SELINSGROVE, Pa. --- The second seeded Moravian College softball team opened defense of it four straight Landmark Conference titles with a 5-2 win over third seeded The University of Scranton Friday afternoon in the opening round of the 2012 Landmark Conference Tournament being hosted by top seed Susquehanna University at Sassafras Field.
The Greyhounds, who earned their 30th win of the season for the 12th consecutive year, will now play the host Crusaders in a winner's bracket game at approximately 3:30 p.m. Friday. The winner of that game will advance to the championship round on Saturday, May 5 at 1:00 p.m.
Scranton would use an error, an infield hit and a walk to load the bases in the top of the first inning but the Greyhounds would record the third out without allowing a run to score.
Moravian would put a runner at second base in the bottom half of the second inning but wouldn't score while the Royals did the same in the top half of the third.
The Greyhounds finally broke the scoreless tie with four runs in the bottom of the third inning with four runs on just one hit. Sophomore outfielder Taylor Mihalik drew a walk to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop Brook Kowal. Freshman outfielder Dior George would reach on an error, and after the second out of the inning, senior pitcher Jenna Carmon connected on a two-RBI single to score Mihalik and George. Sophomore catcher Cassie Ernst had an RBI fielder's choice as Carmon beat the throw to the plate for the third runner of the inning, and Ernst would come home on an error in the Scranton outfield on a ball hit by Moravian junior third baseman Shannen Mohr.
Moravian would extend its lead to 5-0 with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning without a hit. Mihalik started the inning again with another walk. Kowal put down a sacrifice bunt attempt but the throw to first base sailed into right field allowing Mihalik to come all the way around and score.
Scranton would get on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning and cut the Greyhounds' advantage to 5-2. Senior second baseman Nina Bruno had an RBI single for the Royals, and she scored the second run of the winning on an error by Moravian.
The Royals finished the game with an 8-2 advantage in hits with senior shortstop Kelly Zaccheo and junior outfielder Jamie Shackles each going two-for-four for Scranton.
Carmon improved to 18-5 in the circle for the Greyhounds this season with her 71st career win. She allowed two runs, just one earned, on eight hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts. Carmon also became the second player in school history to reach 600 career innings pitched.
Freshman pitcher Catherine Galvin took the loss for the Scranton with five runs, all of them unearned, on two hits and six walks to go with five strikeouts.
