ANNVILLE, Pa. – For the fourth-straight year, Lebanon Valley softball is set to appear in the Commonwealth Conference tournament. The Dutchmen will face Lycoming on Friday at 11 a.m. This year's tournament is being hosted by Alvernia University and the winner of the double-elimination tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
Lebanon Valley enters the tournament as the #1 overall seed, No. 13 Messiah claims the #2 seed, while Arcadia is the #3 seed and Lycoming holds the final spot.
Live stats will be available for all games and the tournament schedule/information can be found here. Admission will be charged for the event. Single day rates are $6 for adults and $3 for students. A two-day admission pass will be $10 for adults and $5 for students.
The tournament begins with LVC taking on Lycoming at 11 a.m. Friday, and Messiah playing Arcadia at 1 p.m. The winners advance to play at 3 p.m. on Friday.
LVC holds a 28-7 overall mark and finished atop the Commonwealth Conference with an 11-3 record. This is the second-straight year and third time overall that the Dutchmen claimed the #1 seed in the tournament. Lebanon Valley is making its eighth overall appearance in the tournament and is looking for its second CC title, having won in 2008.
Meghan Donoghue leads the team offensively, batting .421 and slugging .632 with a team-high 40 hits and 21 RBI.
Marisa Krause is hitting .382 and is perfect in the field, while
Kristen Palmerio is third on the team with a .375 average.
Pitchers
Laura Snyder and
Val Malizzia combine for a 22-7 record. Snyder holds a 1.42 ERA with a team-best 130 strikeouts, while Malizzia has a 1.84 ERA and team-high four shutouts.
In the regular season, Lebanon Valley swept Lycoming on the road. Donoghue paced the Dutchmen, going 6-for-8 with five runs and five RBI. Two of the hits were homers, making her LVC's all-time home run leader with 12 in her career. Malizzia led the squad in the nightcap, becoming LVC's all-time leader in innings pitched with 476.1 through her four years.
