Softball Lands Four on NECC All-Conference Teams
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Mitchell College had four members of its softball team earn all-conference recognition from the New England Collegiate Conference on Monday.
Senior outfielder Jen Bordonaro earned a spot on the all-conference first team while junior Nikki Hoxie, junior Marissa Thomas and sophomore Tiffany Person grabbed spots on the second team. All awards were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.
Bordonaro was one of three outfielders selected to the first team. A four-year starter in center field, she earned all-conference recognition for the first time after batting a career-high .330. She led the team in runs (34), hits (33), on-base percentage (.427) and home runs (3) and finished with 11 RBI on the season. Bordonaro also batted a team-high .457 and slugged .674 in conference play.
After earning all-conference honorable mention status last year, Hoxie moved up to the NECC second team with a solid season at second base. She batted .262 for the year and scored 33 runs, leading the team with six doubles and 22 RBI. Hoxie also swiped a team-high 14 stolen bases without ever being thrown out. In conference play she made just one error in 65 chances.
Thomas, Mitchell's top pitcher all season, earned all-conference honors for the first time. She led the staff with a 2.32 ERA in 23 appearances and sported an overall record of 12-9. She finished the season with three shutouts—including her first career no-hitter against Albertus Magnus College—and recorded 75 strikeouts against only 15 walks. Thomas went 8-2 in conference action and had an ERA of 2.33 in 11 appearances.
Person broke into the starting lineup in her second season and was rewarded with all-conference recognition at first base. She led the team in hitting with a .338 average and also slugged a team-high .513 for the season. She finished with 21 RBI and stole 11 bases in 12 attempts. Person was also solid in the field, leading the Mariners with 202 putouts and committing only three errors in 215 total chances.
Mitchell finished the 2011 season with an overall record of 15-19. The Mariners were eliminated from the NECC Softball Championship in the semifinals in a 2-1 loss to Elms College in extra innings.