Six Mariners Named to All-Conference Softball Teams
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Six members of the Mitchell College softball team were named to New England Collegiate Conference all-conference teams on Monday afternoon, and one player walked away with one of the conference's top awards.
Freshman Lindsey Romagnino was selected NECC Rookie of the Year and was one of three outfielders named to the NECC All-Conference First Team. Joining Romagnino on the all-conference first team were junior Tiffany Person and seniors Marissa Thomas and Stacey Suplicki. Seniors Shannen Pelletier and Brittany Zaccaria also earned spots on the NECC All-Conference Second Team. All awards were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches and selected by position.
Romagnino becomes the first Mitchell softball player to be named top rookie. Both Person and Thomas are repeat all-conference honorees, as each garnered second team status in 2011. In addition to placing its entire starting outfield on either the first or second team, Mitchell tied with Lesley University for most members named to the all-conference squads.
Romagnino batted a team-high .492 in conference play to lead all NECC freshmen. The rookie outfielder also led the league with four home runs and ranked among the NECC leaders with 22 RBI (2nd), a .787 slugging percentage (3rd), 24 runs scored (5th), and a .551 on-base percentage (6th). She started all 36 games during the season and led the team in batting (.384), hits (43), RBI (29), homers (5), doubles (14), total bases (72) and slugging (.643). Romagnino was a two-time NECC Rookie of the Week selection during the regular season and was also named to the NECC All-Championship Team this past weekend.
Person got the nod as the top first baseman in the conference after hitting .433 with 10 RBI over 18 games. She tied for the NECC lead with 28 runs scored and also ranked among the league leaders with three homers (T-2nd), seven doubles (T-3rd), 12 stolen bases (5th), a .767 slugging percentage (5th), two triples (T-5th), a .534 on-base percentage (8th), and 26 hits (T-8th). Person batted .348 over 36 games and led the Mariners with 34 runs scored and 14 stolen bases.
Thomas was one of two pitchers named to the first team, posting an 8-1 record in 12 conference appearances while recording 43 strikeouts in 66.1 innings of work. She also tossed nine complete games and finished with a 3.17 ERA. She logged a team-high 123.1 innings in 23 total appearances and led the Mitchell staff with a 3.46 ERA while striking out 68 and walking only 18. During the regular season she was also a three-time NECC Pitcher of the Week selection.
Suplicki batted .417 with 17 RBI and 17 runs scored in 18 NECC games as the Mitchell starting shortstop. She tied for third in the conference in both doubles (7) and assists (37) and finished ninth in RBI. She started all 36 games and batted .319 for the season with 20 RBI and 25 runs scored.
Pelletier and Zaccaria completed the all-conference outfield with solid final seasons. Pelletier batted a career-high .350 in 34 games and finished with 11 RBI and 18 runs scored. In 16 conference games she hit at a .419 clip that included five doubles and a triple. Zaccaria batted .377 in 18 league contests with 12 RBI and 23 runs scored. She also swiped seven stolen bases without being caught.
Mitchell (21-15 overall) finished in second place in the NECC with a 16-2 record in league play. The Mariners were the second seed in the 2012 NECC Softball Championship but fell one game shy of reaching the title round.
2012 New England Collegiate Conference Awards
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jenna Fralick, Lesley (Sr, 3B - Woburn, Mass.)
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jennifer Dorval, Lesley (So, P - Franklin, N.H.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Lindsey Romagnino, Mitchell (Fr, OF - Totowa, N.J.)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Danielle DelPonte, Daniel Webster
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Southern Vermont College
FIRST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Gabrielle Brixey, Lesley (Sr, OF - Coalinga, Calif.)
Chelsey Crawford, Daniel Webster (Jr, CF - Westfield, Mass.)
Alyssa Davis, Southern Vt. (Sr, C - Lyndonville, Vt.)
Jennifer Dorval, Lesley (So, P - Franklin, N.H.)
Jenna Fralick, Lesley (Sr, 3B - Woburn, Mass.)
Jessica Guevara, Lesley (Jr, 2B - Nantucket, Mass.)
Tiffany Person, Mitchell (Jr, 1B - Waterbury, Conn.)
Emily Mangiaratti, Lesley (Jr, OF - Amherst, Mass.)
Lindsey Romagnino, Mitchell (Fr, OF - Totowa, N.J.)
Stacey Suplicki, Mitchell (Sr, SS - New London, Conn.)
Marissa Thomas, Mitchell (Sr, P - New London, Conn.)
SECOND TEAM ALL CONFERENCE
Talan Barron, Becker (Jr, 3B - Methuen, Mass.)
Samantha Bliss, Regis (Fr, SS - Framingham, Mass.)
Sarah Durocher, Daniel Webster (Fr, P/UT - Keene, N.H.)
Keelin Dougherty, Bay Path (So, P/3B - Northfield, Mass.)
Jessica Eldridge, Southern Vt. (So, 2B - Leicester, Mass.)
Allison Fountain, Lesley (So, C - Cheshire, Conn.)
Samantha Hill, Daniel Webster (Jr, 1B - Hudson, N.H.)
Jen Killion, Elms (Sr, OF - Cambridge, Mass.)
Shannen Pelletier, Mitchell (Sr, OF - Coventry, R.I.)
Sarah Porteus, Regis (So, P/IF - South Wellfleet, Mass.)
Rebecca Roach, Newbury (Jr, P - Charlton, Mass.)
Brittany Zaccaria, Mitchell (Sr, OF - White Plains, N.Y.)
HONORABLE MENTION
Jill Bruning, Regis (Fr, 1B - Medford, Mass.)
Shelby Jones, Southern Vt.(Fr, SS - Hoosick Falls, N.Y.)
Marina Rhodes, Bay Path (Fr, 2B - Providence, R.I.)
Amy Waller, Daniel Webster (Sr, 2B/SS - Berlin, Mass.)
Hayley Zisk, Elms (So, 3B - Baldwinville, Mass.)
