Center Valley, Pa. (May 5, 2008) – The DeSales University softball team was named the #5 seed and will be headed to Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY for the NCAA Regional Tournament starting on Thursday morning when the Bulldogs will meet the #4 seed Lebanon Valley College in the first round at Noon.
Joining the Bulldogs at the regional will be the #1 seed and tournament host Ithaca College (28-7) as they will take on the #8 seed Defiance College (22-16) in the tournament’s first game at 10:00 am. The Bulldogs (27-13) meet the Flying Dutchmen (27-9) in the second game and the #3 seed University of Rochester (28-10) will meet the #6 seed, Bethany College (22-21) in the third game at 2:00 pm. The #2 seed Ramapo College (33-10) will take on the #7 seed Penn State-Behrend (33-12) in the final game of the first day at 4:00 pm.
Live stats will be provided for each game of the tournament and can be accessed at the following link for each game – LIVE STATS CLICK HERE. You can also access the tournament’s complete schedule at that link as well as other NCAA Tournament information and information on all eight teams in the regional. Ticket prices for the event will be $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for students/seniors/youth children.
The Bulldogs will be making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament after earning the automatic bid into the “big dance” by winning the Freedom Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon. Head Coach Rachel Turoscy has guided DeSales to a school-record 27 wins this season and DSU will enter the tournament having won 11 of its last 13 games.
Leading the attack will be junior Kelly Moran (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) batting a team-high .402 with a single-season record eight home runs and a team-best 33 RBI’s. Freshman Jen Lococo (Easton, PA/Freedom) has excelled at both the plate and on the mound posting an 11-6 record with a team-low 1.53 ERA in 118.2 innings pitched. At the plate she is batting .361 with two home runs and 20 RBI’s.
Juniors Amanda Kensecki (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty), Maddie Roxandich (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) and Jamie Pfitzenmayer (Annandale, NJ/Hunterdon Central) have comprised the starting outfield for most of the season and are all batting over .320 entering the tournament. Kensecki is hitting .376 with 20 RBI’s, Roxandich is batting .346 with a team-high 17 stolen bases and Pfitzenmayer is hitting .327 with five home runs and 24 RBI’s. Also hitting over .300 for the Bulldogs are freshman Kylie Fehnel (Nazareth, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) at .319, freshman Kate Steiner (Walnutport, PA/Northampton) at .310 with seven home runs and 23 RBI’s and freshman Kristin Schultz (Laurys Station, PA/Parkland) at .303.
Joining Lococo on the mound are sophomore Kristen Cybularz (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) and freshman Larissa Tenley (Sinking Spring, PA/Conrad Weiser). Cybularz posted a 10-5 record with a 2.79 ERA in 72.2 innings pitched, while Tenley is 6-2 overall with a 3.12 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched and a single-season record four saves.