2009 Year In Review

 With a record of 16-10 in 2009, the Elmira College Softball Team upped its win total from the previous season for the third year in a row. Head Coach Rhonda Faunce, whose 282 wins makes her far and away the most successful softball coach ever at Elmira College, guided a team that won five of its final seven games in 2009.

Elmira College started the season with two wins vs. Cazenovia College; at no point in the 2009 season did the Soaring Eagles have a losing record. EC went on to post three four-game win streaks that included doubleheader sweeps of Hilbert College, St. Lawrence University, York College (NY), Old Westbury College, Wells College and SUNY Morrisville. Elmira College recorded its 16th win on the last day of the regular season with a 2-1 win over Nazareth College. The 16 wins are the most by the EC program since 1998.

The Soaring Eagles won thanks to both their offense and defense. The bats scored 10 or more runs nine times including a season-high 19 runs vs. York College (NY) on April 16 and the pitching staff put together seven shutouts and held opponents to four or less runs 16 times.

EC also rewrote the record books in 2009 breaking or tying four team records and eight individual marks. As a team, the Soaring Eagles compiled 153 RBI besting the 1991 Soaring Eagles. The squads 53 doubles, 23 home runs and .956 fielding percentage were also new records.

Two Soaring Eagles received post-season honors this season as Lauryn DePaul ’10 Liverpool, NY - Liverpool) earned Empire 8 Second Team All-Conference accolades while Erin Pruess ’12 (Glen Falls, NY - Glen Falls) was an Honorable Mention selection.

DePaul had a career year breaking records for runs in a season (32) and doubles in a season (13). Both records were 11 seasons old. The former Gatorade New York State Player of The Year also now holds single-game records in stolen bases (three vs. Ithaca College) and assists (10 vs. RIT). DePaul was among Empire 8 leaders in many categories; she was first in the E8 with four triples and 13 doubles; second with 32 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.

2009 may have only been her first year, but Pruess put up numbers one would expect from a fourth-year power hitter. Pruess jacked a school-record nine home runs and 28 RBI. She also finished the year with a .364 batting average, .468 on-base percentage and 30 runs scored.

Pruess also now owns Elmira College’s record for RBI in a game thanks to a seven RBI performance against SUNY Morrisville on April 23.

One of three players’s playing their final seasons for Elmira College, catcher Natalie Lesieur ’09 (Londonderry, NH - Londonderry) set a Soaring Eagle record with a perfect fielding percentage. However she was not just in the game for her defense, Lesieur had a .328 batting average while slugging .570 and driving in 12 runs with an on-base percentage of .365.

Team Captain Katrina Katen ’09 (Deposit, NY - Deposit) was one of just two players to start all 26 games for Elmira College. Katen will no doubt be remembered as Elmira College’s iron man having never missed a game and starting in all 102 of her career. In 2009, she matched her career-best with 19 RBI while batting .280 with 16 runs scored and one home run. Her 23 hits was the team’s third highest total.

Kerri Lavender ’09 (Apalachian, NY - Owego Free Academy) finished off her career by starting seven games and making the most of her opportunities at the plate. In 15 at-bats, Lavender had seven hits, seven runs scored, seven RBI, a double and her first-career home run which she hit in her next to last home game, a 14-1 win against SUNY Morrisville.

One of just two third-year players, Brittnee McGuire ’10 (Herkimer, NY - Herkimer) started 24 games for EC and had a career-best .254 batting average while also smacking one home run and seven RBI. McGuire’s three stolen bases were second only to DePaul’s 11.

The Elmira College pitching duties fell on the arms of a trio of second year players in 2009. Casandra Fontinell ’11 (Shoreham, NY - Islip) started 14 games finishing the year with a 7-6 record as the staff’s ace. Fontinell ended the year with a 3.12 ERA while also striking out 68 batters, holding opponents to a .241 batting average and tossing three complete-game shutouts. At bat, she drove in 10 runs.

Kelli Hadley ’11 (Colmar, PA - North Penn) did a fine job as Elmira College’s number two starter in 2009. Hadley posted a 4-2 record, that included one shutout, in nine outings while striking out 14 runners.

Casandra Fontinell’s sister, Stephany Fontinell ’11 ((Shoreham, NY - Islip) started five games going 3-2 with a 5.50 ERA in 37.2 innings pitched. She also struck out 20 batters. With a bat in her hands, Fontinell was third on the team with 17 RBI and a .246 batting average. Her 14 walks were the fourth most free passes received in the Empire 8 this past season.

Jacqueline Gibson ’11 (Jersey Shore, PA - Jersey Shore Area) batted .320 in 18 games; while scoring nine runs and driving in eight.

Outfielder Megan Werner ’11 (Vestal, NY - Vestal Central) started 14 of her 16 games played. Werner ended her second season with three runs and two RBI.

Andrea Masiello ’11 (Rochester, NY - Greece Arcadia) and Cassondra McNitt ’11 (Sandy Creek, NY - Sandy Creek Central) provided depth off of the bench and combined for six hits, six runs and five RBI in nine games played. Caitlin Roman ’11 (Verbank, NY - Millbrook) played in 19 games and hit .240 with three of her 12 hits being doubles.

Teszalyn Culp ’12 (Drayton, ONT - Norwell District Secondary) made 10 starts for the Soaring Eagles in her first year on the diamond. Culp hit .267 with four runs and six RBI in 30 at-bats. Pitcher Jaclyn Johrden ’12 (Deer Park, NY - Deer Park) and Darcy James ’12 (Castile, NY - Letchworth Central) also made their first appearances for Elmira College. Johrden pitched in two games; in three innings of work she allowed one run while striking out three batters. James scored three times in four games and recorded her first hit vs. York College on April 16.

Elmira College will lose Katen, Lavender, and Lesieur to graduation.