By Ed Townsend
EAST STROUDSBURG, PA. — May 11, 2007 — On Saturday, April 28, Smallwood resident and 2003 Monticello Central School graduate Shannon Dietrich finished her last regular season of college softball at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II school which is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Dietrich, who plays second base for the Lady Warriors, and three of her fellow seniors – Lindsey Kost, Jen Veronesi and Crissy Wontroba – were honored between games of a PSAC doubleheader versus Bloomsburg (Pa.) University that afternoon.
In the opening game, Dietrich grounded out in her first at bat, doubled down the left field line at her second at bat and struck out in her final at bat. Bloomsburg won the contest, 2-0.
In the second game, Dietrich singled in the first inning, reached base on a fielder’s choice in the third inning and walked in the fifth as the Lady Warriors prevailed, 2-1.
ESU needed to win the second game in order to advance to the conference championships.
In the PSAC Championships, which were held from May 3 through May 5 at Kutztown (Pa.) University, ESU defeated Edinboro, 1-0, in eight innings on May 3. However, Dietrich and her teammates were defeated by Kutztown, 6-1, later that day and lost to Bloomsburg, 3-2, on May 4.
Yesterday, ESU (26-26) began playing in the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic Regional at Kutztown. The No. 4 seed Lady Warriors faced fifth-seeded Shippensburg in the opening round.
Dietrich, a Physical Education and Health major, will graduate in December after completing her student teaching during the fall semester.
As of May 1, she was leading the team with a .331 average for this season and had career totals of 11 home runs, 32 doubles and 80 RBIs.
Shannon had a lot of local support in the games versus Bloomsburg two weekends ago at ESU’s Zimbar Field. Her parents, Dennis and Marie Dietrich, and older sister Analey were in attendance.
Also cheering for Shannon in her final home games at Zimbar Field were Christine Decker, Robyn Gannon, Leanne Mangabang and Shirley Townsend. Those four ladies, and the Dietrich sisters, are all members of Charlie’s Angels, one of the teams in the Sullivan County Women’s Softball League.