Molinari Headlines Eight on AD3I All-Independent Teams as Co-Player of the Year

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Following an outstanding season behind the plate for the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) softball team, junior Cassandra Molinari (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) has been named the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) Co-Player of the Year, while freshman Samantha Rossi (Bayside, N.Y./Mary Louis) was tabbed Rookie of the Year and head coach Frank P. Carbone was chosen as Coach of the Year.

In total eight Lady Bears were named to the All-Independent Teams, surpassing last year's total of seven. Molinari, Rossi, freshman Kristin Ferrigno (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) and freshman Jamilynn McGowan (Staten Island, N.Y./Michael J. Petrides) were first team selections, while junior Jackie Perillo (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy), freshman Geena Campisi (Howard Beach, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy), senior Christina Quintana (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) and freshman Samantha Simon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) received second team accolades.

Molinari is named to the AD3I First Team for the second consecutive year and follows Danielle Marino who took home Co-Player of the Year honors last year as a catcher. Molinari had a career season for the Lady Bears, hitting a career-high .475 on the year with 28 runs scored and a team-high-tying 26 RBI. The junior also recorded eight doubles and had a team-best .606 slugging percentage in a team-high 99 at bats. The catcher/second baseman nailed a team-high 47 hits on the season, including her 100th career hit versus Sarah Lawrence on May 4th in style with her first home run of the season.

The HVIAC All-Conference selection and one-time USCAA and HVIAC Player of the Week was also strong from behind the dish, gunning down ten potential basestealers. Molinari was a tough out for opposing pitchers as she only struck out four times on the year and compiled a .491 on base percentage.

Rossi receives first team honors in her first season on campus and is first Lady Bear to receive Rookie of the Year honors from AD3I since Millicia Malvasio in 2010. Rossi was a pleasant surprise for St. Joseph's in her first year on campus, hitting .398 with a team-high-tying 26 RBI along with 24 runs scored.

The outfielder supplied a lot of power for the Lady Bears, knocking a team-high-tying two jacks and paced the team with ten doubles. The HVIAC All-Conference selection and one-time AD3I and HVIAC Player of the Week finished with a strong .580 slugging percentage and ended up with seven outfield assists.

Ferrigno had a solid rookie campaign for St. Joseph's, batting .386 with 21 RBI and 17 runs scored in 33 games. The two-time HVIAC Rookie of the Week ended the season with the third most hits on the team with 34 and accumulated five doubles in 92 at bats. The third baseman ended her strong freshman season with a .424 slugging percentage and .417 on base percentage. The HVIAC All-Conference selection reached base safely in a team-high-tying 11 games midway through the season and had nine multiple hit games for the Lady Bears.

McGowan was named to the first team as a pitcher and was solid in her first season going 9-8 with a 4.46 ERA in 92 2/3 innings with a team-high 54 strikeouts. The freshman tossed 13 complete games and was a part of four shutouts. McGowan also hit .500 on the year in 38 at bats finishing with 14 RBI and ten runs scored.

Perillo received second team recognition as a pitcher finishing the season with an 8-8 mark in the circle with a 6.84 ERA in 86.0 innings. The junior tossed a team-high 14 complete games and ended with 49 strikeouts. Perillo also hit .313 with 28 runs scored, two jacks and eight RBI.

Campisi earned second team honors as a first baseman after hitting .441 in 59 at bats with 16 RBI and 19 runs scored over the course of 32 games. The freshman ended the season with a .576 slugging percentage and an impressive .500 on base percentage along with five steals.

Quintana takes home the second team accolade as an outfielder for the first time in her four-year career as a Lady Bear. The USCAA All-Academic Team selection was a key contributor off the bench hitting .385 in 26 at bats with eight RBI, five runs scored and three doubles in 20 games.

Simon is named to the second team as a utility player after her first season on campus. The HVIAC All-Conference Team recipient was another important contributor from St. Joseph's large freshman class as she hit .356 with a team-high 32 runs scored in 33 games. The shortstop contributed 18 RBI and nailed her first collegiate home run at New Rochelle on April 21st. The one-time HVIAC Player of the Week also recorded six doubles and had a team-high seven stolen bases on the year.

Carbone receives Coach of the Year recognition from AD3I for the third time and first since 2010 and adds that to his three HVWAC Coach of the Year awards.