Conference

Piscataway, NJ - UMBC sophomore pitcher Crystal Ray (Pasadena, MD/Spalding) managed a clean sweep of both the Northeast Conference Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year Awards, in a vote by league head coaches. Ray led the Retrievers on the mound with a 14-8 record and a league leading 0.86 earned run average to help UMBC clinch the #4 seed and their first ever NEC Softball Tournament berth. Monmouth took home Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year honors, as freshman pitcher Kim Lyall (Bristol, PA/Conwell-Egan) and head coach Chris Wajda led the Hawks to their first ever regular season title and the #1 seed in this weekend’s championship.

Ray currently ranks 10th in the nation in ERA (0.86) and leads the NEC in strikeouts (7.24 per game) and shutouts. She is 14-8 in 23 starts and has pitched 21 complete games. Ray has only allowed 19 earned runs in 154.2 innings heading into this weekend’s NEC Tournament. The Retrievers will take on top seed Monmouth at 12:00 pm on Saturday, in the opening round of games at Blueberry Hill Park in Pittsburgh, PA.

Lyall stepped right into the pitching rotation at Monmouth, as a freshman, on her way to a 15-4 record with 2 saves. She ranks second in the NEC in ERA (1.57) and shutouts (6), and third in wins (15) and strikeouts (5.69 per game). Lyall was also named to the NEC All-Conference First Team.

Monmouth also placed senior outfielders Danae Stillitano (Trenton, NJ/Notre Dame) and Michelle West (Bristol, PA/Conwell-Egan) on the all-conference first team. Stillitano, the 1998 NEC Player of the Year, led the league in batting (.434), hits (62), runs (43), and triples (9), and is 24-26 in stolen bases. West earns first team honors for the second straight year after hitting .336 with 25 runs, 50 hits, 3 doubles, 8 triples, 3 home runs, and 38 RBI. West leads the league in runs batted in and is second in triples. Through games of April 25th, Stillitano was ranked 22nd in the nation in batting and 4th in triples (0.21 per game), while West was ranked 6th in the nation in triples (0.19 per game).

Long Island (#3 seed) will be led by three all-conference first teamers as they take on #2 seed and host Robert Morris in the opening game of the tournament. The Blackbirds will look to sophomore pitching ace Shannon Payne (Staten Island, NY/Port Richmond), junior third baseman Maureen Jacquot (Derby, CT/Derby), and senior outfielder Stephanie White (Garden Grove, CA/Garden Grove). Payne leads the league in innings pitched (180.1), appearances (33), starts (27), complete games (22), and is tied for first with 17 wins. Payne is 17-13 overall with a 2.37 ERA. Jacquot is batting .304 with 17 runs scored, 34 hits, and 3 doubles, while White is hitting at a .328 clip with 24 runs, 41 hits, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, and 27 RBI.

UMBC will make its first appearance in the NEC tournament, and along with Ray, will be led by all-conference first team members senior catcher Taryn McDonald (Owings, MD/Northern) and freshman shortstop Deanna Vecchio (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge). McDonald is second in the league in batting (.378) and hits (54). On the season, she has compiled stats of 27 runs, 54 hits, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 31 RBI and is 12-14 in the stolen base department. Vecchio is batting .321 with 35 runs, 52 hits, 5 doubles and 14 RBI. She currently leads the league and is ranked 11th in the nation in stolen bases (32-36/0.70 per game).

Senior first baseman Nicki Trumpler (Linthicum, MD/Archbishop Spalding) of Mount St. Mary’s and senior second baseman Maureen Grether (West Haven, CT/Lauralton) of Quinnipiac round out the NEC All-Conference First Team.

Grether helped Quinnipiac make the transition to Division I and on the way finished her senior season and first Division I campaign as an all-conference selection. The Braves ended the season 6th in the league standings. Grether batted .346 with 34 runs, 47 hits, 10 doubles, 2 triples, 3 dingers, and 22 runs batted in.