FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 12, 2006

2006 Rhode Island College
Softball Season Summary

(35-8-1 Overall; 11-2-1) in the Little East)
2006 NCAA Div. III Softball Tournament Participant
2006 Little East Conference Tournament Champions
2006 Little East Conference Regular Season Champions

Providence, RI--Head Coach Maria Morin’s (Career record: 258-190-4, .576) team finished the 2006 season with a 35-8-1 overall record and a 11-2-1 (first place) mark in the Little East Conference. The Anchorwomen won the Little East Conference Softball Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Div. III New England Regional Softball Championships for the first time in school history. RIC was the Little East Conference Softball Regular Season Champions for the second consecutive season.

Rhode Island College was the second seed at the NCAA New England Regional Softball Championships, which were held at Babson on May 11-14. The Anchorwomen defeated seventh-seeded St. Joseph’s-L.I. (1-0) in nine innings and third-seeded Western New England (5-4) in eight innings to go a perfect 2-0 at the Regional. RIC was scheduled to play top-seeded Williams, which was 1-0, before severe rain halted the tournament. Torrential downpours rendered Babson’s field unplayable, and per NCAA rules, the highest remaining undefeated team (Williams) advanced.

Rhode Island College established a new school record for wins (35) in a season, breaking the 2005 squad’s previous high mark of 28 by seven. The softball program also recorded its eighth consecutive season with 20 or more wins.

Morin was named the Little East Conference Softball Co-Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Eastern Connecticut head softball coach Diana Pepin. It was the third LEC Coach of the Year Award for Morin, who was also recognized in 2005 and 2003.

Senior left fielder Katie Benevides (North Dighton, MA) closed out her career having played in 111 games, starting 106 of them. She batted .294 (83-for-282) with 52 runs, 83 hits, six doubles, two triples, 26 RBI and ten stolen bases. She owned a .330 slugging percentage, a .344 on-base percentage and a .937 fielding percentage. Benevides is third with 18 career sacrifice hits, is 11^th in career batting, tied for 16^th in runs and 18^th in hits in Rhode Island College Softball history.

As a senior in 2006, Benevides was named a Second Team NEISCA All-Star. She was also a First Team All-Little East Conference and a Second Team All-New England selection. Benevides played in 44 games, starting all of them. She batted .368 (53-for-144), 151 points higher than her career average coming into the season, with 35 runs, 53 hits, five doubles, one triple, 14 RBI and five stolen bases. She owned a .417 slugging percentage, a .425 on-base percentage and a .932 fielding percentage. Benevides was second on the team in batting, hits and runs.

As a junior in 2005, she played in 39 games, starting all of them. She is batted .234 with 25 hits, one double, one triple, four stolen bases, 14 runs scored, 11 RBI and four walks. Benevides owned a .262 slugging percentage, a .274 on base percentage and a .946 fielding percentage.

As a sophomore in 2004, she played in 13 games, starting ten of them. She owned a 1.000 fielding percentage.

As a freshman in 2003, she played in 15 games, starting 13 of them. She batted .217 with three runs, five hits, one RBI and one stolen base. She owned a .217 slugging percentage, a .250 on-base percentage and a .889 fielding percentage.

She is a social work major with a minor in sociology and a 2002 graduate of Dighton-Rehoboth High School.

Senior second baseman Casie Lyons (Hudson, MA) closes out her career having played in 117 games, starting 106 of them. She batted .287 (76-for-265) with 43 runs, 76 hits, 14 doubles, five triples, 38 RBI and two stolen bases. She owned a .377 slugging percentage, a .329 on-base percentage and a .965 fielding percentage. Lyons is 12^th in career batting, 14^th in doubles, tied for 14^th in triples and 22^nd in hits in Rhode Island College Softball history.

As a senior in 2006, Lyons was named Second Team All-Little East Conference. Lyons played in 43 games, starting all of them. She batted .357 (40-for-112), 120 points higher than her career average coming into the season, with 21 runs scored, 40 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, 19 RBI and two stolen bases. She owned a .527 slugging percentage, a .405 on-base percentage and a .978 fielding percentage. As the squad’s number-nine batter, she led the team in doubles and was third in batting average.

As a junior in 2005, she played in 31 games, starting 29 of them. She batted .203 with 11 runs, 13 hits, one triple, six walks and seven RBI. Lyons owned a .234 slugging percentage, a .271 on-base percentage and a .951 fielding percentage.

As a sophomore in 2004, she played in 34 games, starting 31 of them. She batted .271 with ten runs, 23 hits, one double, one triple, two walks and 12 RBI. Lyons owned a .306 slugging percentage, a .284 on-base percentage and a .962 fielding percentage.

As a freshman in 2003, she played five games, starting three of them. She scored one run on the season. She owned a .000 slugging percentage, a .000 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage. Lyons was granted a medical redshirt for the season, but elected not to play an extra season.

She is an elementary education major with a concentration in special education and a 2002 graduate of Hudson High School.

Senior center fielder Megan Ponte (Wakefield, RI) closed out her career having played in 143 games, starting 137 of them. She batted .272 (107-for-394) with 59 runs, 107 hits, six doubles, nine triples, four home runs, 39 RBI and 22 stolen bases. She owned a .363 slugging percentage, a .319 on-base percentage and a .959 fielding percentage. Ponte is fifth in career at-bats, tied for fifth in triples, tied for sixth in home runs and sacrifice hits, eighth in hits, steals and total bases, ninth in runs, 16^th in RBI and 17^th in batting in Rhode Island College Softball history.

As a senior in 2006, Ponte was named to the 2006 NCAA Div. III New England Regional Softball All-Tournament Team as an outfielder. She batted .667 (4-for-6) with one run scored, one RBI and two stolen bases in two tourney games. A Second Team All-Little East Conference outfielder, she played in 44 games, starting all of them, on the season. She batted .279 (36-for-129) with 15 runs, 36 hits, two doubles, four triples, two home runs, 15 RBI and eight stolen bases. Ponte owned a .403 slugging percentage, a .311 on-base percentage and a .980 fielding percentage.

As a junior in 2005, she was named Second Team All-Little East Conference. Ponte played in 38 games, starting 37 of them. She batted .255 with 17 runs, 25 hits, two triples, one double, two home runs, four walks, three stolen bases, and six RBI. Ponte owned a .367 slugging percentage, a .311 on-base percentage and a .980 fielding percentage.

As a sophomore in 2004, she was named First Team All-Little East Conference as an outfielder. Ponte played in 37 games, starting 36 of them. She batted .299 with 21 runs, 35 hits, three doubles, a team-high three triples, ten walks, seven stolen bases and 12 RBI. Ponte owned a .376 slugging percentage, a .354 on-base percentage and a .895 fielding percentage.

As a freshman in 2003, she played in 24 games, starting 20 of them. She batted .220 with six runs, 11 hits, six RBI and four stolen bases. She owned a .220 slugging percentage, a .264 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage.

She is a physical education major with a minor in health and a 2002 graduate of South Kingstown High School.

Senior right fielder Andree Sitnik (Lincoln, RI) closed out her career having played in 114 games, starting 77 of them. She batted .250 (55-for-220) with 40 runs, 55 hits, ten doubles, four triples, two home runs, 27 RBI and nine stolen bases. She owned a .359 slugging percentage, a .278 on-base percentage and a .893 fielding percentage.

As a senior in 2006, Sitnik was named First Team All-Little East Conference. Sitnik was also named the Little East Conference Softball Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She batted .357 (5-for-14) with two runs, three RBI, one triple and played flawless defense in right field, over four games in the tourney. She played in 44 games, starting all of them, on the season. She batted .313 (42-for-134), 162 points higher than her career average coming into the season, with 25 runs, 42 hits, eight doubles, four triples, two home runs, five stolen bases and 26 RBI. Both of her home runs were walk-off game-winners. She owned a .478 slugging percentage, a .340 on-base percentage and a .917 fielding percentage.

As a junior in 2005, she played in 34 games, starting 25 of them. She batted .169 with 11 runs, ten hits, two doubles, one RBI and three walks. Sitnik owned a .203 slugging percentage, a .210 on-base percentage and a .839 fielding percentage.

As a sophomore in 2004, she played in 16 games, starting five of them. She batted .143 with three runs, two hits and two stolen bases. Sitnik owned a .143 slugging percentage, a .143 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage.

As a freshman in 2003, she played in 20 games, starting three of them. She batted .077 with one run, one hit and two stolen bases on the season. She owned a .077 slugging percentage, a .077 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage.

She is a physical education/health major and a 2002 graduate of Lincoln High School.

Junior catcher Kristyn Alexander (East Wareham, MA) was named Third Team All-New England At-Large and Second Team All-Little East Conference. Alexander played in 44 games, starting all of them. She batted .326 (43-for-132) with 14 runs, 43 hits, ten doubles and a team-high 28 RBI. She owned a .402 slugging percentage, .396 on-base percentage and a .995 fielding percentage. She was third on the team in hits and doubles. She was hit by six pitches this spring, bringing her career total to eight, which is tied for the all-time lead in Rhode Island College Softball history.

Junior pitcher Nicole Riley (North Providence, RI) was the Little East Conference Pitcher of the Year, a First Team All-LEC selection and a First Team All-NEISCA All-Star. She was 26-2 with two saves, a 1.38 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 192.1 innings pitched. She established a new RIC record for wins in a season. She was also a First Team All-New England selection and was named to the 2006 NCAA Div. III New England Regional Softball Tournament’s All-Tournament Team as an At-Large selection. At the plate, Riley batted .254 (18-for-71) with ten runs, 18 hits, five doubles, seven RBI and two stolen bases. She owned a .324 slugging percentage, a .329 on-base percentage and a .969 fielding percentage. Riley needs six wins to become the all-time leader in Rhode Island College Softball history.

Sophomore third baseman/catcher Krystal Bilek (Fitchburg, MA) was named Second Team All-Little East Conference for the second consecutive season. Bilek played in 44 games, starting all of them. She batted .298 (37-for-124) with 23 runs, 37 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, one home run and 18 RBI. She established a new RIC record for walks in a season, totaling 24 free passes on the year.

Sophomore outfielder Micaela Folan (Pawtucket, RI) played in three games and scored one run.

Sophomore first baseman Christie Lotti (Waterford, CT) was named a First Team NEISCA All-Star. She was named the Little East Conference Softball Player of the Year, as well as earning First Team All-LEC honors. Lotti was also named First Team All-New England. She played in 44 games, starting all of them. She batted .389 (58-for-149) with 39 runs, 58 hits, seven doubles, 11 triples, four home runs, 26 RBI and eight stolen bases. She owned a .664 slugging percentage, a .429 on-base percentage and a .978 fielding percentage. She led RIC in batting, hits, runs, triples, home runs and was tied for the team lead in stolen bases. Lotti is currently RIC’s all-time leader with a .414 career batting average through her first two seasons as an Anchorwoman. She is also within striking distance of several other career marks. She needs 12 runs, 39 hits, 12 doubles, three total bases and 31 RBI to become Rhode Island College’s all-time leader in those statistical categories. Lotti is already RIC’s all-time leader in career home runs and triples, in addition to holding numerous single season records.

Sophomore shortstop Jeanne Rosa (Milford, CT) played in 44 games, starting all of them. She batted .267 (12-for-45) with six runs, 12 hits, three doubles, one triple, four RBI and one stolen base. She owned a .378 slugging percentage, a .313 on-base percentage and a .895 fielding percentage. Her 82 assists this spring were the fifth-most in a single season in Rhode Island College Softball history.

Freshman pitcher/designated player Justine Burgess (Uxbridge, MA) played in 36 games, starting 35 of them. She batted .291 (30-for-103) with 17 runs, 30 hits, seven doubles, two triples, one home run, 17 RBI and a team-high ten sacrifice hits. She owned a .427 slugging percentage, a .342 on-base percentage and a .973 fielding percentage. As a pitcher, she appeared in 17 games, starting 16 of them. She was 8-6 with a 2.74 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched.

Freshman pitcher Kerianne Fuller (Lincoln, RI) appeared in seven games, starting one of them. She was 1-0 with a 0.62 ERA and five strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched.

Freshman third baseman Kelli McCartin (Cranston, RI) played in 23 games, starting 17 of them. She batted .186 (8-for-43) with six runs, eight hits, one double, two RBI and one stolen base.

Freshman infielder Kristen Pacheco (Bristol, RI) played in three games and scored two runs.

Freshman outfielder Ashley Vanasse (North Providence, RI) appeared in 18 games and scored four runs.

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