Four Softball Players Honored by NECC
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Four members of the Mitchell College softball team were honored by the New England Collegiate Conference on Monday as the league announced its annual awards.
Senior Shannon O'Neil was named to the all-conference first team while senior Jenny Groman, junior Brittany Fiederlein and freshman Taylor Duchesneau garnered second team status. All awards were determined by a vote of the conference's head coaches.
O'Neil was a repeat first team selection and earned all-conference recognition for the third time in her career. Fiederlein picked up her third all-conference nod while Groman did so for the second time.
O'Neil batted a career-high .426 to lead the Mariners while holding down first base. She also paced the team in RBI (22), hits (40), doubles (9), homers (4), walks (13), on-base percentage (.500) and slugging (.649). In 18 league games she hit .464 and drove in 17 runs, and the four-year starter capped her career as a .380 hitter with 144 total hits, 36 doubles, eight homers, 77 RBI and 49 runs scored.
Groman played in 31 games in center field and batted .237 with 10 RBI and 13 runs scored. In NECC action she raised her average to .333, and the four-year starter finished her career as a .244 hitter with 87 hits, 48 RBI and 70 runs scored.
Fiederlein was one of four pitchers recognized by the league. She went 11-12 with a 3.86 ERA in 27 appearances and recorded 103 strikeouts in 137.2 innings. In NECC action she struck out the most batters (86) of any pitcher and ranked second in both wins (10) and innings (96.1) and fifth in ERA (2.76).
Duchesneau, who made 13 appearances inside the circle, had the biggest impact at the designated player spot. She batted .246 with 12 RBI and eight runs scored in 30 games, and in league contests her averaged soared to .353 in 16 contests.
Mitchell (11-22 overall, 10-8 NECC) finished in fifth place in the league standings and qualified for the 2016 NECC Championship. The Mariners were eliminated in the first round by Regis College.