Moravian Set to Host 2026 Landmark Conference Softball Tournament at Blue & Grey Field on May 8-10
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University softball team is set for its 31st straight postseason appearance as the Greyhounds earned the top seed for the 2026 Landmark Conference Tournament that begins on Friday, May 8 at Blue & Grey Field in Bethlehem.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University softball team is set for its 31st straight postseason appearance as the Greyhounds earned the top seed for the 2026 Landmark Conference Tournament that begins on Friday, May 8 at Blue & Grey Field in Bethlehem.
The tournament began with a First Round game on Tuesday, May 5 that saw fifth seed Wilkes University outlast fourth seed Susquehanna University, 12-9 in ten innings. Friday's action begins with third seed Drew University facing second seed The Catholic University of America at 11:00 a.m. at Blue & Grey Field. The Greyhounds will play in their first game of the tournament versus Wilkes at 1:00 p.m. while the River Hawks will face the loser of the Drew and Catholic game in the first elimination contest at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. Action on Saturday and Sunday is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m.
Admission to each day of the tournament is $10 for adults and $5 for minors ages 10-17 and seniors 62 and older. Children ages nine and under are admitted free of charge, as are all Landmark Conference students, faculty and staff with their school ID. All ticketing will be done online at https://landmarkconference.org/sports/2022/4/25/championships-tickets.aspx?path=champs, and there will be no cash accepted on site.
Follow the tournament https://www.moraviansports.com/sports/sball/2025-26/landmark/index.
Moravian enters the Landmark Tournament as the top seed for the 12th time in the 18-year history of the tournament with the 2020 tournament cancelled by the pandemic. Moravian has won a total of 12 Landmark Conference Championships and is the only program in the conference to make the tournament in each of the conference tournament's 18 years.
The Greyhounds are led by fourth-year head coach Josh Baltz, who has guided the Blue & Grey to a 29-9 overall record this spring including a 14-2 mark to earn the top seed in the tournament. Moravian is also ranked No. 29 in the NPI (National Power Index) that will be used to select the at-large teams to the 2026 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
Moravian is hitting .334 entering the tournament with 362 hits including 93 extra-base hits with 60 doubles, 13 triples and 20 home runs for a .468 slugging percentage. Moravian has outscored its opponents, 251-99, for an average of 6.97 runs per game, and the Greyhounds have a .962 fielding percentage. Moravian has posted ten shutouts in 29 wins for a 1.79 ERA, and the Hounds' pitchers have recorded 166 strikeouts and just 51 walks in 249.2 innings this spring.
Junior pitcher/utility player Kyra Holtje leads the Hounds with a .416 to go with 52 hits, 35 runs, 14 doubles, three triples, five homers, 31 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 15 walks while senior third baseman Sydney Andrews has a .402 average with 51 hits, 36 runs, ten doubles, four triples, three homers, 33 RBIs, 14 walks and seven stolen bases. Freshman left fielder Natalie Chloros has a .345 average with 41 hits, 33 runs, four doubles, two triples, a home run, 24 RBIs, 21 walks and six stolen bases while senior pitcher/right fielder Sarah DeStefano is hitting .343 with 36 hits, 17 runs, a double, a triple, nine stolen bases and 23 RBIs. Junior center fielder Shayla Morgan has a .337 batting average to go with 31 hits, 24 runs, a double, a homer, 11 RBIs, 16 walks and 16 stolen bases.
Senior shortstop Samantha Derickson has registered 38 hits, 21 runs, eight doubles, a triple, three homers and 24 RBIs while senior catcher Marcie Silberman has contributed 29 hits, 11 runs, six doubles, four homers and 17 RBIs. Sophomore first baseman Kaley Hoffman has posted 31 hits, 20 runs, eight doubles, ten walks and 14 RBIs while sophomore catcher Sydney Scarpato has registered 19 hits, seven runs, a double, a homer and 12 RBIs. Freshman designated player Shauna McNamee has recorded 11 hits, six runs, three doubles, 10 RBIs and six walks while junior second baseman Emma Grace Pachkowski has nine hits, nine runs, a double, a homer and seven RBIs.
Sophomore Amelia Noll has added six hits, two runs, a double, a home run and eight RBIs while senior Madison Berning has three hits, a run and an RBI. Junior Cassandra Farrell has scored ten runs to go with two hits, a double, a triple, seven stolen bases and four RBIs while freshman Nicole Giglio has 11 runs, a hit, a triple and three RBIs. Sophomore Julie Zook has a hit, a run and an RBI while senior Emma Wariwanchik has a hit, a double and two RBIs and senior Kendall Szor has scored once.
DeStefano has a 13-5 mark with five shutouts, 83 strikeouts and a 1.30 ERA over 118.1 innings while Holtje is 10-3 in the circle with four shutouts, a 1.95 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 86 innings. Senior Natalie Otto has a 6-1 slate with a shutout, two saves and 30 strikeouts in 39.2 innings while Andrews has recorded three strikeouts in 4.2 innings of action. Riley Robinson has two strikeouts in an inning of work.
