WESTMINSTER, Md. – McDaniel will host the 2015 Centennial Conference (CC) softball championship tournament, to be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The top-seeded Green Terror (26-10, 14-2 CC) will take on fourth-seeded Muhlenberg (16-14, 10-6 CC) in Friday's second first-round game, slated to begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of the double-elimination tournament's first game between second-seeded Haverford (24-8-1, 12-4 CC) and third-seeded Gettysburg (26-12, 11-5 CC) at 2 p.m.
Action will continue on Saturday with three games. The day will begin with an elimination game at 11 a.m. followed by the winners from Friday's games. Saturday's action will conclude with a second elimination game.
The tournament concludes on Sunday with the championship game at 12 p.m. and 30 minutes following, if necessary.
The tournament's champion will earn the CC's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division III tournament, slated to begin on May 8. The NCAA field will be announced at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 4.
McDaniel is seeking its fourth CC championship in its 10th tournament appearance. The Green Terror has six CC titles overall, including winning the 2012 crown when the tournament was last held in Westminster.
McDaniel split its regular-season meetings with Muhlenberg and Haverford and swept Gettysburg. The Green Terror and Mules split its doubleheader in Allentown on Apr. 4. Muhlenberg took the first game 1-0 on the game's lone run in the bottom of the seventh inning before McDaniel took the nightcap, 4-1. McDaniel swept the Bullets 6-1 and 2-1 in 10 innings in Gettysburg on Apr. 18. A day later, the Green Terror split with the Fords in Haverford. Haverford won the first game 2-1 before McDaniel captured game two, 6-2.
Senior Caroline Brehm (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) leads the CC with 212 strikeouts. She has fanned an average of 8.68 batters per game over her 171 innings of work. She has allowed just 102 hits and 24 walks and has a no-hitter to her credit this season.
Seven of the hitters in the Green Terror starting lineup are hitting .297 or better this season led by Jamie Weisser's (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) .389 average. Weisser has 37 hits, including six doubles and six home runs for a .705 slugging percentage. Freshman Payton Lewis (Valrico, Fla./Durant) has a .381 average with 37 hits that includes six doubles. She has also drawn a team-best 24 walks. Lindsey Miller (Gettysburg, Pa./New Oxford) is hitting .364 with a team-high 39 hits, including a team-best 11 doubles to go with three home runs. Olivia Kipe (Manchester, Md./Manchester Valley) has matched Miller with 11 doubles as part of her 34 knocks. She is hitting .321 with two home runs.
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