BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Moravian College is continuing its look back at its 2017-18 athletic campaign. The next story in the second list of the summer as part of the Top 10 Stories from the past year selected by the athletic administration is our No. 2 story – the softball team capturing another Landmark Conference Championship and the program's fifth NCAA Division III Regional title.
The Greyhounds, under the direction of 25-year Head Coach John Byrne, posted a 36-8 record on the year as Byrne earned his 800th career victory. He has led the program to three NCAA Division III World Series appearances including the NCAA Division III National Championship game in 2004, 17 NCAA Division III playoff berths with five regional titles and two Super Regional appearances, 22 conference playoff appearances and 18 conference championships including eight of 11 since the Landmark Conference began competition in 2007-08.
The season began with a trip to Arizona with Moravian going 3-3 in the 2018 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Leadoff Classic that included an extra-inning loss to defending and eventual 2018 NCAA DIII Champion Virginia Wesleyan University. With a 20-11 win over Coe (Iowa) College in the final game of the tournament on March 4, the Blue and Grey would embark on a 24-game winning streak that included six straight wins at the Tucson (Ariz.) Invitational and eight doubleheader sweeps before the Hounds fell to Stevens Institute of Technology in extra innings in the second game of a doubleheader on April 24.
The 2018 Landmark Conference Championship came at Blue & Grey Field on Saturday, May 5 with a 3-0 win over The University of Scranton. The Hounds had earned the top seed and right to host the tournament with an 11-1 mark during the Landmark Conference regular season.
The Greyhounds, who finished the year ranked No. 14 in the final NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll, traveled to Ewing, New Jersey for the NCAA Division III Regionals at The College of New Jersey. Moravian fell in the opening game to Salisbury (Md.) University, 3-2, in extra innings before responding with victories over TCNJ (4-2), Johnson & Wales (R.I.) University (4-0) and Salisbury (3-0 & 9-1) to capture the fifth regional title in school history.
The Hounds would wait out the weather before playing at Rowan (N.J.) University in the NCAA Division III Super Regionals on Sunday, May 20. While the Greyhounds dropped both games by a 2-1 score, Moravian finished the year with 36 wins, the fourth straight season with more than 35 victories, the 11th 35-win and 19th 30-win season in program history.
To read game recaps along with links to photo galleries and videos, visit https://www.moraviansports.com/sports/sball/2017-18/schedule.
The number top highlight in the Top 10 Stories of 2017-18 will be released on Monday, July 30 after a look at the stories from the year that just missed making the top 10 countdown.
