers, 16 walks and 32 RBIs while freshman second baseman Shannon Brogan has added a .421 average to go with 40 hits, 29 runs, seven doubles, two homers and 24 RBIs in her debut season. Freshman right fielder Brooke Wehr has a .377 average, 43 hits, 41 runs, seven doubles, nine home runs and 33 RBIs while junior third baseman Madison Shaneberger has a .354 average. 35 hits, 19 runs, eight doubles, two homers and 22 RBIs.
Senior catcher Janae Matos has contributed a .330 average, 34 hits, 18 runs, 11 doubles, a triple, a homer, 17 walks and 27 RBIs while senior first baseman Jean Markovic has added 29 hits, 13 runs, three doubles, two triples and 23 RBIs. Freshman shortstop Maddisen Bieber has 23 hits, 17 runs, a double, a homer and 12 RBIs while sophomore left fielder Lauren Goetz has added 21 hits, 13 runs, five doubles, two homers and 17 RBIs. Junior designated player Kaela Kane has 18 hits, 13 runs, two doubles and 10 RBIs while junior designated player Julia DeMarco has 11 hits, eight runs, a double, a triple, a homer and 10 RBIs. Sophomore outfielder Emily Stanilious has seven hits and 13 runs while senior outfielder Jackie Marshall has scored 14 runs. Junior outfielder Ashley Gindle has contributed seven runs and a double while freshman infielder Maura Kane has two hits.
