NEWARK, Del. - - On the heels of earning the program’s first ever at-large bid into the NCAA East Regional Tournament, three Wilmington University softball student-athletes were named Daktronics/Division II CCA All-East Region today, as voted on by the region’s sports information directors.
Senior pitcher Chelsea Botsch was voted to Daktronics First Team All-Region while senior shortstop Kelsey Doherty and sophomore utility player Colby Wyatt were named Daktronics Second Team All-Region for their work on the diamond this past season. It is the first time since the 2013 season the Wildcats have had players voted on the Daktronics All-Region teams.
Botsch (Smyrna, Del.), a First Team All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference performer, led the pitching staff with a 1.61 earned run average in 35 appearances, including 15 innings in the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament against Adelphi in the first round. She tossed 174.1 innings, going 19-7 overall with 10 shutouts, including eight straight during the regular season spanning 52.1 consecutive scoreless innings. She struck out 179 batters on the year, averaging 9.29 per seven innings against members in the CACC. Botsch threw her first no-hitter of her career in a five-inning shutout against USciences on April and spun another no-hitter in a seven-inning shutout against Felician on April 30 in the first round of the CACC Tournament.
Doherty (Harbeson, Del.), a First Team All-CACC performer, led the CACC with 68 hits this year, smacking a Wilmington program record 22 doubles as well as five triples, and four home runs. She was also first in the CACC in total bases (112), third in slugging (.655), fourth in runs (37), and sixth in batting (.398) and RBI (37). She ended her career on a seven-game hitting streak, including going 8-for-15 with a double and a triple in the NCAA East Regional Tournament.
Wyatt (Harrington, Del), a Second Team All-CACC performer, batted .315 for the Wildcats while playing right field and first base. She was fifth in the CACC with 11 doubles while adding three home runs for a total of 41 hits. She brought in 25 RBI while scoring 13 more. Wyatt was 21st in the CACC with a .469 slugging percentage while finishing 28th in batting. She hit a two-run double in the CACC Tournament against Caldwell while also bringing in the only run of the game against Adelphi in the NCAA East Regional Tournament.
Southern New Hampshire’s Ali Maloof stole the show for the 2015 Daktronics/Division II CCA Softball All-East Region Teams, being voted both the Player and Pitcher of the Year awards.
The First Team honorees are automatically nominated for the Daktronics All-American voting process. The 2015 Daktronics Softball All-American Teams will be announced on Wednesday, May 20.
AGATE:
2015 Daktronics/Division II CCA Softball All-East Region Teams
First Team:
C – Alyssa Calderon, Caldwell
1B – Kortney Kraker, Caldwell
2B – Tori Duquette, NYIT
3B – Brenna Martini, Adelphi
SS – Jeane Drury, Pace
OF – Shelby Yung, Pace
OF – Mo Hannan, Southern New Hampshire
OF – Amy Hickman, Caldwell
P – Ali Maloof, Southern New Hampshire
P – Ashley Martin, LIU Post
P – Chelsea Botsch – Wilmington
DP – Sarah Lavallee, Southern New Hampshire
Util (non-pitcher) – Dara Schroeder, Georgian Court
Util (pitcher) – Tracey Balinskas, Molloy
Second Team:
C – Jackie Couillard, Mercy
1B – Kat Zabielski, NYIT
2B – Ashley Abad, Assumption
3B – Arianna La Puma, Dowling001
SS – Kelsey Doherty, Wilmington
OF – Chelsea Gourdin, NYIT
OF – Brielle Reighn, Caldwell
OF – Jamie Wiley, Franklin Pierce
P – Amber Padilla, Caldwell
P – Samantha Esque, Post
P – Lindsay Mapes, Adelphi
DP – Paige Swantek, LIU Post
Util (non-pitcher) – Colby Wyatt, Wilmington
Util (pitcher) – Bailey Walters, Holy Family
2015 Daktronics/Division II CCA East Region Player of the Year:
Ali Maloof, Southern New Hampshire
2015 Daktronics/Division II CCA East Region Pitcher of the Year:
Ali Maloof, Southern New Hampshire