Penn State Behrend Softball Heads to 2008 NCAA Tournament
The Penn State Behrend
softball team will head to Ithaca College to compete this week in the NCAA
Division III Softball Tournament. The blue and white snagged their
second conference title in three seasons on May 4, and will now head to
their second NCAA Tournament to compete in opening round play in an
eight-team regional on Thursday, May 8.
Behrend (33-12) earned the #7 seed in the regional and will play #2 seed
Ramapo College (33-10) at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Head coach Stacy Pondo said, "Our staff is very proud of what the team
accomplished this past weekend at the AMCC Tournament. We are thrilled
to be heading back to the NCAA Championships, and are eager to get out there
and compete."
The Behrend Lions last competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2006, also
participating in a regional hosted by Ithaca College. Behrend lost
games to the host Ithaca Bombers as well as Union College in the squad's
last tournament appearance.
The other teams competing in the eight team double-elimination regional
include #1 seed Ithaca (30-10), #3 seed Rochester (28-10) , #4 seed Lebanon
Valley (27-9), #5 seed DeSales (27-13), #6 seed Bethany (22-21), and #8 seed
Defiance (22-16). Each team will play once on Thursday, with play
resuming on Friday and continuing until a regional champion is crowned on
Sunday, May 11 or Monday, May 12.
NCAA Softball Regional Schedule
Thursday, May 8
Game 1: 10:00 a.m.: #1 Ithaca vs. #8 Defiance
Game 2: 12:00 p.m.: #4 Lebanon Valley vs. #5 DeSales
Game 3: 2:00 p.m.: #3 Rochester vs. #6 Bethany
Game 4: 4:00 p.m.: #2 Ramapo vs. #7 Penn State Behrend