UNION, N.J. --- Senior pitcher Jenna Carmon tossed her 26th career shutout and 75th career victory on the day she graduated from college to lead the second seeded Moravian College softball team to a 3-0 win over fifth seed Alvernia University in the third elimination game of the day Saturday in the 2012 NCAA Division III Union, N.J. Regional being hosted by Kean University.
The Greyhounds, who staved off elimination for the third time after losing their opening round game on Thursday and improve to 35-10 on the season, advance to play third seed Rowan University in the final elimination game before the championship round on Sunday, May 13 at 12:00 p.m. The winner of that game will need to beat top seed Montclair State University twice, once on Sunday at 2 p.m. then again on Monday at 10:00 a.m. to win the Union, N.J. Regional and advance to the 2012 NCAA Division III College World Series in Salem, Virginia starting on Friday, May 18. Montclair State needs to win just win the regional. Alvernia finishes the season with a 38-11 record.
Moravian jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Freshman outfielder Dior George led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore outfielder Miranda Sergas. Carmon followed with an RBI single to left centerfield to score George. Sophomore catcher Cassie Ernst nearly made it 3-0 with a double off the top of the wall in straight away centerfield but Carmon had to hold up and only reached third base. The Crusaders would get out of the inning without another run scoring.
The Greyhounds would get a runner on base in the top of the second when junior third baseman Shannen Mohr led off the inning with a single, but she would be stranded at third.
Alvernia would get its first two base runners in the bottom half of the second on walks by junior first baseman Danielle Kitchen and sophomore designated player Amanda Galanti before Carmon worked out of the inning.
Moravian went down in order in the top half of the third stanza while the Crusaders picked up their first hit of the game on a one-out single by junior outfielder Miranda Peto.
The Greyhounds extended their lead to 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning when freshman designated player Jenn Dalickas connected on a 1-0 solo homer to right field, her tenth home run of the season that ties Janelle Brey '04 and Richelle McWilliams '06 for the single season record.
Alvernia threatened in the bottom of the fourth but did not score. Freshman outfielder Felicia McKenna singled up the middle with two outs before Galanti was hit by a pitch. Senior outfielder Jacklyn Torres singled off of Carmon but McKenna attempted to score from second on the play and was thrown out at the play by Moravian junior shortstop Brook Kowal.
The Greyhounds would get a runner on base in the top of the fifth when Sergas walked with two outs but Alvernia freshman pitcher Brittanie Wolfe would get out of the inning.
The Crusaders went down in order in the bottom of the fifth lead leave the score at 2-0.
Ernst would hit her eighth homer of the season in the top of the sixth inning when she connected on a 1-1 pitch over the left centerfield fence to start the inning and give Moravian a 3-0 edge. The homer was the 32nd of the season for the Greyhounds.
Alvernia went one-two-three in the bottom of the sixth, and the Greyhounds did as well in the top of the seventh inning. The Crusaders also went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
Moravian had a 6-3 edge in hits with Ernst going two-for-three.
Carmon is now 21-6 on the season and 75-22 in her career as she moved into a tie for second in career shutouts. Carmon allowed two walks in her three-hit shutout, and she struck out four batters.
Wolfe took the loss for the Crusaders, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk in six innings of action. Junior Deanna Dungee tossed the final inning and recorded one strikeout.
