MARSHALL, Texas --- The Moravian University softball squad will face No. 1 Salisbury (Md.) University on Thursday, June 1 at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament being hosted by East Texas Baptist University as the Greyhounds make their fourth appearance in Division III Championship Round and first since 2010.
The double elimination NCAA Division III Championship Tournament runs from June 1-7. Tickets will be sold on site with a one-day pass at $15 for adults and $10 for senior citizens (55+), students with ID and youth 12 and under, and an all-session pass at $40 for adults and $25 for senior citizens (55+), students with ID and youth 12 and under. The tournament website is https://goetbutigers.com/news/2022/1/18/ncaa-softball.aspx.
Moravian is in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 19th time, and the Hounds are 51-41 all-time in NCAA Tournament action. The Blue & Grey have won six NCAA Regionals, and this season was the third trip to the Super Regionals since the NCAA switched formats and first Super Regional title. The Blue & Grey have now reached the Championship Round four times including playing in the National Championship game in the 2004 Championships.
The Greyhounds are led by first-year head coach Josh Baltz, who has directed the Hounds to a 37-10 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. With two games guaranteed at the World Series, the Greyhounds will at least tie the school record for games played in a season, joining the 2010 squad with a 49-game season. One win in Texas will give the program its first 50-game season, and the Blue & Grey will become the first team in school history in any sport to compete in the month of June.
Moravian has a .315 batting average entering the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament with 399 hits including 91 extra-base hits with 57 doubles and 22 home runs for a .431 slugging percentage. Moravian has outscored its opponents, 257-118, for an average of 5.47 runs per game, and the Greyhounds have a .963 fielding percentage. Moravian has posted 10 shutouts in 37 wins for a 2.02 ERA, and the Hounds' pitchers have recorded 197 strikeouts and just 52 walks in 314.2 innings this spring.
Sophomore third baseman Holly Walter leads the Greyhounds with a .381 batting average to go with 59 hits, 42 runs, eight doubles, four triples, five home runs, 18 stolen bases, 20 walks and 21 RBIs while freshman catcher Marcie Silberman has a .362 average to go along with 38 hits, 18 runs, seven doubles, a triple, six homers and 29 RBIs. Sophomore outfielder Sage Snyder has a .347 average to go with 43 hits, 30 runs, seven doubles, two triples, three homers, 20 walks, 15 stolen bases and 29 RBIs while freshman outfielder/pitcher Sarah DeStefano has recorded 42 hits, 20 runs, 10 stolen bases, three doubles and 19 RBIs at the plate.
Sophomore first baseman Lindsey Gawrys has added 42 hits, 33 runs, seven doubles, three triples, a homer, 22 walks and 26 RBIs while junior designated player Emily Silberman has 41 hits, four runs, four home runs, 12 walks and 35 RBIs. Junior shortstop Ajala Elmore has posted 36 hits, 19 runs, five doubles, a homer, five stolen bases and 16 RBIs while sophomore center fielder Jessica Forder has contributed 34 hits, 18 runs, eight doubles, a homer, five stolen bases and 18 RBIs.
Junior catcher/outfielder Mya Zettlemoyer has 31 hits, 20 runs, five doubles, a triple, 12 walks and 10 RBIs while sophomore pitcher Madi Cunningham has recorded 13 hits, 14 runs, a double, a homer and five RBIs while hitting. Freshman second baseman Hailey Tanner has five hits, 16 runs, a double, a triple, five stolen bases and five RBIs while freshman first baseman Angelina Marino has added five hits, four runs, a pair of doubles and five RBIs.
Freshman outfielder Madison Berning has five hits, seven runs, a double and four 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 five runs and freshman infielder Brenna Beshock has a pair of runs.
Cunningham is 18-6 in the circle with six shutouts, 93 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA in 164.1 innings while DeStefano is 16-3 to go with 84 strikeouts, four shutouts and a 1.88 ERA in 126.1 innings of action while. 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.
