DIRECTIONS TO RALSTON COMPLEX
Center Valley, PA (May 1, 2008) – The DeSales University softball team enters the second part of its 2008 schedule on Friday having aced the first part of the schedule posting a 24-12 overall record with a 10-2 mark in the Freedom Conference and earning the top seed in this weekend's Freedom Conference playoffs hosted at Wilkes University.
The double elimination tournament begins at 11:00 am on Friday morning with the top seeded Bulldogs taking on the #4 seed, FDU-Florham (26-14, 6-6 Freedom), in the first game and the #2 seed, King's College (19-11, 8-4 Freedom), will take on the #3 seed, Delaware Valley College (15-17, 7-5 Freedom), in the second game at 1:00 pm. Below is a schedule of the entire tournament for the weekend with all games being played at Wilkes University Ralston Complex:
Friday
Game 1 - #1 DeSales University vs. #4 FDU-Florham (11:00 am)
Game 2 - #2 King's College vs. #3 Delaware Valley College (1:00 pm)
Game 3 – Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2 (3:00 pm)
Saturday
Game 4 - Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2 (9:00 am)
Game 5 - Winner Game #4 vs. Loser Game #3 (11:00 am)
Game 6 - Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #5 (1:00 pm)
Game 7 - Same Teams, If necessary (3:00 pm)
The Bulldogs enter the tournament making their fourth appearance and the first since the 2004 season. DSU is 2-6 (.250) all-time in the Freedom playoffs tournament and will be looking to take home its first-ever Freedom Conference title and advance to its first-ever NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs, winners of six straight and eight of their last nine games, feature an extremely balanced offensive attack featuring four players with 20+ runs scored and eight players batting over .300 for the season. Leading the bat attack is junior Kelly Moran (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) with a .391 batting average and a single-season tying record seven home runs and a team-best 31 RBI's. Junior Amanda Kensecki (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) is batting .371 with 18 RBI's and junior Maddie Roxandich (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) is hitting .365 with a team-high 17 stolen bases.
Junior Jamie Pfitzenmayer (Annandale, NJ/Hunterdon Central) is hitting .333 with four home runs and 21 RBI's, while freshmen Kylie Fehnel (Nazareth, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) and Kate Steiner (Walnutport, PA/Northampton) are batting .326 and .314 respectively. Fehnel has six stolen bases and 14 RBI's, while Steiner has a team-high 10 doubles, five home runs and 19 RBI's.
Freshman Jen Lococo (Easton, PA/Freedom) has excelled both at the plate and on the mound. At the plate she is batting .357 with two homers and 18 RBI's, while on the mound she is 10-5 with a 1.47 ERA in a team-high 104.2 innings pitched. Sophomore Kristen Cybularz (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) has pitched well sporting a 9-5 record with a 3.11 ERA in 65.1 innings pitched and freshman Larissa Tenley (Sinking Spring, PA/Conrad Weiser) has had an excellent season on the mound totaling a 5-2 record with a 3.38 ERA and four saves in 56 innings pitched.
Defending champion King's comes into the tournament as the second seed and having won seven of the last eight Freedom Conference championships. Sophomore pitcher/designated player Lindsey Hoerner earned Freedom Conference Tournament most valuable player honors as a freshman and has parlayed that success into a fine second year at King's. Hoerner owns a team-best .452 (28-62) batting average with five home runs, six doubles, 21 RBI, and has scored 12 runs. As a pitcher, she owns a 9-6 record with a 2.28 earned run average and 60 strikeouts in 98 and two-thirds innings.
Junior second-baseman Abbey Knoblauch is hitting .398 (35-88) with three home runs, 12 RBI, and 18 runs scored, senior outfielder Leanne Harvey is batting .387 (36-93) with six doubles, one home run, 16 RBI and has scored 19 runs, and freshman outfielder Lauren DeCreny is batting .380 (19-50) with five doubles, one home run, and seven RBI while scoring 18 runs.
Delaware Valley is making their second straight Freedom Conference Tournament appearance and their fourth overall. The Aggies are led by sophomore outfielder Bethany Pavlick who is hitting .385 (28-91) with seven home runs, six doubles, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored and 11 steals in 13 attempts. She is one home run shy of breaking the record of set by current teammate Nicole Dorney in 2005.
Dorney, a senior catcher, is batting .316 (30-95), including eight doubles, three home runs, 18 RBI and has scored 14 runs, sophomore infielder Brittany Stockert owns a .319 (29-91) mark with six doubles, three home runs, 15 RBI, and 14 runs scored and senior Kelly Andrews follows at .315 (28-89) with six doubles, four home runs, 25 RBI and has scored 18 runs. Senior pitcher Jennifer Bummer tops the staff at 8-8 with a 2.98 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 98.2 innings while allowing just two earned runs in her last 21 innings. Fellow senior Kirstyn Ruhling is 5-7 with a 3.64 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 84.2 innings of work.
FDU-Florham is making its fourth straight appearance in the Freedom Conference Tournament and its seventh overall. The Devils have been led by the play of sophomore Christine Heyl who is batting .391 (36-92) with nine doubles, two home runs, 22 RBI and has scored 24 runs. Senior outfielder Lean Minnick follows at .374 (37-99) with 10 doubles, four home runs, and 20 RBI while scoring 23 runs, senior pitcher/first-baseman Katelyn Smith is hitting .360 (32-89) with one home run and nine RBI and senior catcher Kelly Nover owns a .352 (44-125) average, with 11 doubles, four home runs, three triples, 27 RBI, and has scored 26 runs.
Smith also leads on the mound where she is 13-7 with a 1.38 ERA, including 131 strikeouts in 127 innings. Senior third-baseman/pitcher Julie Hartnett bats .345 (40-116) with 12 doubles, four home runs, and 28 RBI and as a pitcher, she is 7-4 with a 3.66 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 67 innings.
Ticket prices for the tournament are $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for senior citizens and $2.00 for students with valid college ID for each day. You can also purchase tournament passes which are good for both days at $8.00 for adults, $6.00 for senior citizens and $3.00 for students. All games will feature LIVE Stats which can be accessed at the following link – LIVE STATS.
