Throughout her softball career at Suffolk University, Erica Petersen certainly made a name for herself – locally, regionally and nationally.

A consistently powerful, right-handed batter, Petersen was a hitting machine who could be counted on to produce any time during a game. With her in the lineup, the Rams were always an exciting team to watch, capable of scoring runs in bunches. “Instant Offense” should have been stitched on the back of her jersey.

In the 78 games that she played from 1994-1997, Petersen had 129 hits in 261 at bats. According to the NCAA back then, she held the highest batting average of all time (.494) and the second best slugging percentage (.904) in the country.

Originally from Medford, Petersen had her finest season on the diamond in 1996 when she batted .556 with seven home runs, 47 runs batted in, and a 1.089 slugging percentage. Her hitting was a big factor in Suffolk winning 12 of its last 13 games and capturing the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship that year.

Defensively, she was also a key contributor and a versatile performer, evident by the fact that she played second base, shortstop and third base within her collegiate career. She was more than willing to play any position in order to help her team succeed.

Petersen was once described by her coach, Christine Carr, as “a natural player with outstanding power and all around ability who stands out among all players on the field.”

Carr and Petersen were honored as part of the 1996 women’s softball team inducted into the 2011 Athletic Hall of Fame.

Petersen lives in Brockton and is a social worker for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.

Watch Erica Petersen's Induction Video Here