May 11, 2005

KINGSTON, R.I. - A pair of University of Dayton softball players were recognized by the Atlantic 10 Conference at the annual Softball awards dinner, held Wednesday evening at University of Rhode Island. Senior Cassie Gross was named to the All-Conference Team while junior Melissa Myher was tabbed as an Academic All-Conference selection.

Gross, a centerfielder from Carmel, IN, was among the A-10 hitting leaders throughout the season. She closed out her collegiate days with a career-best nine home runs, which gave her 16 over the past four seasons and tied her for the UD career record. She was also fourth in the A-10 in home runs, fifth in batting average and slugging percentage, seventh in OBP, eighth in RBI and ninth in total hits. Gross was 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI in a 4-2 win at Fordham on the final weekend of the regular season as UD handed the Rams' their only conference loss of the year.

Myher, pitcher from Hillard, Ohio, appeared in 28 games this season, starting 26 with 21 complete game performances. She earned a career-best 15 wins while ranking second in the A-10 in innings pitched, third in wins and strikeouts and fifth in ERA. Myher led UD to a sweep of A-10 foe Rhode Island with a pair of complete game wins as she combined to strikeout 19 batters while surrendering just three runs.

Dayton was 20-18 overall this season and finished fifth in the A-10 standings with a 8-8 record. The Flyers had just their sixth 20-win season in school history and its second in the past three years. It was also the program's fifth 20-win season under Head Coach Jodi Eickemeyer, UD's all-time winningest coach with 202 career victories.