MARSHALL, Texas. --- The Moravian University softball team fell to No. 5 Trine (Ind.) University, 12-4 in five innings, in an elimination game Saturday night at Bell Park at Taylor Field in the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament hosted by East Texas Baptist University.

How It Happened

• The game was scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. but was initially delayed to a 2:22 p.m. first pitch by the first elimination game of the day going long. While the teams were warming up, lightning stuck within eight miles of the facility putting the game into a weather delay that lasted six hours and 41 minutes before the first pitch was finally thrown at 9:03 p.m.
• Trine jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and the Thunder added four more runs in the top of the second and another two runs in the top of the third for a 10-0 advantage
• The Greyhounds got on the scoreboard with two runs in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 10-2. Junior shortstop Ajala Elmore led off with a single while junior left fielder Mya Zettlemoyer reached on catcher's interference. Sophomore first baseman Lindsey Gawrys moved the runners into scoring position for freshman catcher Marcie Silberman, who ripped a two-RBI single to score Elmore and Zettlemoyer
• Moravian added two runs in the fourth inning to make it 10-4. Sophomore center fielder Jessica Forder connected on a single down the right field line, and Elmore drew a walk. Sophomore third baseman Holly Walter followed with a two-RBI single into the right field corner to chase Forder and Elmore home
• Trine pushed a pair of runs across the plate in the top of the fifth inning for a 12-4 edge
• The Blue & Grey were unable to score in the bottom of the fifth before the contest ended

Inside the Numbers

• The Greyhounds finished the NCAA Division III Tournament tied for fifth out of the 62 teams that began competition three weeks ago
• Moravian had six hits in the game with Walter going 2-for-3 with two RBIs
• Silberman had a hit and two RBIs while Elmore was 1-for-1 and scored twice
• Forder also contributed a hit and a run while junior designated player Emily Silberman had a hit
• Sophomore Madi Cunningham made the start in the circle for the Hounds and tossed 4.1 innings with one strikeout. Senior Madison Hummel pitched a third of an inning in the second inning before Cunningham returned to the circle
• The contest was the school record 50th of the season the Hounds with Walter, Elmore, Gawrys and sophomore outfielder Sage Snyder playing in all 50 games this spring to tie the individual player record
• Moravian closes out the year with a 38-12 record under first-year Head Coach Josh Baltz, who led the squad to the Landmark Conference Championship, the program's 19th NCAA Tournament appearance, the team's sixth NCAA Division III Regional title, the program's first NCAA Division III Super Regional championship and the fourth appearance in the finals

Up Next for the Greyhounds

• Season Complete