NEWARK, Del. - - A trio of Wilmington University softball players earned Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) All-East Region selection, led by First Team honorees Rosa'Lynn Burton and Makayla McCarthy with Annie Davila being named Second Team, in a vote of the region's sports information directors.
The trio led the Wildcats to a 37-17 overall record and a 21-5 mark in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference regular season, finishing second overall. The Wildcats went 2-2 in the CACC Tournament and narrowly missed an NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament at-large bid.
It is the second year in a row that Burton (Dover, Del./Caesar Rodney) has been named a D2CCA All-East Region First Team selection. She led the Wildcats and finished second in the CACC with a .470 batting average. Burton led the CACC with 87 hits, 56 runs, and 42 stolen bases while finishing second in the league with seven triples, and a .527 on-base percentage. She was also a First Team All-CACC honoree.
It is the second All-Region honor of the season for McCarthy (El Cajon, Calif./Steele Canyon) as she was named Second Team All-NFCA last week. She helped lead the Wildcats in the circle, going 18-10 overall with a CACC leading 23 complete games. She led the CACC with 211 strikeouts in a league high 194.2 innings pitched, finishing with a CACC second best 1.69 ERA. She also led the CACC in opponents hitting just .194 against the freshman, finished second overall with five shutouts. McCarthy also hit .348 in her first collegiate season, leading the Wildcats with six home runs and collecting 34 RBI. With 47 hits, she had a .593 slugging percentage.
The Second Team D2CCA All-Region selection is the first of Davila's (Yorba Linda, Calif./Yorba Linda) career. In 45 games, the sophomore hit .319 with a .398 on-base percentage and a .469 slugging percentage. In 36 hits, she had five doubles and four home runs, leading to 30 RBI on the years.
CACC rival Georgian Court had the 2018 D2CCA East Region Player of the Year in Samantha Reilly, as she hit 25 home runs on the season. Merrimack's pitcher Megan Cook was named the 2018 D2CCA Pitcher of the Year after going 25-7 in the circle with 29 complete games and 12 shutouts with a 1.39 ERA.
The First Team honorees are automatically nominated for the All-American ballot. The 2018 D2CCA All-American Teams will be announced on Wednesday, May 23.
AGATE
2018 Division II CCA Softball All-East Region Teams
First Team:
C – Samantha Reilly – Georgian Court University
1B – Alyssa Williamson – Merrimack College
2B – Nicole Camera – Adelphi University
3B – Brenna Martini – Adelphi University
SS – Allison Luzzi – University of Bridgeport
OF – Abbey Fortin – LIU Post
OF – Rosa'Lynn Burton – Wilmington University
OF – Amanda Bickford – Saint Anselm College
DP – Erin Thompson – Saint Anselm College
P – Megan Cook – Merrimack College
P – Alexis Eastman – Le Moyne College
P – Emma Bernet – Pace University
UTIL – Allie Pellizzaro – Mercy College
UTIL (Pitcher) – Makayla McCarthy – Wilmington University
Second Team:
C – Julia Seader – LIU Post
1B – Emily Schaffer – Post University
2B – Miyah Brown – Pace University
3B – Skania Lemus – Mercy College
SS – Taylor Favinger – Holy Family University
OF – Kaira Ramon – University of Bridgeport
OF – Mikayla Newham – Mercy College
OF – Krista King – Adelphi University
DP – Sarah Lavallee – Southern New Hampshire University
P – Katie Humhej – LIU Post
P – Morgan Perry – Saint Anselm College
P – Stephanie Pepper – Jefferson
UTIL – Annie Davila – Wilmington University
UTIL (Pitcher) – Koreen Orozco – Holy Family University
2018 D2CCA Softball East Region Player of the Year:
Samantha Reilly – Georgian Court University
2018 D2CCA Softball East Region Pitcher of the Year:
Megan Cook – Merrimack College