Chiaramonte Takes Top AD3I Softball Honors as Seven Named to All-Independent Teams

OVERLAND PARK, KS - For the third year in a row, senior Alyson Chiaramonte took home top billing, named the 2012 Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) Softball Co-Player and Co-Pitcher of the Year as the 2012 All-Independent Softball Teams were announced last week.  In total, seven Lady Bears received year-end recognition, with Lisa Scheer, Danielle Marino and Andrea Sideli joining Chiaramonte as first team selections and Caitlyn Kakavas and Cassandra Molinari and Jackie Perillo earning second team honors.

The seven All-Independent first and second team selections improve upon the five honorees last season.  St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) finished with a 27-12 record, most wins among AD3I member schools.

Chiaramonte concludes her four-year career as one of the most decorated student-athletes in St. Joseph's College history, named to the AD3I First Team All-Independent, United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) All-American Team, and Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference (HVWAC) All-Conference Team all four years. A two-time AD3I Student-Athlete of the Year, Chiaramonte receives Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors for the second time in her career, sharing the distinction with Finlandia University senior Brittany Garland.

Chiaramonte was a force in the circle and at the plate, compiling an 18-8 record with a 1.11 ERA over 164 innings of work.  The Staten Island, NY native recorded 12 shutouts, which included two perfect games and two no hitters, striking out 208 against only 18 walks.  Chiaramonte was the team's leading hitter with a .419 batting average, collecting 49 hits, four home runs, 29 RBI and 30 runs scored.  Entering the final week of the season, she was ranked in the top 10 in Division III in three statistical categories and in the top 20 in three more categories.

Scheer, a senior third baseman/pitcher, receives All-Independent honors for the fourth time in her career, a three-time First Team selection, earning the distinction for the first time as a third baseman. The Bayside, NY native was effective at the plate, leading the team in on-base percentage (.471) and doubles (14) and ranked third on the team in batting average (.374), runs (26) and RBI (27).  Scheer also appeared in 15 games in the circle, making 14 starts, compiling a 9-4 record with 3.30 ERA and 58 strikeouts.

Marino was a versatile player seeing significant time behind the plate, at second base and also in the outfield, earning herself her second straight First Team selection as a utility player. Over the final 12 games of the season, the junior from Maspeth, NY was one of the team's hottest hitters, hitting in all but three games collecting a team-best 16 hits to compile a .485 batting average and .758 slugging percentage. Marino lifted her average over 130 points to finish with .348 for the season with 15 RBI, and 20 runs scored, also stealing seven bases without getting caught.

Sideli, a junior outfielder/first baseman from Brooklyn, NY, earns First Team honors for the first time in her career after being named to the second team last season.  Sideli assembled her finest season as a Lady Bear, finishing with a .342 batting average with 25 hits, 23 RBI, and 11 runs.  Like Marino, Sideli also had a strong second half of the season and was one of the team's top run producers, driving in 19 RBI including a five-RBI game against Lehman which earned her first AD3I Player of the Week nod.

Kakavas, a senior catcher/third baseman, is named to the All-Independent team for the third time in her career and is a two-time second team selection. Kakavas led the team with 31 RBI and nine stolen bases without getting caught.  The Bayside, NY native assembled a team-leading 12-game hitting streak, which helped her finish as the team's second-leading hitter with a .388 batting average, .571 slugging percentage, 38 hits, two home runs and 29 runs.

Molinari, a freshman second baseman/catcher, had a solid rookie campaign, batting .333 with a .444 slugging percentage collecting 27 hits, 21 runs, 18 RBI, six doubles and a home run.  A solid fielder, she went 26 games and 76 chances before committing her first error. For the week ending April 15, Molinari earned USCAA Player of the Week honors batting .750 (12-for-16) and accumulating a team-leading 12 runs, eight RBI, three doubles over a six-game stretch.

Perillo, a freshman centerfielder, also made big contributions in her rookie season, starting in 36 games this season, second most on the team. Perillo spent part of the season hitting leadoff for the Lady Bears and finished with a .315 batting average and .380 on-base percentage. The Howard Beach, NY native knocked 28 hits and scored 25 runs, ranked fourth on the team, also driving in 15 runs.  Perillo solidified the Lady Bears outfield committing only one error all season.   

The All-Independent softball teams were selected by the softball coaches from AD3I member schools.