May 9, 2011

Five Nighthawks Garner All-Conference Accolades

The Newbury College softball team peaked at the right time, winning their last seven regular season games to qualify for the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) post-season tournament and were rewarded for their hard-work. Newbury tied with Elms College for the second most players being named to the All-Conference team with five, including a first team recipient for the second consecutive season.

Freshman Joanna Robie (Andover, Mass.) became the second player in as many seasons to be named to the All-NECC first team. From the middle of the Nighthawk batting order, she finished fifth amongst NECC leaders in batting average from a school other than Lesley as she tormented opposing pitchers hitting at a .491 clip to end the regular season. .

Two-thirds of the All-NECC Second Team outfield is comprised of Nighthawks. Sophomore Brittany Stracher (Dudley, Mass.) covered a lot of ground in center and became a power threat at the plate, slugging .630 with three of her team-leading four homeruns coming against NECC opponents. Freshman Samantha Rios (Bronx, N.Y.) joined the second year on the All-Conference team with a .340 average and 24 total bases in 16 NECC regular season contests while primarily playing left field.

Junior second baseman Teressa Farioli (East Longmeadow, Mass.) added to her NECC All-Tournament Team selection as she was named All-NECC Honorable Mention along with her double-play partner sophomore Theresa Hylinski (Stratford, Conn.). Making the switch from outfield to shortstop had no affect on Hylinski's product at the plate. The Connecticut native tattooed conference pitchers hitting .339 and wreaked havoc on the base-paths swiping five of seven bags. Farioli was 14-for-50 (.280) while driving in 11 baserunners.

2011 NEW ENGLAND COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE SOFTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

2011 NECC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jennifer Dorval, Lesley, FR (Franklin, N.H.)
2011 NECC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Cassandra Knox, Lesley, JR (Sea Cliff, N.Y.)
2011 NECC SOFTBALL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jennifer Dorval, Lesley, FR (Franklin, N.H.)
2011 NECC SOFTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR: Jen Benway, Lesley
2011 NECC SOFTBALL TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Southern Vermont College

2011 ALL-NECC SOFTBALL FIRST TEAM
FIRST BASE: Joanna Robie, Newbury, FR (Andover, Mass.)
SECOND BASE: Amy Waller, Daniel Webster, SR (Berlin, Mass.)
THIRD BASE: Rachel Butt, Elms, SO (Agawam, Mass.)
SHORTSTOP: Jenna Lipscomb, Elms, JR (Cambridge, Mass.)
OUTFIELD: Alyson Durben, Lesley, SR (Stow, Mass.)
OUTFIELD: Jen Bordonaro, Mitchell, SR (Winsted, Conn.)
OUTFIELD: Gabrielle Brixey, Lesley, JR (Coalinga, Calif.)
PITCHER: Cassandra Knox, Lesley, JR (Sea Cliff, N.Y.)
PITCHER: Destinee Meeker, Elms, SR (Bantam, Conn.)
PITCHER: Jennifer Dorval, Lesley, FR (Franklin, N.H.)
CATCHER: Alyssa Davis, Southern Vermont, JR (Lyndonville, Vt.)
DESIGNATED PLAYER: Emily Mangiaratti, Lesley, SO (Amherst, Mass.)

2011 ALL-NECC SOFTBALL SECOND TEAM
FIRST BASE: Tiffany Person, Mitchell, SO (Waterbury, Conn.)
SECOND BASE: Nicole Hoxie, Mitchell, JR (Winsted, Conn.)
THIRD BASE: Jenna Fralick, Lesley, JR (Woburn, Mass.)
SHORT STOP: Felicia Laufer, Becker, SR (Salem, Conn.)
OUTFIELD: Marlene DiRaimo, Elms, JR (Cranston, R.I.)
OUTFIELD: Sam Rios, Newbury, FR (Bronx, N.Y.)
OUTFIELD: Brittany Stracher, Newbury, SO (Dudley, Mass.)
PITCHER: Marissa Thomas, Mitchell, JR (New London, Conn.)
CATCHER: Sarah Buckley, Elms, SO (Wilbraham, Mass.)

2011 ALL-NECC SOFTBALL HONORABLE MENTION
Mercedes Griffith, Bay Path, FR, C (Malden, Mass.)
Teressa Farioli, Newbury, JR, 2B (East Longmeadow, Mass.)
Keelin Dougherty, Bay Path, FR, 3B (Northfield, N.H.)
Talan Barron, Becker, SO, 3B (Methuen, Mass.)
Emily Serrano, Bay Path, FR, SS (North Adams, Mass.)
Theresa Hylinski, Newbury, SO, SS (Stratford, Conn.)

- Information provided by: Christa Parulis-Kaye, Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations - New England Collegiate Conference