The AMCC softball championship tournament takes place this weekend, May 5-7, at top-seeded and regular season champion Penn State Behrend.
Despite claiming back-to-back conference titles, Behrend (26-12, 16-2 AMCC) will host the AMCC softball championship tournament for the first time since 2014. Sophomore pitcher/catcher AJ Nichols leads the Lions both at the plate and in the circle, as she ranks second in the conference with a .432 batting average and is tops with 34 RBI. From the circle, Nichols is fourth in the conference with 66 strikeouts, seventh with a 2.20 ERA, and is tied with teammate, senior Rachel Miller, with 11 wins on the season. Senior outfielder Allania Banta also adds some punch to the line up, as she is tops in the league with five home runs and is fourth with a .627 slugging percentage.
After missing the tournament a year ago, Medaille College (23-15, 12-6 AMCC) propelled into the 2017 tournament as the #2 seed. Junior outfielder Sharon Trigilio sits at the top of the conference with a .445 batting average and is third with 16 stolen bases. Freshman pitcher Laura Kratzke leads the league with a dominating 164 strikeouts, is tied for second with 15 wins, and is fourth with a 1.92 ERA.
#3 Penn State Altoona (17-17, 12-6) will look for senior experience and leadership from pitcher Kate Burge, who ranks second in the conference with a 1.57 ERA, is tied for second with 15 wins, and is third with 131 strikeouts. Sophomore shortstop Haley Giedroc leads the Lady Lions, and is seventh in the AMCC, with a .389 batting average, and is third with three home runs.
#4 Pitt-Greensburg (19-17, 11-7 AMCC) saw a phenomenal rookie season by freshman pitcher Jaimie Schleicher, who leads the conference with 17 wins and is also tops with a 1.14 ERA, while sitting in second place with 140 strikeouts. Schleicher is also fourth in the league with 28 RBI. Junior outfielder/first baseman Derica Crowley leads the Bobcats with a .397 batting average and 13 stolen bases, both of which are fifth-best in the league.
Franciscan University (12-20, 8-10 AMCC) has earned the #5 seed after a tremendous turnaround season, and will be playing in the AMCC tournament for the first time in program history. The Barons finished at the bottom of the standings, with an 0-18 record, just one year ago. Freshman first baseman Ashley Kondracki has been a large part of the Barons' success this year, as she led her team with a .363 batting average and tied for sixth in the AMCC with 26 RBI. Senior pitcher Jordan Cunningham recorded a 2.90 ERA and picked up five wins in the circle.
Mount Aloysius College (18-18, 8-10) rounds out the tournament as the #6 seed. Freshman outfielder Courtney Link leads the Mounties with a .359 batting average and 22 RBI, while freshman pitcher Emily Wawroski leads her team, and ranks third in the AMCC, with a 1.73 ERA.
The AMCC softball tournament will take place May 5-7 at the Penn State Behrend softball complex. Please see the Championships section of the AMCC website for the full tournament schedule.