Commonwealth Conference Softball Championship Tournament
[3] Alvernia (30-8, 10-44 CC) vs. [2] Lebanon Valley (25-13, 11-3 CC)
Friday, May 4 at 1 p.m. – Starry Field at Messiah College - Grantham, Pa.
Live Stats:
GoMessiah.com
Regular-Season Meetings: Lebanon Valley 3, Alvernia 2 (9 inn.); Lebanon Valley 5, Alvernia 4 (
doubleheader recap)
Admission
|
Adults |
Seniors |
Students |
| Day 1 |
$5 |
$4 |
$2 |
| Day 2 |
$5 |
$4 |
$2 |
| Both Sessions |
$8 |
$5 |
$3 |
| Children Under 6 are FREE |
Driving directions can be found
here.
During The Regular Season
Steph Hulme helped the Dutchmen sweep the Crusaders with a pair of walkoffs in the teams' doubleheader on April 14. Hulme singled in the game-winning run in game one and was plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning in game two. The Dutchmen pulled away with one-run wins in both games.
Kristen Palmerio earned a pair of wins for 16 innings of total work.
The Playoffs
Four teams play in a double-elimination tournament for a single automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship tournament. Seeding for this season's postseason is set as follows: #1 Messiah (33-6, 14-0); #2 Lebanon Valley (25-13, 11-3); #3 Alvernia (30-8, 10-4); #4 Elizabethtown (22-16, 7-7).
Schedule
| Friday, May 4 |
| #4 Elizabethtown vs. #1 Messiah |
11:00 a.m. |
Game #1 |
| #3 Alvernia vs. #2 Lebanon Valley |
1:00 p.m. |
Game #2 |
| Winner Game #1 vs. Winner Game #2 |
3:00 p.m. |
Game #3 |
|
| Saturday, May 5 |
| Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2 |
9:00 a.m. |
Game #4 |
| Winner Game #4 vs. Loser Game #3 |
11:00 a.m. |
Game #5 |
| Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #5 |
1:00 p.m. |
Game #6 |
| If necessary |
3:00 p.m. |
Game #7 |
Scouting LVC
LVC closed out the regular season Saturday with a pair of wins over Lycoming at home. The Dutchmen were 2-0 against both #3 Alvernia and #4 Elizabethtown this season but 0-2 against #1 Messiah.
The top of the Dutchmen lineup lumes threatening to any opponent, as sisters
Tessa Deardorff and
Katie Deardorff have proven productive hitters and demons on the basepaths. Tessa - the freshly crowned conference Rookie of the Year - leads the team with a .405 average and holds the school's single-season stolen base record with 25 steals in 26 tries. Katie is batting .386 with 23 steals in 26 tries. Palmerio,
Allie Hartman, and Hulme have each shown a knack for driving in big runs. Palmerio is hitting .369 with a team-high nine doubles and 19 RBIs. Hartman is hitting .386 and leads the conference with eight homeruns. She has driven in a team-high 34 RBIs. Hulme is hitting .320 with three homeruns and 25 RBIs. All five were named All-Commonwealth team selections earlier this week.
Palmerio is the team's ace in the circle and was named Pitcher of the Year. Her 185.1 innings pitched this season are a school record. She holds a 1.74 ERA with a 17-8 record and a career-high 117 strikeouts. All 25 of her starts this season have extended into complete games; she's earned saves in both of her two relief appearances.
Scouting Alvernia
The Crusaders set a program record with 32 wins this season and had three student-athletes named all-conference second teamers. They were 0-2 this season against both LVC and Messiah but 2-0 against Elizabethtown.
The Crusaders have two players batting over .400 in sophomore shortstop Katie Manowski and freshman utility player Shannon Grim. Manowski leads the team in hitting with a .426 average, while Grim falls in just behind her at .412. Manowski has 46 hits and 31 runs scored; Grim leads the team with 49 hits, 37 runs, and 43 RBIs. Senior catcher Diane Lightner, a recent Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week, is hitting .349 with 29 hits and 25 RBIs. Junior pitcher/first baseman Danielle Kitchen is batting .365 with 46 hits and 34 RBIs. Lightner and Kitchen share the team lead with four homeruns each.
Freshman Brittany Wolfe has 21 starts in the circle for a 1.86 ERA and 18-4 record. In 135.2 innings, she has allowed 47 runs on 146 hits and 17 walks. Junior Deanna Dungee (11-3) and Kitchen (3-1) have also pitched for the Crusaders, though Wolfe made both starts against the Dutchmen this season.
Series History
LVC is 9-3 against Alvernia historically, dating back to 1987. The Dutchmen have won six of the last seven meetings, including milestone wins in both of the last two seasons. In 2010, the Dutchmen set a school record for regular season victories (29) with an 11-0 win over the Crusaders. Last season,
Val Malizzia became LVC's all-time wins leader (52) in a 5-1 win.
