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May 5, 2010

Transy Set to Host HCAC Tournament for Second Straight Season

Tournament Website (click here)

Tournament Program (click here)

LEXINGTON, KY - The 2010 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball tournament will take place this weekend at Transylvania University.  The host Pioneers earned the regular season championship after going 5-1 against Franklin, Rose-Hulman, and Anderson last week.  Bluffton and Manchester will join Transylvania and Anderson in Lexington this weekend.

The host Pioneers (31-9, 14-2 HCAC) will look to capture their first trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament since 2006.  No. 25 ranked Transy held a 4-2 record against the competition they will face this weekend.  The Pioneers offense leads the HCAC in every single category this season, averaging .339 at the plate with 31 home runs and 292 runs scored.  The TU pitching staff has also been solid, tying for the league lead with a 2.45 earned run average.  Transy has won eight of its last nine contests heading into tournament play.

The offense has propelled the Pioneers to a 30 win season and has been led by the efforts of freshman Megan Mitchell (Buck Creek, Ind./Wm. Henry Harrison).  The freshman currently leads all of Division III with 16 home runs and a 1.034 slugging percentage.  Mitchell also leads the HCAC and ranks top ten nationally, batting .513 with 58 RBI and an on-base percentage of .597.  Junior pitcher Kendra DeArk (Jeffersonville, Ind./H.S.) has led the pitching staff this season.  The junior holds an 18-4 record and a 1.64 ERA, while striking out 144 opponents in 132.1 innings of work.

Bluffton (17-20, 11-5 HCAC) rebounded after losing 10 of their first 11 games of the season to place second in the league standings.  The Beavers posted a 2-4 record against the teams in the tournament field this spring.  Bluffton has been led on the mound by the tandem of Brooke Babcock (Findlay, Ohio/H.S.) and Stevie Cuttitta (Columbiaville, Mich./Clio).  Babcock leads the team with a 9-6 record and 61 strikeouts, posing a 2.74 ERA.  Cuttitta has a 2.34 ERA this spring and boasts a 7-6 record.  Babcock is also one of the main cogs in the offensive lineup for BU, batting .323 with 12 runs scored, 10 doubles, two home runs, and 18 RBI.

Anderson (18-20, 10-6 HCAC) stumbled down the stretch heading towards the league tournament, posing a 4-6 record the final week of the season.  The Ravens enter the tournament with a 4-2 mark against the competition.  Freshman Natalie Moorhouse (Albion, Ind./Central Noble) leads the team at the plate, batting .357 with 16 runs scored, nine doubles, four home runs, and 23 RBI.  Sophomore Stephanie Atkins (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) has provided the power, blasting eight home runs and 19 RBI this spring.  The AU pitching staff has been led by sophomore Monica Crowe (Muncie, Ind./Wes-Del).  The ace has posted an 8-10 record with a 2.46 ERA this season and has struck out 141 batters.

Manchester (21-18-1, 9-7 HCAC) will look to improve upon their 2-4 record against the HCAC tournament field when the tournament gets underway this weekend.  The Spartans offense has been led by sophomore Amy Hommema (Indianapolis, Ind./Southport) this spring.  Hommema ranks among the HCAC leaders in batting average (.441), slugging percentage (.811), on-base percentage (.500), runs scored (30), RBI (43), doubles (15), and home runs (10).  Senior pitcher Kristi Brown (Veersburg, Ind./Attica) has anchored the Spartans staff with a 15-5 record.  Brown leads the HCAC with a 1.54 ERA this spring and has pitched a conference-high 149.2 innings.  The senior also ranks among the conference leaders with 140 strikeouts.

Action will get underway from Transylvania at 10:00 AM Friday morning as No. 2 seed Bluffton faces No. 3 seed Anderson.  Top seed Transy and No. 4 Manchester will tangle at 12:00 PM in the second opening round game.