LOCK HAVEN. – For the third straight season the Lock Haven University softball coaching staff took home National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors, after leading the Lady Eagles on another sensational run in 2008.
The Lady Eagles (49-8), led by head coach Kelley Green and assistant coach Kelly Shannon, won the Mid-Atlantic Region advancing to the NCAA Division II College Softball World Series for the third consecutive season.
After winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division Regular season title, the PSAC Championships and Mid-Atlantic title, all for the third consecutive year, LHU went on to the National Championships looking for their second National title in three years.
LHU finished third at NCAA Championships after losing 1-0, in 17 innings, to eventual National Champion Humboldt State University in an absolute thriller that pitted two the Nation\’s best teams in recent years.
The Lady Eagles defeated rival Bloomsburg University in both the PSAC championship and Mid-Atlantic regional title game.
Throughout the remarkable season the Lady Eagles accomplished many amazing feats led by Green and Shannon.
They guided junior pitcher Kristin Erb (Reading, Pa/Exeter Township) to her third straight All-American First Team selection. Erb was named PSAC West Pitcher of the Year and led the nation with an astonishing .26 ERA.
During the season, Erb tossed a pair of perfect games and broke the NCAA record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched as she wound up with 86 and two-thirds consecutive innings without allowing a run
The coaching duo also led junior catcher Amanda Roosa (Pompton Lakes, N.J./ Pompton Lakes), the PSAC West Player of the Year to All-American status . Roosa led the Lady Eagles with a .352 batting average and 61 RBIs.
Junior third baseman Sarah Norris (West Chester, Pa./West Chester HS) set the LHU career homerun record with 41 bombs, which shattered the previous school record of 34 held by former teammate Courtney Hughes.
Norris also earned All-American honors and was named Daktronics Region Player of the Year.
Over the last three seasons the Lady Eagles have won an amazing157 games. The only stat more impressive than that is the fact they\’ve only lost seven games in that period, making them by far on of the most successful softball programs in the country.
With Green and Shannon at the helm Lock Haven will certainly be back in contention next season.