LHU to Host 29^th PSAC Softball Championships

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Lock Haven University will host the 2008 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Softball Championship on Thursday, May 1 through Saturday, May 3.  The top three teams in the Eastern and Western Divisions will battle in a double-elimination tournament that grants the champion automatic entry into the NCAA Regional tournament. 

Daily tickets for the event are $7 for adults, $2 for students.  Students currently enrolled at PSAC member institutions will be admitted free with a valid student ID.

Lock Haven has its eyes set on a third straight PSAC title as they enter the tournament seeded first in the Western Division. The Lady Eagles have posted a 40-6 overall record, 19-1 PSAC West, with their lone divisional loss at the hands of third-seeded IUP.

The Lady Eagles are led by two-time Division II Pitcher of the Year Kristin Erb.  Erb has compiled a 34-6 record this season, while posting a 0.34 ERA in 266.1 innings pitched.  Sarah Norris leads the offense with team highs in batting average (.374), homeruns (14), doubles (11) and runs scored (41).  Norris is accompanied by Amanda Roosa, who has posted a .372 batting average, 12 homeruns and a team-high 54 RBI. 

Kutztown enters the tournament as the Eastern Division's No. 1 seed and looks to exact revenge after last year's PSAC championship loss to Lock Haven.  The Golden Bears clinched their second consecutive Eastern Division title with a record-breaking 44-10 mark, 21-3 PSAC East, eclipsing last year's win total by one game.

The Kutztown attack is led by the league's top hitter in Ashley Fitzgerald. She owns league-bests in batting average (.456), RBI (54), on-base percentage (.522), hits (73), doubles (23), slugging percentage (.863), total bases (138). Teammate Steph Denlinger is third to behind LHU’s Roosa and Fitzgerald in RBI (53), and is behind Fitzgerald in total bases (113).  Katlin Arbogast leads the pitching staff with a 22-6 record while posting a 1.47 ERA in 162 innings pitched.

California represents the second seed from the Western Division.  The Vulcans own a 26-14 overall record, 12-8 PSAC West.  California earned the No. 2 seed after finishing tied with IUP at 12-8, but the Vulcans took three out of four contests against the Crimson Hawks to win the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Vulcan offense is sparked by Julie Mackenzie.  Mackenzie owns three team-highs with her .357 batting average, three homeruns and a .520 slugging percentage.  The offensive attack is also fueled by Kayleigh Braim.  Braim has scored 28 runs, belted 46 hits and has six doubles, all are team-highs.  The pitching staff is anchored by Sonia Petrosoniak, who has an 11-7 record and a 1.10 ERA in 127.1 innings of work.  She is joined by Maria Greco, who is 6-1 with a 0.70 ERA in 50 innings of action.

Bloomsburg has earned the Eastern Division's No. 2 seed, posting a 44-7 overall mark, 19-5 in the East and started off the season by winning 26 of its first 28 games, including an 18-game winning streak.  Bloomsburg split the regular season series with Kutztown 2-2.

Bloomsburg feeds off its ace pitcher Ashley Lynn.  Lynn has compiled a 20-3 record with a 0.94 ERA over 163.1 innings of work.  Lynn has been solid for the  Huskies throughout the season as they head in to the playoff season.  Bloomsburg also boasts league-bests in best batting average (.323), hits (468),doubles (55) and triples (19).  Tara Reed leads the Huskies attack with team-highs in every offensive category except homeruns and walks.  Reed has 40 runs scored, 71 hits, 15 doubles, 4 triples, 29 RBI, 97 total bases, .577 slugging percentage and a .458 on-base percentage.

IUP enters the PSAC tournament as the Western Division's No. 3 seed with a 16-24 overall record, 12-8 PSAC West.  IUP is also the only team in the tournament to defeat Lock Haven this season. 

IUP ace Erin Holloway has a 2.32 ERA in 133 innings of action.  The Crimson Hawk hurler has a 9-10 record on the season and won a 2-1 extra inning decision over Lock Haven.  The IUP offense is jump-started by Kristen Tunno.  Tunno has a .345 batting average and 41 hits to lead the team.  Tunno is joined by Dee Eppinger and Sam Goettman.  Eppinger has 21 runs scored, while Goettman has 23 RBI.

East Stroudsburg represents the third seed in the East Division as the Warriors hold a 17-28 overall mark and an 11-13 conference record.  The Warriors own a win over both Kutztown and Bloomsburg this season. 

Ali Hale and Brittany Racek lead the Warriors' offense.  Hale leads the team in batting average (.317) and RBI (17), while Racek is right behind her with a .315 batting average and leads the team in hits (41), runs scored (24), doubles(9) and total bases (58).  The pitching staff is led by Kristen Halvorsen.  Halvorsen has thrown 169.1 innings and compiled a 2.19 ERA and a 13-15 record.