NEC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sydney Nesci, Le Moyne
Outfield, Sophomore, Cicero, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse
Last Week’s Stats: .500 AVG (9-for-18), .667 SLG%, .550 OB%, 5 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, 2 BB, 0 K
Nesci became the first Dolphin this season to claim NEC Player of the Week honors, and in the process, she dethroned Saint Francis U of its four-week stranglehold of the award. A local product from Cicero, NY, Nesci helped Le Moyne go undefeated in five games last week. During that stretch, the outfielder drove in at least one run in each game to finish with eight RBI. Finishing 9-for-19 with a .667 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage, she scored five times, walked twice, and most impressively, did not strike out in 18 at-bats. Highlighting Nesci’s week was a 2-for-3 outing in Friday’s nightcap against Mount St. Mary’s. In the 10-6 win, she drove in two runs and crossed home twice to account for nearly half of the Dolphins’ runs. Nesci also had a strong outing in the final game of the weekend against Morgan State. Opening the scoring for the Dolphins with a two-run double in the first frame, she led her squad to a 7-3 win over Morgan State to complete the undefeated weekend. The infielder enters the week, which features the opening weekend of NEC play, as the league’s leader in RBI (15). 

NEC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Lauren Donovan, Stonehill
Pitcher, Junior, Marblehead, MA/Marblehead
Last Week’s Stats: 0-0 ERA, 1-0 Record, 2 APP, 1 GS, 1 SHO, 9.0 IP, 1 CG, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K, .000 OPP BA
Donovan made history for Stonehill last week, as she tossed the program’s first-ever no-hitter as a Division I program — and the Skyhawks’ first since the 2016 campaign — against Evansville at the Bellarmine Invitational. The junior hurler was stellar against the Purple Aces on Friday. Donovan, who allowed just four base runners on three walks and an error, got all the run support she needed to cruise to the 1-0 triumph after Isabella Therrien provided the only scoring of the game on an RBI single in the top half of the first. The Marblehead, MA native finished with five punchouts in the triumph. Donovan’s lockdown pitching continued the next day when Stonehill faced host team Bellarmine. Coming out of the bullpen, she pitched two scoreless frames and did not allow a base runner on her watch to help the Skyhawks seal the 4-2 victory. Donovan enters the week riding 9.0 innings of hitless and scoreless ball. With her stellar pitching this past week, she leads the conference in ERA (2.76), opposing batting average (.156), hits allowed (7), runs allowed (5) and earned runs allowed (5). This is her first NEC Pitcher of the Week award, and the second for a Skyhawk this season.

NEC SOFTBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nevaeh Ross, Le Moyne 
Pitcher, Freshman, Friendship, NY/Friendship
Last Week’s Stats: 1.47 ERA, 3-0 Record, 3 APP, 2 GS, 1 SHO, 19.0 IP, 2 CG, 17 H, 7 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 18 K, .239 OPP BA
Ross’ performance in the circle helped lead Le Moyne to a perfect 5-0 record last week. The first-year hurler was stellar, combining for a 1.47 ERA while fanning 19 batters in 19.0 innings and three appearances, including a pair of starts. A four-hit complete-game shutout is what started off the week for Ross, who earned the start and ultimately led the Dolphins past Mount St. Mary’s, 4-0, on Friday in their first game of the week. She closed out the game with nine strikeouts, marking a career-best effort. Later in the day, Ross came out of the bullpen to work five innings, and during that stretch, she did not allow an earned run in the 10-6 win over Mount St. Mary’s. Ross earned her final start on Sunday against Morgan State. Fanning six batters, she made it a 3-0 weekend after Le Moyne scored the 7-4 victory. The Friendship, NY native garners NEC Pitcher of the Week recognition for the first time in her career. On the season, she ranks second in the conference in strikeouts (39) and innings pitched (57.0).


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Skylar Warn, CCSU (IF, Jr.)
Last Week’s Stats: .435 AVG (10-for-23), .913 SLG%, .458 OB%, 3 R, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 1 BB

• Notched three multi-hit outings to lead Central Connecticut to two wins last week
• Went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a double in a 5-4 win over Rider (March 4)

 
Julia Swan, FDU (P, Sr.)
Last Week’s Stats: 2.00 ERA, 2-0 Record, 2 GS, 14.0 IP, 2 CG, 12 H, 6 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 12 K, .203 OPP BA

• Went the distance in two starts and picked up a pair of wins against Holy Cross (March 8) and UMBC (March 9)
• Struck out seven batters in FDU’s 5-4 win over the Retrievers

 
Arianna Exarchakis, LEM (DP, So.)
Last Week’s Stats: .476 AVG (10-for-21), .571 SLG%, .476 OB%, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B

• Registered multiple hits in each of Le Moyne’s five wins
• Scored twice and drove in two runs in Sunday’s win over Mount St. Mary’s (March 9)

 
Sydney Nesci, LEM (OF, So.)
Last Week’s Stats: .500 AVG (9-for-18), .667 SLG%, .550 OB%, 5 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, 2 BB, 0 K

• Drove in at least one run in each of Le Moyne’s five wins last week
• Scored five times in the 5-0 stretch
• Scored twice and drove in two in Friday’s 10-6 win over Mount St. Mary’s (March 7)
• Opened the scoring with a two-run double in Sunday’s 7-4 win over Morgan State (March 9)
• Did not strike out over a five-game stretch, 18 at-bats

 
Nevaeh Ross, LEM (P, Fr.)
Last Week’s Stats: 1.47 ERA, 3-0 Record, 3 APP, 2 GS, 1 SHO, 19.0 IP, 2 CG, 17 H, 7 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 18 K, .239 OPP BA

• Tossed a four-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over Mount St. Mary’s, fanning nine batters (March 7)
• Did not allow an earned run in Friday’s nightcap against the Mountaineers
• Named the NEC Rookie of the Week

 
Alyssa Garcia, LIU (OF, Jr.)
Last Week’s Stats: .400 AVG (4-for-10), 6 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, HR, 5 BB, 2-2 SB

• Drove in the first two runs of an 8-7 extra-inning defeat to Chattanooga with a home run (March 9)

 
Alyssa Polemeni, LIU (IF, Sr.)
Last Week’s Stats: .545 AVG (6-for-11), .706 OB%, 5R, 6 RBI, 2 HR, 2 2B, 4 BB, 2 HBP

• Had multiple hits in three of five games
• Hit a three-run home run to give the Sharks a 6-2 lead in an 8-5 win over Niagara (March 8)
• Pulled LIU within two runs in extra innings with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth in an 8-7 defeat to Chattanooga (March 9)

 
Jazlynn Sanders, MU (1B, Fr.)
Last Week’s Stats: .313 AVG (5-for-16), .875 SLG%, .421 OB%, 5 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 

• Drove in each of Le Moyne’s three runs against East Tennessee State on a home run (March 6)
• Went 2-for-3 with two runs and a pair of doubles against St. Bonaventure (March 8)

 
Lauren Donovan, STO (P, Jr.)
Last Week’s Stats: 0-0 ERA, 1-0 Record, 2 APP, 1 GS, 1 SHO, 9.0 IP, 1 CG, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K, .000 OPP BA

• Tossed the first no-hitter of Stonehill’s Division I Era in a complete-game win over Evansville (March 7)
• Picked up her first career save the next day against Bellarmine (March 8)
• Has pitched 9.0 innings of scoreless ball
• Named the NEC Pitcher of the Week

 
Alayna Giampolo, WC (IF, Fr.)
Last Week’s Stats: .583 AVG (7-for-12), .833 SLG%, .643 OB%, 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 HBP

• Helped lead Wagner to a 3-1 week
• Tied up the game at 2-2 with a solo shot in the second inning before driving in two insurance runs in the third with a double in a 5-2 win over Delaware State (March 8)

 
Karson Zavala, WC (P, So.)
Last Week’s Stats: 1.22 ERA, 3-1 Record, 6 GS, 7 APP, 3 GS, 3 CG, 23.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 36 K, .128 OPP BA

• Earned wins in three of four starts
• Registered double digits in strikeouts in two games, fanning 10 batters against Saint Peter’s (March 7) and a season-high 16 against Delaware State (March 8)
• The 16 strikeouts against the Hornets mark the most by an NEC pitcher this season, and the third-most in the nation this season