SELINSGROVE, Pa. --- The second seeded Moravian College softball team advanced to the 2012 Landmark Conference Tournament Championship game for the fifth straight season, defeating host and top seed Susquehanna University, 1-0 in eight innings, in the winner's bracket game at Sassafras Field Friday.
The Greyhounds, the four-time defending Landmark Conference Champions, will play in the championship round beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. The if necessary game should Moravian lose its first game is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Moravian, which has won 11 straight conference titles, needs to win just one game to earn its 14th trip to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament in the last 14 years.
Moravian put two runners on base in the top of the first inning but the Greyhounds were unable to score while the Crusaders would get a runner in scoring position in the bottom half of the first but the game remained scoreless.
The Greyhounds would get a leadoff double from freshman designated player Jenn Dalickas to start the second inning, but Moravian would end up stranding her there.
Moravian put two more runners on base in the top of the fourth inning when sophomore catcher Cassie Ernst and Dalickas each being hit by pitches. However, Susquehanna recorded two outs to end the Greyhounds' scoring threat.
The Greyhounds had two more runners on in the top half of the fifth on a one-out double by freshman outfielder Dior George and a walk from sophomore outfielder Miranda Sergas, but once again, Susquehanna would get the final two outs of the inning to keep the game scoreless.
Susquehanna loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning but the Moravian defense made the final out to end the scoring threat. The Crusaders also put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to score, forcing extra innings for the fourth time in five years of the Landmark Conference Tournament in the winner's bracket game on Friday.
Moravian would break the scoreless tie in the top of the eighth inning. Junior third baseman Shannen Mohr reached on a one-out single and sophomore Leann Ventriglia came into pinch run. After an out and a wild pitch, junior first baseman Amanda Dizinno hit an RBI single to right field to score Ventriglia.
Susquehanna freshman third baseman Alyssa Cantalini led off the bottom of the eighth inning with her second double of the game, and junior outfielder Kathryn Gilbert drew a walk. Moravian brought senior pitcher Jenna Carmon to pitch, and the Greyhounds would turn a double play on a line drive hit by sophomore catcher Brittany Devlin. Freshman first baseman Madison Clark would fly out to end the game.
Both teams had five hits in the game with Cantalini going two-for-four for Susquehanna.
Junior Alyssa Fegely earned her fifth win of the season in the circle for the Greyhounds as she allowed five hits and four walks to go with four strikeouts in seven-plus innings of action. Carmon earned her first save of the season by earning the final three outs of the game.
Junior pitcher Sarah Hoffman took the loss for the Crusaders after giving up a run on five hits to go with three walks and two strikeouts.
Susquehanna will play in the final elimination game at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, facing the winner of the first elimination game between third seeded The University of Scranton and four seed The Catholic University of America.
