Seven Selected To Softball All-Conference Teams
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — An impressive seven members of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) softball team were named to the 2021 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball All-Conference Teams, announced Wednesday afternoon via a release by league officials. Headlining the nods were a trio of Blue Jays selected to the All-GNAC First Team: senior pitcher and captain Alessandra Milardo (Plantsville, Conn.), senior catcher Megan Burke (Parkland, Fla.), and junior outfielder Ashlee White (Bristol, Conn.). It marks the first time in over 15 seasons that the Blue Jays have had three All-GNAC First Team selections in the same year.
It marks the second-career All-GNAC honor for Milardo, who finished second during the 2021 GNAC regular season with a 1.18 ERA. She was also third in strikeouts with 65. Milardo made the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team back in 2019, the year the Blue Jays won the GNAC Championship. Burke and White both picked up their first-ever all-conference selections. Burke spent the majority of the season catching the dominance of both Milardo and junior pitcher Natalie Amato (Cheshire, Conn.), who led the conference in ERA (0.16) during the regular season. Offensively, Burke batted .303 with three doubles and five RBI across 12 regular season games. White batted .292 overall and .342 in GNAC play during the regular season with a homer and drove in nine on the year, in addition to her heads-up defense in the field.
Senior second baseman and captain Michelle Woodruff (Southington, Conn.) and sophomore utility Jenna Masiello (Cromwell, Conn.) were selected to the All-GNAC Second Team. It is the second all-conference bid for Woodruff (GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team - 2018), who hit a career-best .318 primarily in the sixth-spot in the order for the Blue Jays, and stole nearly as many in her senior campaign (6) as her other three seasons combined (7). Masiello was a difference-maker for USJ in 2021 en route to earning All-GNAC Second Team honors. In her first "full" regular season, Masiello hit her first-career home run, drove in nine RBI, and batted .364 with a stellar OPS of 1.088.
Finalizing the selections for USJ included an All-GNAC Third Team nod for Amato, who allowed only one earned run throughout the regular season to post a miniscule 0.16 ERA. She went a perfect 7-0 inside the circle for the Blue Jays with five complete games, striking out 48 batters across 43 innings pitched. Lastly, junior catcher/outfielder Abigail Dillon (Portland, Conn.) was selected to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team as the representative for the Blue Jays. It marked the first all-conference honors for both Amato and Dillon as well.
All selections and awards are decided upon by a vote of the GNAC's head coaches. For the complete breakdown of All-Conference Teams, as well as the annual All-Sportsmanship Team, please see below.
GNAC MAJOR AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Jill Pulek, Johnson & Wales (RI)
PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Megan Long, Emmanuel (Mass.)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Olivia Conti, Emmanuel (Mass.)
COACH OF THE YEAR - Olivia Berry, Emmanuel (Mass.)
INSTITUTIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD - Anna Maria College
All-GNAC First Team
C - Megan Burke, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
1B - Emily Blanchard, Emmanuel (Mass.)
2B - Kaelani Gamble, Johnson & Wales (RI)
3B - Jill Pulek, Johnson & Wales (RI)
SS - Olivia Conti, Emmanuel (Mass.)
OF - Jadynne Hill, Emmanuel (Mass.)
OF - Julyanne Pacheco, Emmanuel (Mass.)
OF - Ashlee White, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
DP - Tianna Dawe, Emmanuel (Mass.)
UTIL - Devin Scales, Johnson & Wales (RI)
P - Megan Long, Emmanuel (Mass.)
P - Alessandra Milardo, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
All-GNAC Second Team
C - Elizabeth Niven, Norwich
1B - Hailey Erickson, Johnson & Wales (RI)
2B - Michelle Woodruff, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
3B - Maegan Amsler, Emmanuel (Mass.)
SS - Julia Huzi, Johnson & Wales (RI)
OF - Renae Lacroix, Emmanuel (Mass.)
OF - Megan Antaya, Johnson & Wales (RI)
OF - Ally Kirck, Lasell
DP - Ivy Geloso, Albertus Magnus
UTIL - Jenna Masiello, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
P - Laura Anderson, Albertus Magnus
P - Livia Feole, Johnson & Wales (RI)
All-GNAC Third Team
C - Avery Webb, Emmanuel (Mass.)
1B - Talia Smaller, Johnson & Wales (RI)
2B - Kiana Hinson, Emmanuel (Mass.)
3B - Katie Hopkins, Lasell
SS - Eden Forget, Anna Maria
OF - Olivia DiGiacomo, Johnson & Wales
OF - Dara Kelly, Norwich
OF - Madison Mayo, Dean
DP - Annika Beebe, Norwich
UTIL - Jess Stettinger, Albertus Magnus
P - Eryn Sheeley, Lasell
P - Natalie Amato, Saint Joseph (Conn.)
ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Megan Anderson, Albertus Magnus
Kassandra Register, Anna Maria
Jaylee Martinez, Dean
Kiana Hinson, Emmanuel (Mass.)
Jessica Rynne, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Kelsey Scannevin, Lasell
Elizabeth Niven, Norwich
Kasey Smith, Rivier
Abigail Dillon, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Taylor Owen, Saint Joseph's (ME)
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