NEWARK, Del. - - A pair of Wilmington University softball student-athletes were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-East Region Teams on Wednesday, as Rosa'Lynn Burton earned First Team and Caitlyn Whiteside earned Second Team.
The Wildcats earned a bid into the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament for the fourth season in a row, earning the No. 8 seed with a 34-19 overall record. The NFCA All-Region teams were voted on by the head coaches from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, the East Coast Conference, and the Northeast 10 Conference.
Burton leads the Wildcats and is second in the CACC with a .472 batting average while also leading the CACC with 84 hit, 52 runs scored, and 41 stolen bases. Her 41 stolen bases are already a single season program record while she also broke the program's single season mark of 83 hits set by Brook Ash in 2013 with two hits in the CACC Tournament. Burton reaches base at a .500 clip, while hitting 11 doubles, six triples, and a homer for a .618 slugging percentage.
In the circle, Whiteside leads the CACC with a 1.31 ERA, throwing a single season program record 13 complete game shutouts. In 160.2 innings pitched, she has only allowed 30 earned runs and 18 walks while striking out 84 batters. She is 17-9 on the season in 33 appearances. She struck out a season high eight batters in a 1-0 complete game shutout victory against Hillsdale in Clermont, Fla.
The Wildcats open the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament against top seed and host Adelphi on Thursday at 12:00 p.m.
AGATE:
2017 NFCA All-East Region
First Team:
P – Sydney Ponto – Caldwell
P – Chelsea Hawks – Molloy
C – Marisa Monasseri – Caldwell
1B – Alyssa Williamson – Merrimack
2B – Skania Lemus – Mercy
3B – Brenna Martini – Adelphi
SS – Courtney Case – Le Moyne
OF – Rosa'Lynn Burton – Wilmington
OF – Morgan Lloyd – Mercy
OF – Amanda Bickford – St. Anselm
DP – Milan Botte – Molloy
Util-Pitcher – Koreen Orozco – Holy Family
Util-Non Pitcher – Nicolette Cuccio – Adelphi
Second Team:
P – Caitlyn Whiteside – Wilmington
P – Laura McLaughlin – NYIT
C – Julia Seader – LIU Post
1B – ToniMarie Valeriano – Queens
2B – Samantha Waskowitz – Merrimack
3B – Taylor Luzzi – New Haven
SS – Taylor Favinger – Holy Family
OF – Kelsey Kennedy – Bentley
OF – Brianna Scotto – Holy Family
OF – Lauren Zazzaro – Le Moyne
DP – Marissa Colby – New Haven
Util-Pitcher – Jessica Johnston – Caldwell
Util-Non Pitcher – Fallon Tierney – St. Michael's