There were a good number of former softball players from the FCIAC who played very well for their respective college teams and several of them were honored with postseason accolades.
Those players and many more are listed below, underneath each of the high schools they attended, along with their statistics, highlights and honors from from the 2017 spring college softball season.
Danbury
Julia Lener was a freshman infielder at Southern Connecticut State University.
Fairfield Ludlowe
Brenna Martini had a superb year as a junior corner infielder for Adelphi. Martini led the team in batting average (.482, 68-for-141), home runs (17), RBIs (70), walks drawn (47) and slugging percentage (1.014) and she became the school’s all-time leader in home runs in late March.
In late May it was announced that Martini was a repeat selection as a National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) First Team All-American and she was also chosen a Second Team All-American by the Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association. She was also a repeat selection as CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American.
New Canaan
Ali Reilly had an outstanding year as a junior pitcher at Babson College, highlighted by her throwing a no-hitter while leading Babson to a 3-0 victory over Clark University. Reilly started 24 games out of her 29 appearances and had a 17-7 record with a 2.50 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings pitched.
Reilly had another great outing when she lost her no-hit bid with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning before she retired the final batter and got her second shutout in her second start in the NCAA Tournament to lead Babson to a 1-0 victory over Framingham State on May 13. Her team scored the game’s first run in the top of the ninth in the extra-innings elimination game.
For her three-year career thus far Reilly has hurled 455 1/3 innings, started in 66 of 83 games and has a 44-26 record with a 2.74 ERA and 304 strikeouts. Though she did not get an at-bat during this past junior season, she got her share of them during her first two years and has a .275 career batting average (14-for-51). Last year she batted .313 (10-for-32).
Norwalk
Tori Dugan and Nicole Bonanni were both listed as middle infielders on the roster at Western Connecticut State University.
Dugan played in 39 games and hit safely 29 times in 81 at-bats for a lofty .358 batting average with a team-high 17 stolen bases. Bonani had 15 at-bats and got three hits.
St. Joseph
Three former Cadets – Lauren Pitney, Nicole Williams and Jenn Vazquez – all played very well and made vital contributions for Manhattan College.
Pitney was a sophomore infielder who started in all 55 games, led the Jaspers in seven offensive categories and was selected to the All-MAAC First Team, the MAAC All-Tournament Team and Third Team All-Northeast Region. Pitney was the team leader in batting average (.324, 47-for-145), home runs (seven), RBIs (37), slugging percentage (.524), on-base percentage (.476), walks (33) and hit by pitch. Pitney also scored 35 runs, the second most on the team, and was second on the team with 76 total bases.
Nicole Williams was a freshman pitcher who was named Second Team All-Northeast Region and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Year. Williams started in 17 of the 23 games she appeared in, had a 12-8 record, led the team with a 2.04 ERA, struck out 122 batters in 109 2/3 innings, and opponents were limited to a .180 batting average, another category in which Williams led the team.
Vazquez was a senior catcher/first baseman who put the wraps on a superb career. After having made the All-MAAC First Team during her sophomore and junior seasons, Vazquez followed up with a strong senior season. She started in all 55 games, was third in the team in batting average (.269, 46-for-171) and home runs (four), she was tied for third on the team with 29 RBIs and Vazquez led the team with a dozen doubles.
Courtney Holden was a freshman infielder at Dean College who played in 24 games, had a .234 batting average (15-for-64) and drove in 10 runs.
Victoria Ceballos was a junior pitcher/first baseman at Southern Connecticut State University.
Mikaela Mallozzi was a junior pitcher at Endicott who made three starts in 11 appearances, had a 4-2 record with two complete games, and had a 1.75 ERA.
Stamford
Maria Zecena was a freshman outfielder for Southern Connecticut State University.
Trumbull
Marissa Valenti was a freshman pitcher for Springfield College. Valenti had no decisions in six appearances, she struck out eight batters in seven innings and had a 3.00 ERA.
Jill O’Connell was a freshman infielder for Western Connecticut State University.
Westhill
Adriana Gambino was a freshman infielder/outfielder at Manhattan College.
Wilton
Lizette Roman-Johnston was a junior infielder who excelled at the plate and in the field for Skidmore College to earn her selection to the All-Liberty League First Team and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III All-Northeast Region Third Team.
Roman-Johnston was second on the team a .354 batting average (46-for-130), third on the team with 25 runs scored, and had 19 RBIs while starting in 40 games. She had a .399 on-base percentage and a .983 fielding percentage as she made 339 putouts.