Landmark To Crown Spring Sports Champions

MADISON, N.J. – The first season of Landmark Conference competition will conclude with four spring sports competing for Landmark Championships May 3-4. The men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse and softball championships will all be decided Saturday May 3, while the Landmark baseball postseason will conclude on Sunday May 4.

The seeds have held true in the lacrosse postseasons as top-seed Drew University will host second-seed Goucher College in the men’s lacrosse championship. On the women’s side number-one seed The Catholic University of America will also welcome number-two seed Goucher. The softball and baseball championships are multi-day, double-elimination with four teams competing in each. Moravian College earned the top seed and is hosting the softball postseason, while Juniata is the host and top seed for the three-day baseball postseason.

Drew earned a spot in the postseason with a thrilling comeback win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the semifinals. The Rangers are 8-7 overall but went 5-1 during conference play to earn the top seed. Drew is led by junior long stick midfielder Michael DeGiovanni who was named the Landmark Player of the Year as a big contributor offensively and defensively. Drew defeated Goucher 11-10 during the regular season, which was Goucher’s only conference loss as the Gophers are 5-1 in Landmark play and 11-4 overall. The Gophers shut down The University of Scranton with a 12-2 win in the semifinal round and feature the stingiest defense in the conference. Led by All-Conference goalie Austin Main and All-Conference defenders Billy Beaver and Andy Nielson, the team allowed only 30 goals in six conference games.

In the women’s lacrosse postseason, Catholic rolled through the conference season without a loss and earned a 17-6 win over Susquehanna University in the semifinals. The Cardinals are currently ranked 17th in Division III with a 14-4 record and enjoyed the first unbeaten conference season in program history. Catholic is paced by Kate Robinson who scored 75 goals and was named the Landmark Player of the Year. Seniors Kate Knitter and Emily Blatter have been offensive forces for the Gophers who downed Drew 13-10 in the semifinal round. Goucher’s only conference loss of the season came to Catholic, and the team has won five of its last seven contests after starting the season 1-7.

Host Moravian will join Scranton, Catholic and Drew in the softball postseason, which will begin with Moravian taking on Drew in the opening game and Scranton facing off with Catholic in the second game on day one. Moravian is the top seed after going unbeaten in conference play through the regular season. The pitching duo of Maria DeBonis and Elizabeth Python helped the team lead the Landmark in team ERA. Scranton is the number-two seed after going 9-3 in conference play. Behind hurler Isabel Mendez and a stingy defense the Royals allowed the second fewest runs in conference play. Catholic finished the year 6-6 to capture the third seed. The Cardinals dropped both regular-season games against Scranton, but won three of their last four Landmark games to earn a postseason berth. Drew sported the second best ERA among Landmark teams, riding the arm of Lauren Collini to a 5-6-1 conference record and the fourth seed.

Juniata earned the top seed and the right to host the baseball postseason with a record of 16-2 in conference play. The Eagles have the Landmark Player and Pitcher of the Year in seniors Dan Kauffman and Jay Enoch. Juniata will face fourth-seed Scranton on day one, while second-seed Susquehanna University will face third-seed Catholic. Seeds two, three and four all finished with 11-7 records in conference play. Slugger Chris Price and pitcher/outfielder John Lunardi helped Susquehanna pile up the second most runs in Landmark play. Catholic earned the three seed on the strength of its series win against Scranton. The Cardinals enter the postseason on a seven-game winning streak, and have scored 10 or more runs in six of those wins. Scranton also has won seven-straight games entering play over the weekend and finished the season with 24 victories which is believed to be a program record.