Softball Trio Earns NECC Honors

ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Three members of the Mitchell College softball team received New England Collegiate Conference honors on Monday as the league handed out its annual awards.

Junior second baseman Samantha DelConte was named to the all-conference second team while sophomore shortstop Suzanne Vachon landed a spot on the all-conference third team. Senior Imani Mays was also selected to the all-sportsmanship team. Awards were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.

DelConte earned all-conference honors for the second time in her career, as she was a first team selection as a freshman in 2015. Vachon earned all-conference recognition for the first time in her career.

DelConte batted .379 with four doubles, four triples and seven RBI in 18 league games. She led the NECC in triples and also ranked ninth in runs scored (19) while hitting out of the leadoff spot. In 30 games this season she hit .366 with eight doubles, seven triples, eight RBI and a team-best 27 runs scored.

Vachon hit .478 in conference action—the fourth-highest batting average in the NECC—and ranked among the league leaders in doubles (10), triples (2), total bases (36), steals (5), on-base percentage (.538) and slugging (.783). She also went 3-2 in five starts as a pitcher. She led the Mariners with a .439 batting average and 20 RBI over 28 games this season.

Mitchell finished the season with an overall record of 11-19 (7-11 NECC) under first-year head coach Heather Rush. The Mariners earned a berth in the 2017 NECC Championship but were eliminated by eventual champion Lesley University in the first round.