WESTMINSTER, Md. – McDaniel will travel to Allentown, Pa., for the opening round of the 2022 Centennial Conference (CC) softball championship tournament on Tuesday.
The third-seeded Green Terror (18-21, 10-6 CC) will take on second-seeded Muhlenberg (19-19, 10-6 CC) in one of two first-round game, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Top-seeded Swarthmore (26-4, 15-1 CC) hosts fourth-seeded Gettysburg (18-16, 9-7 CC) in the day's other first-round game, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The double-elimination tournament moves to Swarthmore for the remainder of the games on Friday and Saturday.
Friday's action will feature three games. The day will begin with an elimination game at 12 p.m. followed by the winners from Tuesday's games. The day's action will conclude with a second elimination game.
The tournament concludes on Saturday with the championship game at 11 a.m. and 30 minutes following, if necessary.
The tournament's champion will earn the CC's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III tournament, slated to begin on May 13. The NCAA field will be announced at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 9.
McDaniel is seeking its fifth CC championship in its 14th tournament appearance. The Green Terror has seven CC titles overall, including winning the 2012 and 2015 crowns in Westminster.
McDaniel split its regular-season meetings with Muhlenberg on Apr. 2 in Westminster. The Green Terror won the first game 2-0 before the Mules took game two 8-5 in 10 innings. McDaniel swept Gettysburg by scores of 1-0 and 8-4 on Apr. 12 in Westminster. The Green Terror was swept by Swarthmore 3-0 and 3-2 in Swarthmore on Apr. 23.
Seven of the regular players in the McDaniel lineup are hitting .286 or better this season. Isabella Sylvester (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) leads the team with a .405 average. She has five doubles and a home run among her team-best 45 hits. Evie Craig (Valby, Denmark/International School of Hellerup) is hitting .363 on the year 37 hits and 23 RBIs. Makayla Calamita (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood Area) is hitting .345 with 38 hits, including five doubles and three home runs. She also has 21 RBIs. Mattie Whalen (Magnolia, N.J./Sterling) has a .301 average with 31 hits and 17 walks. Hannah Raygor (Frederick, Md./Seneca Valley) and Kylie Sears (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) are both hitting .396 with 24 hits. Megan Horsey (Chesapeake City, Md./Bohemia Manor) has a team-high 10 walks to go with her .286 average and 30 hits.
Krista Waller (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam) and Hannah Costa (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) lead the pitching staff. Waller is 7-5 in the circle with a 2.10 earned-run average. She has struck out 44 in 86 2/3 innings. Costa is 6-5, posting a 2.36 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 80 innings. Both have 18 appearances, 11 starts, and one save on the year.
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