INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The Moravian University softball squad will travel to Tufts University for the 2023 NCAA Division III Regional Tournament as the Greyhounds make their 19th NCAA Tournament appearance and face Cabrini University in the opening round on Thursday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m. at Tufts' Spicer Field.
The action starts with the Greyhounds playing Cabrini at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday while host Tufts and Husson (Maine) University will battle at 3:30 p.m. Contests on Friday begin with the winners of the first two games playing at 11:00 a.m., with the winner of that game earning a berth in the championship round on Saturday. The losers of Thursday's two games will play at 1:30 p.m. Friday with the final elimination game to start at 4:00 p.m. Friday. Saturday's championship round has a 12:00 p.m. first pitch with the if necessary game slated for 2:30 p.m.
Tickets will be $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, and $3 for children under 12. Children 2 and under are free. A three-day ticket will be available for $25. Tickets will only be available at the gate and both cash and credit cards will be accepted.
Moravian enters the NCAA Division III Regional for the 19th time, and the Hounds are 46-39 all-time in NCAA Tournament action. The Blue & Grey have won five NCAA Regionals, competed in the Super Regionals twice and reached the Championship Round three times including playing in the National Championship game in 2004.
The Greyhounds are guided by first-year head coach Josh Baltz, who has left the Blue & Grey to a 32-8 overall record in his debut season including a 10-2 mark to earn the top seed in the tournament in the 2023 Landmark Conference Tournament, where the Hounds won their tenth Landmark Conference title and 18th overall conference championship since 2000.
Moravian has a .328 batting average entering the NCAA Tournament with 356 hits including 77 extra-base hits with 49 doubles and 19 home runs for a .443 slugging percentage. Moravian has outscored its opponents, 230-103, for an average of 5.75 runs per game, and the Greyhounds have a .962 fielding percentage. Moravian has posted eight shutouts in 32 wins for a 2.04 ERA, and the Hounds' pitchers have recorded 183 strikeouts and just 46 walks in 267.2 innings this spring.
Freshman catcher Marcie Silberman lead the Greyhounds with a .395 batting average to go with 32 hits, 15 runs, six doubles, a triple, five homers and 23 RBIs while sophomore third baseman Holly Walter is hitting .394 with 52 hits to go with 39 runs, seven doubles, two triples, five home runs, 16 stolen bases, 18 walks and 19 RBIs. Sophomore outfielder Sage Snyder has a .375 average to go with 39 hits, 27 runs, five doubles, two triples, two homers, 17 walks, 15 stolen bases and 22 RBIs while freshman outfielder/pitcher Sarah DeStefano has recorded 40 hits, 20 runs, 10 stolen bases, three doubles and 17 RBIs at the plate.
Junior designated player Emily Silberman has 37 hits, four runs, four home runs and 33 RBIs while junior shortstop Ajala Elmore has posted 35 hits, 18 runs, four doubles, a homer and 16 RBIs. Sophomore first baseman Lindsey Gawrys has added 34 hits, 27 runs, five doubles, two triples, 20 walks and 23 RBIs while sophomore center fielder Jessica Forder has contributed 30 hits, 16 runs, seven doubles, a homer, four stolen bases and 17 RBIs.
Junior catcher/outfielder Mya Zettlemoyer has 27 hits, 14 runs, five doubles, a triple and nine RBIs while sophomore pitcher Madi Cunningham has recorded 11 hits, 13 runs, a double, a homer and four RBIs while batting. Freshman first baseman Angelina Marino has added five hits, four runs, a pair of doubles and five RBIs while freshman outfielder Madison Berning has five hits, seven runs, a double and four RBIs.
Freshman second baseman Hailey Tanner has four hits, 14 runs, a double, a triple, five stolen bases and five RBIs while sophomore infielder Ren Herschman has two hits, four runs, a double and three RBIs. Freshman infielder Emma Wariwanchik has a hit, a run and an RBI while senior utility player Hailey Kortman has a hit and a double. Freshman third baseman Alexa Fernandez has posted one hit and an RBI while freshman second baseman Kendall Szor has scored four runs and freshman infielder Brenna Beshock has a pair of runs.
DeStefano is 14-2 in the circle with 74 strikeouts, three shutouts and a 1.93 ERA in 105.1 innings of action while Cunningham is 15-5 to go with five shutouts, 89 strikeouts and a 1.97 ERA in 138.1 innings. Senior Madison Hummel has nine strikeouts and an 1-1 mark in 15.1 innings while freshman Natalie Otto is 2-0 with 11 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA in 8.2 innings.
