Softball Major Award Winners Revealed
TOWSON, Md. — Susquehanna and Moravian finished the regular season tied atop the Landmark softball standings this spring, and after voting from the seven head coaches, the two programs have split the conference’s four major awards as well.
Jenn Dalickas (Player of the Year) and Josie Novak (Rookie of the Year) were honored for the Greyhounds, while Morgan Lewis (Pitcher of the Year) and Kathy Kroupa (Coach of the Year) take home hardware for the Crusaders.
Dalickas is recognized as the Landmark’s top player for a second-consecutive season. The honor is well-deserved after the senior first baseman reached base in an incredible 35 of her 46 plate appearances in conference games, giving her a .761 on-base percentage. She leads the league in seven offensive categories, and her overall on-base percentage of .664 is tops in all of Division III.
Novak stormed on to the scene in her debut season, leading the Landmark in earned-run average (1.15) and strikeouts (133). She tossed 16 complete games, including five shutouts, and has held hitters to a .179 batting average.
Lewis was named co-Pitcher of the Year two springs ago, but she has the award to herself in 2015. The senior right-hander is tied for the league-lead with 16 wins, and her ERA (0.95) and strikeout totals (37) in conference games were both tops among all pitchers.
Kroupa and her staff are honored by their peers for a fourth-straight year and a sixth time in the past seven seasons. The Crusaders, who currently sit at 30-5, have won at least 20 games in every campaign dating back to 2009, and this is the third time during that stretch that they have reached 30 victories.
Dalickas, Novak and Lewis were also among the 13 individuals who achieved First-Team All-Landmark status.
Four additional players from Susquehanna made the cut, with 3B Alyssa Cantalini, OF Brianna Murphy, DP Lauren Creamer and C Kelly Miller all landing on the first team. Cantalini ranks third in the conference with a .402 batting average, and she is also in the top five in home runs (4) and runs scored (28). Murphy, the Crusaders’ primary leadoff hitter, gets on base at a .425 clip, and she has swiped 13 bases to go along with four HRs and three triples.
A second team selection last year, Creamer moves up after supplying Susquehanna with four long balls, 30 RBIs and a .389 average. Murphy threw out a league-high nine runners trying to steal in her freshman season behind the plate, committing only one error while driving in 17 runs on the offensive side.
Dior George and Mary Schlosbon joined their Moravian teammates on the first team. George, who along with Dalickas reached first team status in each of her four seasons, is second in the league with six HRs and fourth with 29 RBIs. Her 37 runs scored are the most in the Landmark and she has a .470 OBP. Schlosbon batted .398 with 29 runs scored and only four strikeouts in 103 plate appearances.
Catholic catcher Kristina Lozupone earns first team accolades for a second straight year. Lozupone led the Cardinals with a .356 BA and 27 RBIs. Eight of her 37 hits were doubles.
The middle of Scranton’s infield were each recognized as well, with 2B Stephanie Romano and SS Shannon Stricker each making the first team. Stricker led the Landmark with 32 runs driven in and 15 doubles. She hit .372 and had a .602 slugging percentage. Romano hit .330 with eight steals, and she committed just a single error on defense.
Juniata’s Paige Dennison was honored as a first team utility player. Splitting her time at 1B and 2B, and occasionally playing the outfield, Dennison hit .387 with a .492 OBP. Her five triples led the conference, and she was second with 16 stolen bases.
Thirteen additional players received second-team recognition, led by five from Elizabethtown. The full list of honorees is available below.
|
|
|
|
| Player of the Year |
Pitcher of the Year |
Rookie of the Year |
Coach of the Year |
Jenn Dalickas,
Moravian
|
Morgan Lewis,
Susquehanna
|
Josie Novak,
Moravian |
Kathy Kroupa,
Susquehanna |
The 2015 Landmark Softball All-Conference Teams:
| First Team |
|
Second Team |
C
|
Kristina Lozupone^
|
Catholic |
So. |
Dunkirk, Md. |
|
C
|
Jacqueline DeSarro
|
Scranton
|
So.
|
Bethlehem, Pa.
|
C
|
Kelly Miller |
Susquehanna |
Fr. |
Kendall Park, N.J. |
|
1B |
Jessica White |
Elizabethtown |
Sr. |
Schwenksville, Pa. |
1B
|
Jenn Dalickas^*! |
Moravian |
Sr. |
Mertztown, Pa. |
|
2B
|
Payton Marunich^ |
Elizabethtown |
Sr.
|
Slatington, Pa. |
2B
|
Stephanie Romano |
Scranton |
Sr. |
Oak Ridge, N.J. |
|
2B
|
Lindsay Sullivan |
Moravian |
Jr.
|
South Glens Falls, N.Y. |
| SS |
Shannon Stricker |
Scranton |
So. |
Morrisville, Pa. |
|
SS
|
Kirstin Blass |
Elizabethtown |
So.
|
Catawissa, Pa. |
| 3B |
Alyssa Cantalini* |
Susquehanna |
Sr. |
Kitchener, Ontario |
|
SS
|
Heather Pearson |
Susquehanna |
Fr.
|
Alexandria, Va. |
| OF |
Dior George^*! |
Moravian |
Sr. |
Bethlehem, Pa. |
|
3B
|
Erin Adams |
Catholic |
So.
|
Dunkirk, Md. |
| OF |
Brianna Murphy* |
Susquehanna |
Sr. |
Hazlet, N.J. |
|
OF
|
Becky Becher |
Elizabethtown |
Sr.
|
Parsippany, N.J. |
OF
|
Mary Schlosbon |
Moravian |
Jr. |
Garnet Valley, Pa. |
|
OF
|
Amanda Neveroski^ |
Susquehanna |
Jr.
|
Toms River, N.J. |
DP
|
Lauren Creamer |
Susquehanna |
So. |
Langhorne, Pa. |
|
OF
|
Christy Sanchez |
Catholic |
Jr.
|
Miami, Fla. |
UT
|
Paige Dennison |
Juniata |
So. |
East Berlin, Pa. |
|
UT
|
Laura Tomasetti |
Elizabethtown |
Sr.
|
Bridgeton, N.J. |
P
|
Morgan Lewis^* |
Susquehanna |
Sr. |
Newtown, Pa. |
|
P
|
Amanda Carisone |
Moravian |
Fr.
|
Neshanic Station, N.J. |
| P |
Josie Novak |
Moravian |
Fr. |
Neshanic Station, N.J. |
|
P |
Morgan Rentzheimer |
Scranton |
Fr.
|
Laurys Station, Pa. |
|
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^ 2014 First-Team All-Landmark
* 2013 First Team All-Landmark
! 2012 First Team All-Landmark