BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the postseason for the 18th consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the second seed for the 2012 Landmark Conference Tournament being hosted by Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove this weekend.
The tournament begins on Friday, May 4th with Susquehanna playing fourth The Catholic University of America at 11:00 a.m. The Greyhounds will battle third seed The University of Scranton 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 game at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The losers of Friday's first two games will open Saturday's action at 9:00 a.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for seniors while children under 10 and all Landmark Conference students with ID are free. For more information on the tournament, visit http://gosusqu.com/sports/sball/2011-12/releases/champ_info_page.
The Greyhounds, who are the four-time defending Landmark Conference Champions, are heading to the Landmark Conference Tournament as the second seed for the first time in the five-year history of the conference after being the top seed in each of the last four seasons. Moravian and Susquehanna tied in the regular season at 8-2 in conference play but the Crusaders earned the top seed in a tiebreaker after sweeping Scranton while the Greyhounds spilt a doubleheader with the Royals. For Moravian, it is the first time since 2001 that they have not entered the conference tournament as the top seed as the Greyhounds look for their 13th straight conference championship.
Moravian, under the direction of 19-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 610-191, has posted a 29-9 overall record this spring, the 19th consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and an 8-2 mark in Landmark Conference action. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games 13 times under Byrne including the last 11 years, are in the conference tournament for the 13th straight year and the 17th time in 18 years. Moravian has also been in the NCAA Tournament 13 of the last 14 years including 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.
Moravian, which was ranked second in the East Region in the final NCAA Division III Regional Rankings released Thursday, is hitting .342 with 360 hits including 116 extra-base hits with a school record 27 home runs. Moravian has out-scored its opponents, 253-99, and the Greyhounds have a .957 fielding percentage this season. Moravian has lost five one-run games this season and another two by a pair of runs, and the Greyhounds have posted 12 shutouts in 29 wins.
Leading Moravian at the plate is freshman outfielder Dior George (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic HS), who has a .417 average (53-for-127) to go with 40 runs scored, 14 doubles, one homer, 19 RBIs, 15 walks and 21 stolen bases in her debut season. Sophomore catcher Cassie Ernst (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona HS) has a .416 batting average (42-for-101) with 33 runs, seven doubles, six home runs, 29 RBIs, nine walks and 11 hit-by-pitch while junior first baseman Amanda Dizinno (Budd Lake, N.J./Mount Olive HS) is hitting .387 (24-for-62) with 12 runs, seven doubles, 16 RBIs and a homer.
Senior pitcher/first baseman Jenna Carmon (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central HS) has a .378 average (37-for-98) to go with 31 runs, eight doubles, a triple, a home run and 22 RBIs, and in the circle, Carmon is 17-5 this season with a 1.46 ERA, seven shutouts, 27 walks and 81 strikeouts in 129.1 innings. Junior Alyssa Fegely (Mertztown, Pa./Brandywine Heights HS) has added a .361 average at the plate (13-for-36) with eight runs, three doubles, two homers and nine RBIS, and in the circle, Fegely is 4-1 with a 2.52 ERA, two shutouts, 18 walks and 40 strikeouts in 50 innings.
Freshman outfielder Jenn Dalickas (Mertztown, Pa./Brandywine Heights HS) has connected on a team high nine home runs to go with a .366 average (37-for-101), 19 runs, ten doubles, a triple and 34 RBIs. Sophomore outfielder Taylor Mihalik (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty HS) has a .355 average (33-for-93) with 23 runs, five doubles, a team high three triples, five homers and 25 RBIs while junior third baseman Shannen Mohr (Slatington, PA/Parkland HS) has added a .351 average (34-for-97) to go with 21 runs, nine doubles, a triple, a homer, 11 walks and 24 RBIs..
Sophomore outfielder Miranda Sergas (Lansdale, PA/North Penn HS) is hitting .340 (33-for-97) with 25 runs, seven doubles, a triple, ten walks and 20 RBIs while junior shortstop Brook Kowal (Port Jervis, NY/Port Jervis HS) has 11 hits, six runs scored, five doubles and seven RBIs. Sophomore second baseman Eavan Matz (Port Jervis, NY/Delaware Valley HS has contributed 15 hits, 11 runs, a double and five RBIs while freshman infielder/pitcher Lizzie Mack (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford HS) has added eight hits, four runs, a triple and four RBIs at the plate and a 4-2 record with a 2.55 ERA, one shutout, 13 walks and 18 strikeouts in 35.2 innings in the circle.
Sophomore infielder Rachel DeLucia (Audubon, PA/Methacton HS) has five hits to go with a runs, a double, a homer and three RBIs while sophomore pitcher Elizabeth Tillou (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown HS) has three hits, two doubles, a run and an RBI at the plate and a 4-1 record, two shutouts, a 1.62 ERA, six walks and 15 strikeouts in 34.2 innings in the circle. Sophomore outfielder Melissa Cottone (Laurys Station, PA/Parkland HS) has three hits and a pair of runs scored while sophomore infielder Leann Ventriglia (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North HS) has two hits, a run scored and an RBI. Freshman outfielder Bryanna Gifford (Scranton, Pa./West Scranton HS) has crossed the plate six times as a pinch runner while junior catcher Tori Thomas (Poughkeepsie, NY/Roy C. Ketchum HS) has five hits, three runs, two doubles and five RBIs.
