Moravian College posted two single-run victories to put itself in a strong position to advance at the Rochester, NY regional of the NCAA Division III Softball Championships on Friday afternoon at Southside Field.
 
The Greyhounds (36-5) opened up with a 3-2 victory over Penn St.-Berks in the first game of the day, then capped play with a 3-2 victory in nine innings over Rochester to sit one win away from advancing.  Rochester (28-12) opened up with a win over Berks, winning 4-0 to send the Nittany Lions (19-14) home from the tournament.
 
GAME 1: Moravian 3, Penn St.-Berks 2 (Box Score)
Regional top seed Moravian College used a three run top of the 1st inning to jump out to an early lead on Penn St.-Berks and made it hold up in a 3-2 victory to open tournament play.
 
The Greyhounds got a 2-run homer from senior outfielder Dior George to start the scoring.  After the next hitter then doubled, Victoria Conner singled in the runner to put Moravian up 3-0 early.
 
That was all the scoring that Moravian would get off of Berks starter Casey Hafer though, as the senior settled in and allowed five hits, 0 runs, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts the rest of the way in the complete game.
 
In the fourth, the Nittany Lions would scrape one run across on a Mackenzie Huber single to left, scoring teammate Megan Olsen.  The next inning, Penn St.-Berks would pull within one after a run scoring single from Ashley Malek.
 
After a 1-2-3 6th, Moravian pitcher Amanda Carisone would pitch around a 2-out single in the 7th to seal the victory for the Greyhounds.  Carisone went the distance, allowing 8 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks while striking out 6.
 
Moravian's Mary Schlosbon posted a 3-for-4 game with a run while George was 1-for-3 with the home run and 2 RBI.  For the Nittany Lions, Jenna Heffner and Olsen went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
 
GAME 2: Rochester 4, Penn St.-Berks 0 (Box Score)
Senior pitcher Brittany Grage tossed a complete game 3-hit shutout to lift the University of Rochester to a 4-0 victory over Penn St.-Berks in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.
 
Grage allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out six in her fourth straight shutout for the Yellowjackets.  The second loss of the day eliminated the Nittany Lions from the tournament, finishing their season with a 19-14 record.
 
Two freshmen stepped up with big hits for the home Yellowjackets.  In the 2nd innings, first year player Gabriela Alatorre hit a solo home run to left to put UR up 1-0.  Two innings later, classmate Julia Liberto lifted a two-run shot to right center, boosting the lead to 3-0.
 
Rochester would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when pinch hitter Ashley Amidon lined an RBI double to center field, scoring teammate Jocelynn Blackshear.
 
Penn St.-Berks' starter was Megan Olsen who went the full six innings, allowed 9 hits, 4 runs and 1 walk with no strikeouts.
 
For Rochester, Alatorre finished 2-for-3 with a run and RBI while Kayla Kibling also was 2-for-3 at the plate.  Liberto had two RBI's while Blackshear scored twice for the Yellowjackets.
 
GAME 3: Moravian 3, Rochester 2 (9 innings) (Box Score)
Dior George was the hero for the second time in as many games as the senior hit a walk-off single to center in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Moravian to a 3-2 victory over Rochester in the third game of the day at UR's Southside Field.
 
The win puts the Greyhounds one win away from advancing to next week's Super Regionals while Rochester will have to rally and win both games on Saturday to keep its NCAA Division III softball title hopes alive.
 
George laced a base hit off the wall in center in the 9th, scoring pinch runner Jackie Marshall for the game winning run off of UR pitcher Brittany Grage.  The run off the Rochester senior was the first allowed by Grage in over 30 innings in the circle.
 
The Yellowjackets would be able to strike first in the top of the 1st inning when sophomore starting pitcher Eleni Wechsler lined a single up the middle, scoring Laurelle Byrne-Cody who was pinch running for designated player Sarah Wayson who reached via double.
 
Moravian would grab the lead in the fourth, plating two runs with the help of some Rochester miscues.  After a leadoff single, Lizzie Mack's ensuing sac bunt was thrown wide of first base, putting the fielder off the bag, allowing for two runners on.  The next hitter, Victoria Conner, then bunted a ball perfectly between Wechsler and 3rd baseman Grage for an infield single to load the bases.  After an infield fly for the first out, pinch hitter Abby Jeffries ripped a single that deflected off then end of a UR glove, scoring the tying run.  Pinch hitter Madison Newhouser then reached on a fielder's choice in the next at bat, scoring the second run of the inning, but Newhouser was then called out due to the look back rule after reaching, but not returning to first base or trying to advance after the ball was back in the pitchers circle.
 
Rochester responded in the next inning though, tying up the game when Kayla Kibling hit a 2-out single to left, scoring Julia Liberto who led off the inning with a single to center.
 
The Greyhounds nearly ended the game in both the 7th and 8th innings, getting multiple runners on, but Wechsler and Grage were able to work out of those jams, sending the game into the 9th inning.  Wechsler tossed the first 7+ for Rochester, allowing 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned) and 3 walks while striking out 3 and Grage picked up the loss in the final 1 2/3 innings allowing 3 hits, 1 run with 2 strikeouts.
 
Josie Novak improved to 17-4 on the season for Moravian, spinning a complete game for the Greyhounds, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), 1 walk with 9 strikeouts.
 
At the plate, George and Mack both had multiple hits for the Greyhounds while Jenn Dalickas was pitched around, going 1-for-2 with 3 walks on the day.  Kibling was the only Yellowjacket with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.