Watch the 1996 Softball Team Induction Video Here

In the spring of 1996, the Suffolk University women’s softball team captured the hearts of its faithful fans by capturing the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship, the perfect ending to a not-so-perfect season.

The Lady Rams began the year with their annual trip to Florida, returning to Beacon Hill with a chilly 1-5 record.  The team failed to warm up once in the comfort of its own home, however, falling to a 2-11 mark against opponents from the New England area.

That’s when the snow came, halting the Suffolk nine from playing games or practicing their skills for a total of 10 consecutive days.  But once the snow melted, the Lady Rams heated up by posting a 15-4 record over its last 19 games and qualifying for the GNAC tournament.

In the semifinal game, Suffolk defeated Norwich University, 4-3, in eight innings behind its ace pitcher, Simone Lincoln, who won most of the contests for the Lady Rams during this historic season. 

During the championship game against the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, Lincoln got the call on the mound and responded with flying colors, pitching Suffolk to victory with a 3-0 masterpiece. Ironically enough, two weeks earlier the Lady Rams dropped a pair of performances, both shutouts, to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy squad.

“It was a total team effort and a true storybook season,” said Suffolk head coach Christine Carr (Conway), who was assisted by her sister, Kelley Carr. “This team deserved to take home the championship trophy because they always worked hard and together, even when we were taking our lumps, and they never gave up.”

Carr added that this accomplishment is something that will remain locked in everyone’s memory bank forever.  “This is something that we as a team will always remember,” she said.  “And the way we surprised people in the end is what makes it so special.”

Suffolk was well represented on the All-Tournament team, with Lincoln (Most Outstanding Player), power hitter Erica Petersen, and co-captains Leonarda Carriglio and Jennifer Connelly, cheered on in the title game by her dad, Lou, who is also inducted into this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame class.