Gates Named NECC Softball Player of the Year
Gates, Knox, Buckley and Condon Earn NECC Top Awards
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Eight of the nine sponsored programs were represented on 2010 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Softball All-Conference Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the All-NECC honors, four separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were also voted upon and selected this week.
Bay Path College senior outfielder Sarah Gates (Crown Point, Ind.), an occupational therapy major, was named the 2010 NECC Softball Player of the Year. In conference play, Gates played and started all 16 games with a .588 batting average and a .784 slugging percentage. She led the NECC in batting average (.588) and hits (30), second in on-base percentage (.651), second in doubles (8), second in walks (11), third in slugging percentage (.784) and fourth in runs scored (20). Defensively, Gates had 27 putouts, four assists and only two errors for a .939 fielding percentage. Gates is currently second in the nation in overall batting average (.545) and third in on-base percentage (.607).
The Lesley Lynx took top honors as they finished 15-1 in conference play earning the top seed for the 2010 NECC Softball Championship. Lesley University sophomore pitcher Cassandra Knox (Sea Cliff, N.Y.) nabbed the 2010 NECC Softball Pitcher of the Year for her 14-1 record in conference play. Knox, a child and family studies major with a minor in education, led all hurlers in the NECC with a 2.07 ERA for her 81.1 innings pitched. In conference play, she had one shutout while fanning 67 batters, while only walking 28 batters.
Elms College freshman infielder Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) nabbed the 2010 NECC Softball Rookie of the Year for her first season of collegiate play. Buckley, a nursing major, graduated from Minnechaug Regional. She played and started in all 16 conference contests. Buckley finished 10th in the NECC for batting (.442), first in triples (4), and first in the NECC for fielding percentage (1.000). She tallied 67 put-outs and four assists including two double plays.
Buckley was joined by her head coach Cheryl Condon for top conference honors. Condon was named the 2010 NECC Softball Coach of the Year, she has earned six previous conference Coach of the Year honors one in the NECC and five in the NAC. She led the Blazers to a 17-15 overall record and a 14-2 mark in conference play this season. Elms grabbed the #2 seed in the 2010 NECC Softball Championship.
The Nighthawks of Newbury, led by head coach Christine Grenache, were honored as the 2010 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award recipients. The Nighthawks earned a post-season appearance this season with 12-22 overall record and 5-11 in the NECC nabbing the #6 seed.
Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was
conducted among all NECC Softball coaches.
Joining Gates and Knoxon All-NECC First Team were Bay Path’s
sophomore (1B) Maeghan Whitcomb (Lyndon,
VT.); Daniel Webster’s junior (2B) Amy Waller (Berlin,
Mass.); Daniel Webster’s junior (3B) Amanda Varricchio
(Middletown, Conn.); Elms’ sophomore (SS) Jenna Lipscomb
(Cambridge, Mass.); Lesley’s junior (OF) Alyson Durben (Stow,
Mass.); Daniel Webster’s freshman (OF) Chelsey Crawford
(Westfield, Mass.); Mitchell’s sophomore (P) Kristina Torres
(Groton, Conn.); Lesley’s junior (DP) Ashley Cunningham
(Mountain Top, Penn.) and Newbury’s sophomore (DP) Olga
Cepeda (Boston, Mass.).
Joining Buckley on second team were 11 other student-athletes
including Lesley’s senior (1B)Georgia Saltzman (Lynn,
Mass.); Elms’ senior (2B) Ally Graffum (Ipswich, Mass.);
Wheelock’s Junior (3B) Nicole Zina (Bristol, R.I.); Daniel
Webster’s senior (SS) Kristina Reiger (Concord, N.H.);
Lesley’s freshman(OF) Emily Mangiaratti (Amherst, Mass.);
Southern Vermont’s junior (OF) Kayla Whitman
(Bennington, Vt.); Elms’ sophomore Marlene DiRaimo (Cranston,
R.I.); Newbury’s freshman (P) Katie O’Hara (Abingdon,
Md.); Elms’ sophomore (P) Courtney
Hampton (Westfield, Mass.); Mitchell’s senior(C ) Sara
Krolikowski (Bristol, Conn.) and Elms’ senior (C) Tiffany
Williams (Berlin, Conn.).
Four players received honorable mention honors including Bay
Path’s senior (2B) Samantha Gunseth
(Swanzey, N.H); Mitchell’s sophomore (2B) Nikki Hoxie
(Winsted, Conn..); Mitchell’s freshman (3B) Meghan Burke
(Bronx, N.Y.) and Newbury’s senior (SS ) Katelyn Mark
(Quincy, Mass.).
To View the 2010 NECC Softball All-Cnference Release
