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Release Date: 5/5/04 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MOUNTIE SOFTBALL TOP SEED IN UPCOMING ECAC CHAMPIONSHIP MANSFIELD- The Mansfield University softball team make their second straight appearance in the ECAC Division II Softball Championship Tournament at Adelphia University on May 8-9. The Mountaineers are the # 1 seed in the tournament with Adelphi, a member of the New York State Athletic Conference, is the #2 team with a 26-19 record. Georgian Court, the 2003 ECAC Division II Champion, is 22-12 and the #3 seed while Teikyo-Post is the #4 seed at 27-18-1. Mansfield hosted the ECAC Championship Tournament last year and finished as the runner-up after dropping a 1-0 decision to Georgian Court in the Championship Game. ECAC DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW # 1 Seed Mansfield University (24-14) The Mountaineers just missed a NCAA Regional Bid after posting a 24-14 record. This will mark the eighth trip to the ECAC Championship Tournament since 1989. This season the Mountaineers are ranked fourth in the PSAC in team batting average (.291), are ranked third in runs scored (214) and are ranked fifth in homeruns (19). The Mountaineer offense is led by juniors Nancy Quinn (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island) and Alison Tagliaferri (Linden/Jersey Shore) who are ranked third and fourth in the conference in batting average respectively. Quinn is hitting .439 on the year which included 43 hits and 13 RBIs. Tagliaferri is also ranked third in the PSAC in homeruns with eight while hitting .438 and driving in 33 runs. The Mansfield pitching staff which is led by Kristen Dean (Roaring Branch/Canton), Amy Martino (Binghamton/Chenango Valley) and Tagliaferri in which the trio are combined 20-11 on the season. The Mountaineer pitching staff is ranked third in conference in striking out batters with 253. Martino leads the team with 82 strikeouts. #2 Seed Adelphia University (26-19) The Panthers make their third appearance in the ECAC Championship Tournament in four years. This year’s team features a strong pitching staff that has a combined earned run average of 1.58. Carla Buonviaggio leads the team with an 11-8 record and an ERA of 1.62 while striking out 114 batters. Jamie Pietrantoni is 7-4 on the year striking out 54 batters while only giving up just 23 earned runs. With an ERA of 0.63, Katie Terris posted a 5-2 record for the Panthers in nine appearances this season. Rounded out the pitching staff is Sheila Feldman who went 3-5 with an ERA of 1.54 while striking out 63 batters. On the offensive side, the Panthers are led by Tara Rice who leads the team with a .310 batting average which includes 45 hits while driving in 23 runs. #3 Seed Georgian Court University (22-12) Georgian Court University enters the tournament as returning champions after defeating Mansfield 1-0 in last years championship game. The Lions look to repeat with the strong leadership of their returning seniors Krista Gilbert and Erica Timms as well as solid pitching. The Lions are led by junior Sherry Keech who ranks third in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) with an ERA of 0.73. She has held opponents to a .149 overall batting average and has 150 strike outs on the season. As a team the Lions are hitting .255 and their pitching staff combined has a 1.26 ERA. #4 Seed Teikyo Post University (27-18-1) Making their second straight trip to the ECAC Championship Tournament, Teikyo Post University enters with an overall record of 27-18-1. Post’s pitching staff is led by Crista Holton and Megan Pappas who both went 12-9 on the season. Holton, who was named to the CACC first team, had an ERA of 1.10 while striking out 165 batters in 147 innings pitched. She also recorded three shutouts. A second team conference selection, Pappas comes into the tournament with a 1.27 ERA while recording 111 strikeouts. The Post’s offense is led by senior Melissa Czeremcha who is hitting .320 with 49 hits and 20 RBI’s. TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE Saturday, May 8, 2004
Sunday, May 9, 2004 |
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