Ithaca Softball Hosts Empire 8 Championships
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca softball team will host the 2011 Empire 8 Softball Championships this weekend at Kostrinsky Field. The top-seeded Bombers will be joined in the tournament by second-seeded Rochester Institute of Technology, third-seeded St. John Fisher and fourth-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology.
The tournament schedule includes four games Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. and two games Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. If necessary, a seventh game would be played Sunday at a time to be determined. Tickets for each day are priced at $4 for adults and $2 for seniors, students with ID. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted free. Live Stats will be available for all games, and the tournament program is available for download.
ABOUT ITHACA | Softball Website
Ithaca placed first in the Empire 8 with a 12-2 record and is 26-10 overall. The Bombers are ranked 26th nationally in the latest edition of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III poll. Ithaca has won seven of the 10 all-time Empire 8 playoff championships, and has won or shared the regular-season title nine times in the last 10 years. Ithaca has hit 20 home runs on the year and 11 different players have contributed to that total. Jackie Branco has hit four homers and has a .403 batting average on the year. Jennifer Biondi leads the team in hits with 37 and shares the team lead in doubles (10) with Kerry Barger. Barger is batting .349 on the season. Three Ithaca pitchers have handled the bulk of the pitching and all three have an earned-run average of 2.18 or better. Britt Lillie and Allison Greaney have combined to make 23 starts, and each has nine wins. Jillian Olmstead is 6-3 with a team-leading 1.27 ERA.
ABOUT RIT | Softball Website
Rochester Institute of Technology was second in the Empire 8 with an 11-3 conference record and is 21-10 overall. RIT won the inaugural Empire 8 softball title in 2001 and shared the regular-season championship with Ithaca in 2005. The Tigers are 9-1 in their last 10 games and have won 20 games or more for the first time since that 2005 season. Michelle Tabisz has a .356 batting average and leads the team with four home runs. Emily McCourtney holds the team lead in batting average (.364) and also has 11 doubles. Shannon McCormick leads the team in stolen bases (13-for-13) and runs scored (24). RIT pitchers Carlissa Cole and Brittany Kemp have carried the duties in the circle. Cole is 12-3 overall and 8-0 over her last nine appearances. Kemp has a 9-6 overall record and 2.53 earned-run average, and has struck out 118 batters in 91 innings pitched.
ABOUT ST. JOHN FISHER | Softball Website
St. John Fisher finshed third in the Empire 8 with a 9-5 conference record and is 25-11-1 overall. The Cardinals were Empire 8 tournament champions in 2008 and 2009. St. John Fisher's offense is paced by Jenn Vanek who owns a .431 batting average and has started all 37 games. She leads the team in hits (53), runs (34) and triples (5). Kayla Goodberlet has a team-high 11 doubles and has a .418 batting average. Leanne Merchant leads the team with nine home runs and 29 runs batted in. The Cardinals have successfully stolen 15 bases in 17 stolen-base attempts.Sarah Stefanon leads the pitching staff with a 2.11 earned-run average and has a 10-3 record in the circle. She has struck out 87 batters in 93 innings. Danielle Leone is 11-7 overall and has a 2.49 ERA with 72 strikeouts.
ABOUT STEVENS | Softball Website
Stevens Institute of Technology was 7-7 in Empire 8 play and carries a 21-17 overall record into this weekend's tournament. It is the program's first appearance in the Empire 8 softball playoffs. The Ducks are led by Kayla Berardi, who carries a .433 batting average and has appeared in 30 games this season. Naomi Sacks has a .400 average and leads the team with 48 hits, including a team-high 15 doubles. Clair Strom and Stephanie Senkevich have each slugged five home runs, and Sacks and Strom share the team lead with 31 RBIs. Berardi has been the top-performer in the pitching circle for the Ducks, with a 14-6 record and 1.94 earned-run average. She has allowed 103 hits in 129.2 innings, and just 36 earned runs on the season. Molly Herforth has started 18 games and has a 6-11 record and 3.84 earned-run average.