Rockville Centre, N.Y. – The softball team makes its return to the East Coast Conference Championship Tournament this afternoon at Bob Klein Field as the two-seed against third-seeded Saint Thomas Aquinas College at 3:00 p.m. The tournament will be played as a best-of-three series in both the semifinal and final rounds. Game Two and an if necessary Game Three will take place tomorrow (May 8) at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.
 
To watch along, visit the ECC Network. Live stats are available here.
 
 
Concerning the Lions (28-12, 16-6 ECC):

• This is Molloy's 11^th playoff appearance in 12 seasons after a young Lions squad missed the postseason in 2019. Three members of the team, pitcher Tonianne Larson, utility pitcher Courtney Greene, and redshirt senior first baseman Mikaela Tribby are the lone member of the maroon and white entering this weekend with playoff experience.
• The Lions rank first in the East Coast Conference in nearly all offensive categories: runs (223), hits (370), doubles (80), home runs (27), RBI (201), extra base hits (115), total bases (547), walks (100), sacrifice flies (7), stolen bases (75), batting average (.318), on base percentage (.379), and slugging percentage (.471).
• On the national level, Molloy is fourth in doubles and doubles per game and ninth in hits while ranking in the top 50 in batting average, stolen bases per game, total runs, total stolen bases, WHIP, and W-L percentage.
• The maroon and white have seen a standout rookie campaign from freshman utility player Chrissie Huhn, who leads the ECC in batting average, hits, doubles, stolen bases, and total bases. The Croydon, Pa. native ranks sixth in the nation in hits and 25^th in stolen bases.
• Greene has been a lock in the circle for the Lions, ranking fourth in Division II in appearances (29), seventh in complete games (18), and 11^th in wins (18). With an ERA of 1.74 entering the tournament, the lefty has allowed just 38 earned runs this season while falling just under 100 strikeouts.
• Molloy ended the regular season in a marathon of 10 games in six days, going 10-0 to earn second-place. The team has won 12-straight games.
• In the regular season, the Lions went 7-5 against the tournament field, including taking all four contests from semifinal opponent St. Thomas Aquinas College.
• The team continued its history of being a strong team at Bob Klein Field, putting up a record of 18-2 at home this season (as opposed to 10-10 on the road).
• The maroon and white are currently ranked third in the NCAA Division II Regional Rankings and are the only ECC school currently in consideration. Against the field of eight ranked teams, Molloy went 6-6 this season.

 
Regarding the Spartans (22-10, 16-8 ECC):

• This is STAC's second consecutive postseason appearance after snapping a 13-year absence from postseason play in 2018. Six members of the memorable Spartans team, Elise Oliande, Melissa Sadler, Morgan Santora, Amanda Schweitzer, Taylor Sullivan, and Paige Toothaker, are also on the 2021 squad.
• The pitching staff of Toothaker and Carissa Della Vecchia have guided STAC to nine shutouts on the season, the most in the ECC. As a team, the Spartans pitching staff is 10^th in the nation in strike-out-to-walk ratio and are in the top-30 in ERA, shutouts, and WHIP.
• Della Vecchia has had a dominant 2021 both in the circle and in the batter's box. She leads the league in home runs (9), slugging percentage (.760), and triples (3) while striking out 142 batters through 18 appearances, putting together an ERA of 1.96 and a WHIP of 1.08.
• STAC ended the regular season in a split with the College of Staten Island, shutting out the Dolphins 3-0 before falling in a close 5-4 contest in the second game of the doubleheader.
• The Spartans went 6-6 against the tournament field in the regular season.