Monday, May 12, 2003

Salisbury Softball Clinches Second Straight World Series Berth

Sea Gulls Beat Moravian 9-2 in Monday’s East Regional Championship
BOX SCORE             TEAM PHOTO

Mahwah, NJ - Salisbury completed a five-game run through the lower half of the East Region bracket with a 9-2 victory over Moravian on Monday, securing its second straight and third overall appearance in the NCAA Division III Softball World Series.

Salisbury (42-4-1 overall) rebounded from Friday’s 3-2 opening round loss to Moravian by winning two games on both Saturday and Sunday in the double-elimination regional. SU forced Monday’s deciding game with a 3-2 win over Moravian on Sunday.

Salisbury grabbed an early 2-0 lead in Monday’s championship game with an unearned run by senior 3B Lisa Gentilella (3-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI) in the first inning, and an RBI single by CF Leslie White (2-4) in the third inning, scoring Rosie Aley (3-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI).

Moravian (32-10) knotted the score on a two-run home run by Jenn Hastings in the bottom of the fourth. Salisbury regained the lead on Aley’s RBI single in the fifth, then broke the game open with six runs in the sixth inning.  Senior SS Kate Garland (2-4), Aley, and freshman 2B Kristy Shaffer (1-1) keyed the uprising with run-scoring hits. Gentilella also drew a bases loaded walk, and two other runs scored on Moravian errors.

Freshman pitcher Lacey Lister went the distance for the Gulls, striking out six and allowing five hits while improving to 24-1 on the year.

The Sea Gulls had six players named to the 15-player all-East Region Tournament team. They were P Lacey Lister, 1B Rosie Aley, 2B Kristy Schaffer, 3B Lisa Gentilella, DP Erin Ruest and OF Katie Mullinix.

Salisbury, which finished fifth in last year’s World Series, opens play in the eight-team 2003 World Series in Salem, VA on Friday.