Davis Named GNAC Coach of the Year, Softball Picks Up Conference Honors

BOSTON - After notching 100 career victories, leading the Suffolk softball team to a first-place regular season finish and guiding the squad to a school record-breaking season, Jaclyn Davis was tabbed the 2016 GNAC Coach of the Year, the conference announced Monday.

In just her fourth year with the program, Davis led the Rams to a 33-win campaign, the most ever recorded in a single season by a softball squad in blue and gold and the second straight season she and the Rams recorded at least 25 wins. On April 24, Davis collected her 100^th victory as a collegiate softball head coach through five seasons with 87 of those coming in her four years at Suffolk.

The Rams made their fifth straight appearance in the GNAC Postseason Tournament this year and their fourth consecutive seeding in as many years under Davis. Six members of the Suffolk squad also received league recognition Monday with freshman Jill Pulek, sophomores Delaney Sylvester, Devlin Frost and Ali Yamakaitis, and junior Lindsay Pagano honored with All-Conference selections and senior Nicole Isakson being named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team.

Pulek finished the year batting .465, the second highest on the team among Rams starters and the fourth highest in the GNAC. She totaled 53 hits, eight homeruns, tying the team-high and the second-highest in the conference, and recorded 38 RBI.

Sylvester's 62 hits lead the team while her eight homeruns tie the team-high and rank second-highest in the conference. The sophomore's 46 RBI lead the team and rank third in the conference.

Frost started in all 42 games she appeared in this season and finished the year batting .365. Her 50 runs scored and 31 RBI each rank third on the team while Pagano, who finished the year batting .313, also recorded 40 hits and 27 RBI.

Yamakaitis recorded 12 wins in the circle this season, ranking fifth overall in the conference. In 115.1 innings pitched this year the sophomore recorded a 2.25 ERA and 73 strikeouts.

Isakson, a four-year member of the team, appeared in 15 games for the Rams this season including a standout Senior Day performance with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored.

Pulek and Sylvester were also named to the GNAC 2016 All-Tournament team following strong performances in this past weekend's postseason play before the Rams were eliminated in the semifinal round.

First Team

C – Kristen Solari, Johnson & Wales (Sr., Pompton Lakes, N.J.)

INF – Gillian Fortier, Albertus Magnus (So., Naugatuck, Conn.)

INF – Catherine Davis, Emmanuel (Sr., Wethersfield, Conn.)

INF – Emily Gorecki, Johnson & Wales (Jr., Bremerton, Wash.)

INF – Mikaela Caracciolo, Simmons (Sr., North Attleboro, Mass.)

OF – Jacqueline Lapierre, Anna Maria (So., Worcester, Mass.)

OF – Alex Fantasia, Johnson & Wales (So., Framingham, Mass.)

OF – Taylor Morris, Norwich (Sr., Haverhill, N.H.)

DP – Jill Pulek, Suffolk (Fr., Cheshire, Conn.)

UTIL – Hayley Microulis, Mount Ida (So., Pawtucket, R.I.)

P – Jill Kilcoyne, Emmanuel (Jr., Worcester, Mass.)

P – Patti Sciglimpaglia, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Norwalk, Conn.)

Second Team

C – Delaney Sylvester, Suffolk (So., Worcester, Mass.) )

INF – Brenna DuPerry, Johnson & Wales (Fr., Cranston, R.I.)

INF – Meghan Gavin, Johnson & Wales (Fr., Wallingford, Conn.)

INF – Sarah Ercoli, St. Joseph (Conn.) (So., Plainville, Conn.)

INF – Lindsay Pagano, Suffolk (Jr., Wyckoff, N.J.)

OF – Michele Macdonald, Mount Ida (Jr., North Dighton, Mass.)

OF – Patti Sciglimpaglia, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Norwalk, Conn.)

OF – Devlin Frost, Suffolk (So., Tewksbury, Mass.)

DP – Emily Schaper, Johnson & Wales (Jr., Pompton Lakes, N.J.)

UTIL – Nicole LeBlanc, Lasell (Sr., Easton, Mass.)

P – Jennifer Corona, Johnson & Wales (So., Middle Island, N.Y.)

P – Nicole Handzel, Mount Ida (Jr., Palmer, Mass.)

Third Team

C – Mary Sciglimpaglia, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Norwalk, Conn.)

INF – Brianna Whitfield, Albertus Magnus (So., West Islip, N.Y.)

INF – Kelsey Weston, Mount Ida (Fr., Hampstead, N.H.)

INF – Kara Klimaszewski, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Fr., Naugatuck, Conn.)

INF – Mariah Harrison, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (Jr., Buxton, Maine)

OF – Alyssa Puccilli, Albertus Magnus (Sr., Milford, Conn.)

OF – Carla Tripp, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (Jr., Lovell, Maine)

OF – Heather White, Simmons (Sr., Westfield, Mass.)

DP – Ashley Skey, Emmanuel (Fr., Brookline, N.H.)

UTIL – Emily Oliver, Norwich (Fr., Sagamore Hills, Ohio)

P – Rachel Johnson, Norwich (Fr., Stockbridge, Vt.)

P – Ali Yamakaitis, Suffolk (So., Avenel, N.J.)

Player of the Year – Patti Sciglimpaglia, St. Joseph (Conn.)

Pitcher of the Year – Patti Sciglimpaglia, St. Joseph (Conn.)

Rookie of the Year – Brenna DuPerry, Johnson & Wales (RI)

Coach of the Year – Jaclyn Davis, Suffolk

Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Saint Joseph's College of Maine

All-Sportsmanship Team

Rachel Cataudella, Albertus Magnus (Jr., Shelton, Conn.)

Elizabeth Haggerty, Anna Maria (Fr., Charlton, Mass.)

Casey Sheehan, Emmanuel (Fr., Medway, Mass.)

Angelica Reyes, Johnson & Wales (Jr., Arleta, Calif.)

Erin Larghi, Lasell (Sr., Wakefield, R.I.)

Michele MacDonald, Mount Ida (Jr., North Dighton, Mass.)

Angie Hershberger, Norwich (Sr., Felton, Calif.)

Jenai Davis, St. Joseph (Conn.) (Fr., Hartford, Conn.)

Katie Chadbourne, Saint Joseph's (Maine) (Fr., Jaffrey, N.H.)

Heather White, Simmons (Sr., Westfield, Mass.)

Nicole Isakson, Suffolk (Sr., Avon, Conn.)­­­

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