May 16, 2026
Fast Start Leads Greyhounds to 2026 NCAA DIII Bethlehem, Pa. Regional Title over Cortland & Berth in Super Regionals
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University softball team scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on the way to a 7-0 lead over SUNY Cortland in the championship round of the 2026 Bethlehem, Pa. Regional at Blue & Grey Field Saturday as the Greyhounds earned a berth to the NCAA Division III Super Regionals next week.
Cortland State (N.Y.) University
27-17
0
Moravian University
35-10
7
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
|
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | X | 7 | 10 | 2 |
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University softball team scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on the way to a 7-0 lead over SUNY Cortland in the championship round of the 2026 Bethlehem, Pa. Regional at Blue & Grey Field Saturday as the Greyhounds earned a berth to the NCAA Division III Super Regionals next week.
How It Happened
- The Hounds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Senior third baseman Sydney Andrews drew a one-out walk before junior pitcher Kyra Holtje singled through the left side. Senior designated player Marcie Silberman followed with a three-run homer to left field, her seventh home run of the season and 45th of her career to extend the Moravian and Landmark Conference records. The Greyhounds left two more runners on base in the inning
- The Blue & Grey extended the advantage to 4-0 with a run in the third frame. Silberman reached on an error with one out before junior second baseman Emma Grace Pachkowski came in to run. After an out, senior shortstop Samantha Derickson connected on an RBI double to left center as Pachkowski raced around the bases
- Moravian pushed two runs home in the fourth inning to extend the advantage to 6-0. Junior center fielder Shayla Morgan started the frame with a single, and she stole second base before Andrews drew a one-out walk. After the fourth pitching change of the game by the Red Dragons, Morgan and Andrews pulled off a double steal before Holtje was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Silberman ripped a two-RBI single up the middle as Morgan and Andrews touched the plate
- The Greyhounds finished off the scoring with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Silberman hit a one-out double with Pachkowski coming in to run again. After a ground out, Derickson connected on an RBI single to score Pachkowski with the final run of the regional
- Moravian and Cortland had faced off once before in the NCAA Tournament with the Red Dragons defeating the Blue & Grey, 3-1, in a winner's bracket game back in 2011 when the Hounds headed to Cortland for a regional
- The seven runs are the third most that the Hounds have scored in a regional championship game (nine in 2018 and eight in 2007), and the seven-run victory is the second largest for the Blue & Grey in a regional title contest, just behind the 9-1, six-inning win over Salisbury (Md.) University to win the Ewing, N.J. Regional in 2018
Inside the Numbers
- Moravian registered ten hits in the contest with Silberman going 3-for-4 with five RBIs, a homer, a double and a run
- Derickson was also 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a double while Morgan had a 1-for-2 game with a run
- Holtje recorded a hit and a run while senior right fielder Sarah DeStefano and sophomore first baseman Kaley Hoffman both had one hit
- Andrews and Pachkowski each scored twice in the game
- Holtje tossed a complete game in the circle, allowing six hits and no walks to go with five strikeouts as she improved to 12-3 on the season
All-Tournament Honors
- DeStefano was selected as the 2026 NCAA Division III Bethlehem, Pa. Regional Most Outstanding Player, the third time in four seasons that DeStefano has been the MOP in a regional championship by the Greyhounds, and she was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Derickson, Holtje and Silberman
- DeStefano hit .545 in the regional (6-for-11) with three RBIs and a run to go with two victories in the circle, a 0.93 ERA and seven strikeouts in 15 innings. Derickson also hit .545 (6-for-11) with three doubles, three RBIs and a run to go with five putouts and 11 assists in the field while Holtje was 1-0 in the circle with the shutout win in the championship to go with two hits, two runs, a homer and two RBIs at the plate. Silberman hit .417 (5-for-12) with five RBIs, a double, a homer and a run
NCAA Regional History
- The Greyhounds won their eighth regional title and the third in four seasons under fourth-year Head Coach Josh Baltz. Moravian has regional titles in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2023, 2025 and 2026
- Moravian will be making its fifth appearance in the Super Regionals since the NCAA adopted the format in 2014. The Blue & Grey have played in the Super Regionals five times including 2015, 2018, 2023, 2025 and 2026 with the 2023 squad winning the program's first and only Super Regional
- The Hounds have advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Finals four times in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2023
- The Greyhounds are now 60-47 all-time in NCAA Tournament action with an 8-6 mark in extra-innings, and Baltz is now 14-8 in NCAA play since taking over the program in 2023
- The Greyhounds have now played the championship round of an NCAA regional for the tenth time in the program's 22 appearances, and 2026 was the eighth time the Blue & Grey have made the championship round as the undefeated team. The squad has twice lost earlier in the tournament and fought back through elimination games to make the final including 2018 at The College of New Jersey when Moravian lost its first game and won four straight elimination games to capture the regional championship. The only time the Blue & Grey have not won a regional title when being undefeated entering the championship was in 2003
Up Next for the Greyhounds
- Thursday, May 21 vs. To Be Determined in 2026 NCAA Division III Super Regional at site to be announced
- Friday, May 22 vs. To Be Determined in 2026 NCAA Division III Super Regional at site to be announced
