BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The top seeded Moravian University softball squad needed to play the if necessary game of the Landmark Conference Tournament for the sixth time in tournament history before winning the program's fourth straight and 13th Landmark Conference Championship at Blue & Grey Field Sunday after splitting two games with second seed The Catholic University of America, falling 1-0 in ten innings in the first championship round game and winning the title with a 4-2 victory in the final game.

How It Happened – Championship Game #1

• The squads would compete in a pitcher's duel in the opener between senior Sarah DeStefano and Catholic's Aubrynn Arcement
• Neither pitcher surrendered a run through the regulation seven innings with the Cardinals leaving four runners in scoring position through seven, and the Hounds leaving one runner in scoring position
• Catholic left two more runners in scoring position in the top of the ninth while Moravian's junior right fielder Kyra Holtje was thrown out at the plate to end the bottom of the ninth trying to score from second base on an infield single from DeStefano
• The Cardinals would get a run in the top of the tenth inning that would be the only run of the contest
• DeStefano recorded eight strikeouts while tossing all ten innings with 132 pitches and 90 strikes to 41 batters. The outing was the second longest of DeStefano's career after tossing 12 innings in the 2025 NCAA Division III Bethlehem, Pa. Super Regional loss to Randolph-Macon (Va.) College

How It Happened – Championship Game #2

• The Greyhounds, batting as the visiting team in the if necessary contest, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Freshman left fielder Natalie Chloros led off the game with a single down the right field line, and she moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Holtje delivered an RBI single to center field as Chloros raced home for the 1-0 edge
• Catholic tied the game in the bottom fourth with a run to make it 1-1
• Moravian answered right back with three runs in the top of the fifth to retake a 4-1 lead. Chloros started the frame with a single while senior third baseman Sydney Andrews put down a sacrifice bunt to push Chloros into scoring position. Holtje followed with a two-run homer to left center field, her team-leading sixth of the season and tenth of her career to put the Blue & Grey up 3-1. A pitching change and two pitches later, senior designated player Marcie Silberman connected on a line-drive solo home run down the right field line, her sixth home run of the season as well and the 44th of her career as she holds both the Moravian and Landmark Conference career records
• The Cardinals pushed a run home in the bottom of the sixth to cut the score to 4-2. Catholic left two runners on in the frame including the tying run at first base
• Catholic also left a runner in scoring position in the seventh inning
• Holtje made the start in the circle, and she had four strikeouts in six innings of action to reach 100 strikeouts in her career. Holtje improved to 11-3 on the season while DeStefano came into toss the seventh inning and record her first save of the season and second of her career

Inside the Numbers

• Moravian collected 15 hits in the championship round games with Holtje going 4-for-7 with three RBIs, a run, a double and a homer
• Chloros knocked out three hits and scored twice while Silberman added a pair of hits, a home run, an RBI and a run
• Andrews and DeStefano each had two hits
• Sophomore catcher Sydney Scarpato and junior center fielder Shayla Morgan both registered one hit

Conference Championship History

• Senior pitcher/right fielder Sarah DeStefano was selected as the 2026 Landmark Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player. In the four games, DeStefano was 2-1 in the circle with a save, two complete games, a 1.22 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 23 innings of action, and she added three hits and a run at the plate and four putouts and four assists in the field. DeStefano is a two-time NCAA Division III Regional Most Outstanding Performer as well
• For Moravian, the Landmark Conference Championship is the 13th in 18 tournaments since the conference began in 2007-08, and it is the Greyhounds' 21st overall conference title since 2000. It is the Blue & Grey's fourth straight conference championship under the direction of Head Coach Josh Baltz, who took over the program prior to the 2023 season
• Sunday marked the 15th time in 18 Landmark Conference tournaments that the Hounds had reached the championship round, and Moravian was hosting the tournament as the top seed for the 13th time
• The Hounds played the if necessary game for the sixth time in Landmark Conference Tournament history, winning for the fifth time to add the 2026 title to those won in 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2021 in the extra game. Moravian's only loss in the extra contest of the championship round came in 2017 when Susquehanna University defeated the Blue & Grey twice on the final day
• With the victory, Moravian will head to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 22md time in program history, and the Blue & Grey will find out their first round opponent and site for the NCAA Regional pod on Monday, May 11 during the 2026 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament Selection Show that will air at 11:00 a.m. on www.ncaa.com 

Up Next for the Greyhounds

• Thursday, May 14 vs. To Be Determined in 2026 NCAA Division III Regional, TBA