Chiaramonte AD3I Pitcher of the Year; Eight Lady Bears Named to All-Independent Teams
OVERLAND PARK, KS – Junior Alyson Chiaramonte (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic) concluded her dominant season in the circle as the Association of Division III Independent's (AD3I) Pitcher of the Year. Chiaramonte was also one of three Lady Bears to be named to the AD3I All-Independent First Team. Junior Caitlyn Kakavas (Bayside, NY/St. Agnes) and sophomore Danielle Marino (Maspeth, NY/Mary Louis) joined Chiaramonte on the First Team squad.
In total, a record eight Lady Bears were recognized by the Association. Lisa Scheer (Bayside, NY/Mary Louis) and Andrea Sideli (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) were named to the Second Team and Millicia Malvasio (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney), Jackie Marinello (Brooklyn, NY/Fontbonne Hall) and Jillian Troise (Brooklyn, NY/Bishop Kearney) received All-Independent Honorable Mentions.
Chiaramonte, last year's AD3I Player of the Year, is the first Lady Bear to be named Pitcher of the Year in school history. She reached 17 wins for the second consecutive season and finished with a 1.11 ERA. In 120 innings, Chiaramonte struck out 154 batters and walked only 12, finishing in the top-five in all major categories in the association. She threw her second career perfect game against City Tech on March 28th. In addition to pitching, Chiaramonte was also one of the top hitters in the AD3I. She was fourth with a .478 batting average and fifth with a .527 on base percentage. The pitcher/outfielder also finished third with 47 hits and fourth with 37 RBI, while striking out only five times.
Kakavas was named to the All-Independent First Team as a catcher and receives the honor for the first time in her career. Kakavas was a Second Team All-Independent selection her freshman year, but had a down year last year only to regain her form for a banner year. She hit .446 with 27 runs and 32 RBI while slugging .675 and getting on base at a .530 clip. The catcher/third baseman finished in the top-ten in the AD3I in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, RBI, doubles (11), total bases (56) and was a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen base opportunities. She committed only one error in the field between the two positions, amassing a .995 fielding percentage.
Marino, a second team All-Independent second baseman her freshman year, was named to the All-Independent First Team as a utility player. Marino saw her most action at second base and catcher, but also spent some time in the outfield. She finished second in the AD3I in on base percentage and tied for third with 37 runs scored. Her .437 average was third on the team and seventh in the Association. Marino has a keen eye at the plate, drawing 22 walks which tied her for second with teammate Lisa Scheer in the AD3I. She also only struck out six times in 82 at bats. An all around player, Marino also stole a team-high tying ten bases while getting thrown out just once. Behind the dish Marino displayed her strong arm, gunning four out of 12 potential base stealers and picked off two runners at first base.
Scheer, a pitcher/third baseman, has been named All-Independent for the third time in her career. Scheer earned Second Team nominations as a pitcher after compiling a 9-6 record with a 3.98 ERA. She also struck out 73 batters and finished in the top five the AD3I in all three categories. Scheer also saw a productive season at the plate as the Lady Bears number three-hitter. She was in the top ten in the AD3I in slugging percentage (.533) and on base percentage (.500). Her 22 walks tied Marino for the team lead and were second in the association.
Sideli gets recognized for her play for the first time in her career. The sophomore outfielder was named to the All-Independent Second Team. Sideli was fifth on the team with a 21 RBI and her three triples tied her for third in the AD3I. She finished the year batting .306 and nine of her 19 hits went for extra bases. A slick fielder, Sideli did not commit a single error all season long.
Marinello earned All-Independent Honorable Mention as an outfielder for her senior campaign. This is the second straight year Marinello has been recognized by the AD3I. The four-year veteran batted .292 and notched a .462 on base percentage. She collected nine RBI and scored 13 runs for the Lady Bears. Marinello had 14 hits, two doubles and two triples and walked 12 times.
Last year's AD3I Rookie of the Year, Malvasio again earned a spot on the All-Independent Team. The sophomore shortstop was named All-Independent Honorable Mention. She hit .330 from the leadoff spot and scored a team-high tying 37 runs. The 37 runs tied her for third in the association. Malvasio led the team with 103 at bats. She gathered 34 hits, nine for extra bases and drove in 16 runs while stealing five bases in six attempts. A solid defender, Malvasio committed just six errors at short in 66 chances.
Rounding out the honorees, Troise is an All-Independent Honorable Mention selection at second base for the first time in her career. The junior batted .316 in 38 at bats. A clutch hitter, Troise collected ten RBI on 12 hits. Her knowledge of the strike zone helped her draw 12 walks and a .490 on base percentage. Troise also scored 13 runs and was a perfect 2-for-2 on stolen base attempts.
The All-Independent softball teams were selected by the softball coaches from AD3I member schools.