#23 Greyhounds Capture 4th Straight Landmark Conference Championship
23rd-ranked and top seed Moravian College captured its fourth straight Landmark Conference championship and earned an automatic berth to the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament with a 14-1, five-inning win over third seed The Catholic University of America in the if necessary game seven of the Landmark Conference Championship Tournament hosted by Moravian at Blue & Grey Field.
23rd-ranked and top seed Moravian College captured its fourth straight Landmark Conference championship and earned an automatic berth to the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament with a 14-1, five-inning win over third seed The Catholic University of America in the if necessary game seven of the Landmark Conference Championship Tournament hosted by Moravian at Blue & Grey Field.
For the Greyhounds, it is their 12th straight conference championship, and it will be their 14th appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in the last 15 years. The NCAA field will be announced on Monday at www.ncaa.com.
The Greyhounds threatened in the top of first inning with freshman outfielder Miranda Sergas hitting a single and moving to second on an error. However, the Greyhounds were unable to score.
The Cardinals would also get a runner to second base in the bottom half of the first on back-to-back walks to junior shortstop Megan Rizzi and senior catcher Kristen Trancynger but Catholic was unable to score either.
Freshman catcher Cassie Ernst led off the top of the second with a double for Moravian but she would be stranded at third.
The Greyhounds finally broke through with six runs in the top of the third inning. Senior second baseman Stephanie Falzarano led off with a walk, and she scored on a one-out RBI single from junior designated player Jenna Carmon. After a walk by sophomore third baseman Shannen Mohr, senior outfielder Amanda Paulus connected on an RBI single to score Carmon. After a passed ball, Ernst hit a two-RBI single to send Mohr and Paulus across the plate. Ernst came home on a wild pitch while sophomore first baseman Amanda Dizinno scored on an illegal pitch.
Catholic would get a run in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 6-1 when sophomore second baseman Samantha Daubman led off with a walk and scored on a two-out, RBI double from Rizzi.
Moravian scored five times in the top of the fourth to extend its lead to 11-1. Sergas led off with a single and scored on an RBI single from Mohr to start the scoring in the inning. After Paulus walked, Ernst hit an RBI single to score Mohr while senior outfielder Maura Agnew had a two-RBI double scoring Paulus and Ernst. Senior pitcher Elizabeth Python finished the scoring with an RBI double to score Agnew.
The Greyhounds added three more runs in the top of the fifth for a 14-1 lead to institute the NCAA eight-run rule to end the game after five innings. Mohr drew her third walk of the game with an out and sophomore catcher Tori Thomas reached on an error with two outs. Dizinno connected on a two-out RBI single to score Mohr while Agnew hit a two-RBI single scoring Thomas and Dizinno.
Moravian finished the game with a 12-1 edge in hits with Ernst going three-for-three with three RBIs and two runs scored. Agnew was three-for-four with four RBIs for the Greyhounds while Mohr was one-for-one with three runs and three walks to break her own single season record with 28 walks this season. Rizzi had Catholic's only hit of the game.
Python tossed a one-hitter for her 14th win of the season for the Greyhounds. She allowed a run and three walks while striking out two batters. The win mark the third straight year that Python was the winning pitcher in the Landmark Conference championship game for Moravian.
Catholic used three pitchers with freshman pitcher Kristen Apicella taking the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, on five hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings.
