2008-09 Softball Season Recap

The women’s softball team concluded the 2009 season with a .500 record at 19-19. New Paltz opened the season 4-0 after first year Samantha Barra (Islip, NY/Islip) hit a walk-off two run homer in the bottom of the ninth against Richard Stockton to defeat the Ospreys 9-7 before returning from Florida 6-6. The Hawks shutout seven teams on the year and defeated seven teams in five innings by the eight run rule. New Paltz won five doubleheader matches, split three and lost six.
Junior all-conference selection Melyssa Cilmi (Huntington Station, NY/Walt Whitman) was a versatile player all year and saw time at centerfield, third base and finished the season at shortstop. She started 36 games and hit .317 on the season with 38 hits and 25 runs scored, second most on the team in both categories. Justine Scutaro (Shoreham, NY/Shoreham-Wading River) batted a team hit .375 on the season with 42 hits; nine doubles and three homeruns; 27 RBI and 32 runs scored. Barra made an immediate impact on for the Hawks as she split time between third base and designated hitter in 37 games. Barra batted .324 with 38 hits and a team hit 29 RBI. Junior transfer Rose Dovi (Cortland, NY/Cortland) moved from designated player to centerfield and proved her bat was worthy of the lineup as she hit .343 on the year. She totaled 36 hits and 20 RBI with a .919 fielding percentage in 35 games played. Juniors Erin Fitzpatrick (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem Central) and Tori Kyle (Staten Island, NY/Curtis) joined Dovi in the outfield and combined for 44 hits and 53 RBI while sophomore Jordan Paley (Albany, NY/Albany) and first year Cassie Barcavage (Cold Spring, NY/Haldane) combined to make 289 putouts at first base. Dale Cornelius (Carle Place, NY/Carle Place) and Jenna Curcio (Conklin, NY/ Susquehanna Valley) split time at catcher with Cornelius hitting .280 at the plate and throwing out seven runners trying to steal. Curcio batted .245 and allowed just two passed balls on the season.
First year Devon Kelly (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) posted eight wins on the mound for the Hawks with a 3.02 earned run average. Kelly threw a team-high 60 strikeouts in 97 innings of work. She began to bat toward the end of the season and proved she belonged at the plate as she totaled nine hits in 24 at bats, including two homeruns. Sophomore Courtney Costello (Bayport, NY/Bayport-Blue) made 18 appearances in the circle with a 3.03 ERA and 28 strikeouts while first year Alyssa Oliva (Fishkill, NY/John Jay) posted a 3.09 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 56 inning of work.