Teams: Softball: Press Releases

Thursday, May 7, 2009

NINE MEMBERS OF SOFTBALL PROGRAM ACCORDED NESCAC HONORS

NESCAC Pitcher of the Year Lauren Gelmetti

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University softball team, which dominated the regular-season in New England this spring, earned 11 honors as the 2009 NESCAC All-Conference Teams were released today.

Senior Lauren Gelmetti (Westfield, NJ) was selected as Pitcher of the Year, senior CF Laura Chapman (Seattle, WA) was voted Defensive Player of the Year and Cheryl Milligan was named Coach of the Year. Jumbos also occupied five spots on the All-NESCAC first team and three on the second team.

Gelmetti went 17-0 in the regular season with a 1.33 earned run average and 68 strike outs in 100 innings. She hurled nine complete games, including seven shutouts, and led the conference with a .202 batting average against. In six appearances against NESCAC East Division opponents, Gelmetti was 4-0 with a 0.26 era in 26.2 innings. She pitched a one-hit shutout at Trinity on April 4 and a two-hit shutout at Bowdoin on April 17.

Chapman patrolled center with speed and precision, making just one error out of 42 chances for a .976 fielding percentage. She also has four outfield assists. Her one error came in the third game of the season, giving her 35 consecutive chances without a miscue. She regularly tracked down balls in the gap or came in to catch bloops.

Milligan earned Coach of the Year recognition for the fourth time, including three in a row. She was Co-Coach of the Year last spring and earned the award outright in 2005 and 2007. She's led the Jumbos to a 38-1 record this season, a #5 national ranking and a sixth straight conference title. The team won 35 games in a row before losing.

Chapman, who's also hitting .408 with 31 runs scored and a league-leading 25 stolen bases, and Gelmetti were two of the Jumbo First Teamers. Also earning those accolades were senior RF Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL), sophomore pitcher Izzie Santone (Madison, CT) and junior shortstop Casey Sullivan (Berlin, CT). Gelmetti made the first team for the second time, including 2007. Santone was Rookie of the Year and a first team selection last season. Sullivan was Rookie of the Year in 2007 and a first teamer as well that year. Chapman garnered second team recognition in 2006.

On the All-NESCAC second team this spring were first-year DP/1B Lena Cantone (Southington, CT), senior catcher Cara Hovhanessian (Farmington, CT) and senior 2B Danielle Lopez (Danvers, MA), who earned her sixth NESCAC post-season honor. She was Player of the Year and a first team pick in 2006, Rookie of the Year and first team in 2005 and a second team honoree in 2008. Hovhanessian is on the second team for the second year in a row.

With NCAA Tournament play beginning today, Ripecky is second in NESCAC with a .500 batting average (61/122) and leads the league with 90 total bases (14 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs) and a .738 slugging percentage. She's also second in the conference with 61 hits, 42 runs and a .548 on-base percentage. Similarly stellar in the pitching circle, Santone matches Gelmetti for the league-lead in wins with 17 and shutouts with five, and she has a NESCAC-best 1.18 era. She pitched 12 complete games, including five shutouts, and had three saves. Sullivan, who has committed only seven errors at shortstop, entered NCAA's with a .373 batting average, four home runs and 29 RBI.

Tufts has the top four RBI leaders in NESCAC, including leader Lopez with 39 and second-place Cantone with 36. Cantone, one of the top first-year players in the region, is hitting .394 with 11 doubles, two home runs and a .577 slugging percentage that is second on the team. Hovhanessian leads the Jumbos with five home runs to go with a .351 batting average and 24 RBI. She smoothly handled the transition to full-time duties behind the plate, replacing perennial All-Conference backstop Megan Cusick. Lopez, who is third in league with 36 runs scored, is at .366 with 11 doubles and four home runs. She's made just three errors at second base for a stellar .981 fielding percentage.

The Jumbos are playing in the NCAA New England Regional this weekend at Endicott College.

►2009 NESCAC Softball All-Conference Teams

#