Four Softball Players Earn GNAC All-Conference Nods

Four Softball Players Earn GNAC All-Conference Nods

Four Suffolk University Softball players earned postseason recognition by the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) for the 2014 season.

Senior Erin McAndrews (Marblehead, Mass.) headlined the list as she was a first team selection as a catcher. McAndrews set the Suffolk University single season record for hits in a season in 2014 with 68 and also set a new mark with nine triples. She led all players in the GNAC in most offensive categories. Alongside her league high totals in hits and triples, she also finished tops in the conference in several other categories; batting average (.486), doubles (15), runs batted in (43), on-base percentage (.549) and slugging percentage (.807). In 2013 McAndrews was tabbed as the league's best as she took home Player of the Year honors along with a first-team All-Conference selection and also being recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) with a second team All-Region selection. After transferring into Suffolk after her freshman season, McAndrews has put together an impressive statistical career. She ranks second all time in program history in doubles (42), triples (21), RBI (123) and total bases (285), third in slugging percentage (.760), fourth in home runs (12), and fifth in hits (165), on-base percentage (.498) and batting average (.440).

Junior Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) was a third team selection as a utility player. Chasse started 21 games on the mound for Suffolk while appearing in 41 games at the plate. She hit .299 (41-for-137) on the season. She was second on the team with 31 runs scored. On the mound Chasse logged a team-high 139 1/3 innings pitched while striking out a total of 113 batters, the sixth highest total in the league. Chasse had her best performance on the mound this season in one of Suffolk's biggest games, a 2-0 victory in the GNAC quarterfinals over the University of Saint Joseph. Chasse held a no-hitter into the fifth inning as she struck out eight hitters allowing just three hits. She threw 13 complete games on the season, the eighth highest total in the GNAC. It's the second consecutive season that Chasse has earned recognition by the league. Last season she was recognized for her efforts on the mound with a second team All-Conference selection. Chasse and the Rams knocked off Norwich University behind her one hitter against the league's top team heading into the playoffs in 2013 en route to Suffolk's trip to the GNAC Finals. In three seasons Chasse has won 27 games in 87 appearances, while striking out 353 hitters, the second highest total in program history. She's also scored 106 runs in 122 games played hitting at a .337 clip with 139 career hits and 20 doubles.

Freshman Emily Martel (East Hartland, Conn.) was a third team selection as an outfielder. Martel started 42 games for Suffolk hitting at a .330 clip (30-for-91). With nine extra base hits on the season, she slugged at a .492 percentage, the second highest total on the team. In 20 conference games Martel finished with a .370 batting average and collected 33 total bases, the second highest tally on the team. Martel had one of Suffolk's biggest hits of the season as she had the go ahead single in the bottom of the sixth inning as Suffolk topped Emmanuel College 4-2 in a single elimination game to start the 2014 GNAC Tournament.

Freshman Lindsay Pagano (Wyckoff, N.J.) was selected to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team. Pagano started all 44 games for Suffolk with 37 hits and drove in 23 runs on the season. Pagano was 4-for-12 (.333) with a pair of RBI in Suffolk's four tournament games over the weekend.

Suffolk wrapped up the 2014 season as the number five seed in the GNAC Tournament. Suffolk won seven of their last eight league games to finish with an 11-11 conference record. They reached the GNAC semifinals before falling to Simmons College 6-1 on Saturday. Suffolk finished with a 21-23 overall record for the 2014 season.

For a complete list of the 2014 GNAC All-Conference teams, click here.