CONTACT: Steve Mullen (518) 629-8063
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Monday, May 9, 2005
The Hudson Valley Community College (19-7) softball team is seeded second for the NJCAA Region III tournament, and will host No. 7 Tompkins Cortland Community College (22-13) at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10 in an opening round game.
Eight teams will compete in opening round games on Tuesday, and the four winners will advance to a double-elimination tournament this weekend in Horseheads. The winner of the tournament will represent Region III at the NJCAA Division III World Series on May 19-21.
Hudson Valley has won 19 of its last 21 games. The Lady Vikings are paced by the nation's leading pitcher, freshman Kim Wintergerst (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School), who leads the NJCAA Division III with a 0.44 earned run average. She has struck out 55 batters in 63.1 innings of work and sports an 8-3 record on the season.
Five Hudson Valley players are hitting at least .400 on the season. Sophomore Natalie Schroll (Loudonville/Academy of Holy Names) leads the way with a .474 average. Sophomore Annemarie Nelson (Nassau/Columbia High School) is batting .434 with four triples and a team-high 22 RBI. Freshman Ashley Byerwalters (Ravena/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School) is hitting .429 with 10 RBI, and sophomores Jessalyn Hotaling (Coeymans Hollow/Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School) and Ashley Daurio (Johnsonville/Hoosic Valley High School) are batting .403 and .400, respectively.
Sophomore Jolene Phillips (Marathon/Marathon High School) leads the Panthers at the plate with a .402 average and has 23 RBI. Sophomore pitcher Alice Karpel (Apalachin/Owego Free Academy) is 21-13 with a 1.49 earned run average.
NJCAA Region III Tournament First Round
No. 8 Corning (17-11) at No. 1 Broome (25-1)
No. 5 Mohawk Valley (21-9) at No. 4 Jamestown (15-7)
No. 6 Herkimer (19-7) at No. 3 Monroe (25-5)
No. 7 Tompkins Cortland (22-13) at No. 2 Hudson Valley (19-7)
