Irshay and Karmel earn postseason softball honors

HAVERFORD, Pa. – Outfielder Dana Irshay '09 and pitcher Lisa Karmel '11 have been selected to The Jewish Sports Review's 2009 All-America Team as announced by the Review's publishers, Shel Wallman and Ephraim Moxson.

Irshay, who closed out her career at Haverford with a program-leading 182 hits, was a First-Team All-Centennial Conference selection and Centennial Spring Academic Honor Roll member in 2009 who paced Haverford with a .405 batting average. She also led the team in hits rapping out 45 during a 22-12 season by the Fords. Irshay's  batting average and .450 on-base percentage in 2009 were both single-season career highs.

Karmel was a Second-Team All-Centennial honoree who made 19 appearances and 12 starts in the pitching circle for the Fords in 2009 and finished with an 8-5 record. In 85-plus innings Karmel posted a 1.89 earned run average and struck out 64 opposing batters against just 18 walks. She registered seven shutouts during the 2009 season and closed out the campaign with four consecutive wins. Her two-year career total of 107 strikeouts is already third-best on the program's all-time list.

The Jewish Sports Review 2009 Softball All-American Team (D-II, -III):

• 1B – Talia Bernstein (So.), Wesleyan (Conn.)
• 2B – Dana Bergner (Jr.), Nova Southeastern (Fla.)
• SS – Ashley Bernstein (Sr.), So. New Hampshire
• 3B – Amanda Gutmaker (Jr.), Lock Haven (Pa.)
• C – Erin Ross (Jr.), Brandeis (Mass.)
• OF – Rachel Talenfeld (So.), Nova Southeastern
• OF – Amanda Cagan (Jr.), Macalester (Minn.)
• OF – Dana Irshay (Sr.), Haverford
• DH – Sara Steinman (Sr.), Kean (N.J.)
• UT – Libby Copeland-Halperin (Sr.), Williams (Mass.)
• P – Kelly Karp (Sr.), Montclair (N.J.) State
• P – Lisa Karmel (So.), Haverford
• P – Cara Swerdlow (So.), Susquehanna (Pa.)