2015 HockomockSports Softball Awards

King Philip junior pitcher Kali Magane has been named the 2015 HockomockSports.com Softball Player of the Year. Magane led the Warriors to a ninth straight league title and fifth straight Kelley-Rex Division title. She was also chosen as a Hockomock All-Star by the league’s coaches and as a sophomore was selected as this site’s Underclassman of the Year.

“Kali is a dual threat as both a dominant pitcher and also as a power threat in the middle of the order,” said HockomockSports.com Managing Editor Josh Perry. “She is the kind of player that can win games on her own. Not only would Kali shut teams down in the circle but then she would come to the plate and help her own cause with a clutch hit.”

Magane finished the regular season with a league-leading ERA of 0.28 and a record of 14-1. In 99.1 innings pitched this spring, Magane struck out 159 opposing hitters, good for second in the Hockomock, while only walking 18. She also won two games in the playoffs and KP was only knocked out in extra innings against eventual state finalist Silver Lake.

At the plate, Magane also had impressive numbers. She batted .410 with three homers and had a team-high 18 RBI. Magane had 25 hits this season batting in the third spot in the KP lineup.

Magane is the third pitcher to win the award, following Shannon Smith of Milford and Meg Colleran of North Attleboro, and the first player from King Philip. She is also only the third player in any sport to earn the site’s Underclassman of the Year and Player of the Year awards (Katherine Tamulionis, Foxboro basketball, and Hannah Friend, Oliver Ames field hockey, were the others).

Honorable Mention: Allie Piergustavo, Milford – Kelly Reading, Taunton – Aimee Kistner, Taunton

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The 2015 HockomockSports.com Starting Lineup

Catcher – Taylor LeBrun, Milford
Milford senior Taylor LeBrun was a rock behind the dish and in the middle of the order for the Hawks this spring. Returning from an injury that cost her the majority of her junior season, LeBrun hit .450 for the Davenport champions with eight doubles, three triples, and six home runs. She drove in 34 runs and had an on base percentage of .447. LeBrun is also a top defensive catcher and helped work with Milford’s young pitching staff to lead the Hawks to the D1 South quarterfinals.
 
 

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First Base – Allie Piergustavo, Milford
Milford’s senior first baseman was one of the most feared hitters in the Hockomock over the past two seasons and wrapped up her career with an outstanding season that also saw her chosen as an All-Star by the coaches. Piergustavo hit .463 with a .477 on base percentage. She had eight doubles, six homers, and drove in 30 runs to lift the Hawks to the Davenport title and the D1 South quarterfinal. The St. Bonaventure-commit put up these numbers despite most teams trying to pitch around her.
 
 

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Second Base – Meghan Navarro, Taunton
Meghan Navarro was a spark offensively for the Tigers in the five-hole helping Taunton make a charge to the D1 South Sectional Final for the first time since 2007. The junior had career highs with a .446 average, 24 runs scored, three homers, and 34 RBI batting behind the prolific pair of Jordan Wade and Aimee Kistner. In addition to her work at the plate, Navarro is also a solid defensive second baseman and was chosen as an All-Star by the league’s coaches.
 
 

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Shortstop – Ashley Hession, King Philip
King Philip’s dynamic shortstop is no slouch at the plate but it is Hession’s work in the field that gives her the edge at one of the deepest positions in the Hock. She rarely ends a game with a clean uniform, as she is frequently making diving stops or laying out to snag a liner. Coupling quickness with a strong arm, Hession is one of the top defensive shortstops in the state. She helped the Warriors offensively with a batting average of .333 with three homers and 12 RBI as well as 17 runs scored.
 
 

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Third Base – Ashley Cuneo, Mansfield
Ashley Cuneo was one of the players that helped push the Hornets back into the tournament for the first time in four seasons. The senior third baseman scored 13 runs while batting .324 this spring. She had 22 hits and drove in five runs for the Hornets while also being a solid defensive option at the hot corner. Cuneo was named an honorable mention All-Star by the coaches.
 
 

 

 

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Outfield – Erin Hanley, Franklin
Franklin’s senior centerfielder was one of the Panthers most consistent performers over the course of the season. At the top of the Franklin lineup, Hanley hit .333 with a team-high of 81 plate appearances. She scored 17 runs, drove in seven and showed some pop to go along with her speed by hitting six doubles and two triples this season. Hanley was also a solid defensive outfielder who reads the game well. She helped Franklin reach the second round of the D1 South tournament.
 
 

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Outfield – Kelly Reading, Taunton
Kelly Reading was chosen as the Hockomock League MVP this spring as the lead-off hitter for Taunton’s powerful offense. Reading had an amazing 95 plate appearances this season and batted .421. She scored 31 runs and drove in 10. She had four doubles and a triple and also was a threat with her legs stealing nine bases. The senior is also an excellent outfielder combining the speed to track down hits and a strong throwing arm that led to several assists this season.
 
 

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Outfield – Brianna Sebio, Mansfield
King Philip right fielder Brianna Sebio is another player that makes playing the outfield look very easy. The senior had six outfield assists, 30 putouts and zero errors helping KP claim another Kelley-Rex title and reach the D1 South semifinal. Sebio is also a threat at the plate in the middle of the Warriors lineup. She batted .455 this season with 30 hits. Sebio hit one homer and drove in seven runs for KP. She was also chosen as an All-Star by the league’s coaches.
 
 

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Designated Player – Renee Poirier, King Philip
KP senior Renee Poirier had another great season at the plate for the Kelley-Rex champion Warriors. Poirier, who is heading to West Point next season, hit .391 with four homers and 15 RBI despite missing a couple of games early in the season. Poirier was also solid in the circle with an ERA of 1.56 over 18 innings, striking out 34 while only walking one batter. She was named an All-Star by the league’s coaches and led KP to the D1 South semifinal.
 
 

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Bench

Brie Flaherty, Franklin
Flaherty, who was also recognized as a top catcher last year, was a source of power in the Franklin lineup and a leader from behind the plate for the Panthers. The senior hit .314 this season with six doubles, three homers, and 19 RBI. The UMass Dartmouth-commit is one of the top players at arguably the league’s deepest position and was chosen as an All-Star by the league’s coaches while helping the Panthers reach the second round of the tournament.
 
 

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Jamie Gottwald, Oliver Ames
Jamie Gottwald was Oliver Ames most consistent power threat this year, as the Tigers finished second in the Davenport and reached the second round of the tournament. The junior hit .449 this spring and only struck out six times all season. She hit three homers, four doubles, and a triple for a slugging percentage of .710. She drove in 12 runs and scored 18 times. Gottwald was chosen as an All-Star by the league’s coaches.
 
 

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Emily Knobel, North Attleboro
Emily Knobel excelled for North Attleboro at several positions this season. Coach Bill Wallace called his senior captain the team’s “emotional leader” and she led the Rocketeers with 17 runs scored. Knobel batted .400 with an OBP of .447. She started the season behind the plate and threw out seven would-be base stealers before moving to shortstop to fill in for an injury and she had a .921 fielding percentage. Knobel was selected as a Hockomock All-Star.
 
 

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Emily Piergustavo, Milford
Milford’s freshman middle infielder is one of only two underclassmen on this list. Emily Piergustavo was a revelation in her first season with the Hawks, hitting .440 with a homer and 21 RBI. She had 33 hits on the season, including nine doubles, and 25 runs scored. Piergustavo was also outstanding in the field at both second and short.Piergustavo was also a Hockomock All-Star this season. She was chosen as the HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year (see below).
 
 

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Jordan Wade, Taunton
Junior shortstop Jordan Wade continued her outstanding career at Taunton with another All-Star season for the Tigers. Wade, who just finished her fourth season on varsity, batted .349 with three doubles and a triple this year and drove in 26 runs. She is also a solid defensive player who rarely makes mistakes. Wade, who was the starting shortstop in last year’s list, is one of the reasons that Taunton’s offense was explosive enough to reach the D1 South final.
 
 

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The 2015 HockomockSports.com Pitching Rotation

Ali Atherton, Milford
Sophomore Ali Atherton joins her teammate Emily Piergustavo as the only underclassmen on this list. Atherton emerged this spring as Milford’s ace with a 1.75 ERA and a 10-3 record for the Davenport champions. She had 10 complete games and pitched 96 innings while striking out 70 and only walking 21. Her season also included a great performance against state finalist Silver Lake that Milford pulled out in extra innings.
 
 

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Aimee Kistner, Taunton
Taking over in the circle this spring, Aimee Kistner won 20 games for Taunton and led the Tigers to the sectional final. Kistner finished the season 20-2 and struck out 108 batters in 129 innings. She has a career ERA of 1.57. The junior is also a force in the lineup and one of Taunton’s top hitters. Although she finished without a homerun this spring, Kistner was one fo the team leaders in RBI. She was selected as an All-Star by Hockomock coaches.
 
 

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Maddie Letendre, Mansfield
Mansfield junior Maddie Letendre was the driving force behind the Hornets return to the postseason. Letendre threw 138.2 innings this season with an ERA of 1.41. She struck out 226 batters and walked only 35. Letendre also threw three no hitters and a one-hitter this season and recorded five shutouts while winning 11 games. She was also selected by the coaches as a Hockomock League All-Star.
 
 

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Sabrina LoMonaco, Franklin
The Franklin senior had a nother solid spring in the circle for the Panthers. As Franklin’s ace, LoMonaco threw more than 115 innings this season and finished with an 11-8 record and a 1.64 ERA. LoMonaco struck out 106 batters whie walking only 38 and she finished with an imppresive WHIP of 1.16. She was named a league All-Star by the coaches and helped lead the Panthers into the second round of the D1 South sectional.
 
 

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Kali Magane, King Philip
Kali Magane burst onto the scene last year wand was named HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year. Magane raised it to another level this year to help the Warriors win the Kelley-Rex. She finished the regular season with a miniscule ERA of 0.28. In 99.1 innings pitched, Magane struck out 159 and only walked 18. She also hit .410 with three homers and 18 RBI to push KP into the sectional semifinal. Magane was selected as an All-Star and was named HockomockSports.com Player of the Year (see above).
 
 

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Milford freshman Emily Piergustavo has been named the third annual HockomockSports.com Softball Underclassman of the Year after an outstanding rookie season in which she was one of the league’s leading hitters for the Davenport Division champions.

Piergustavo played both shortstop and second base for the Hawks, stepping right into the lineup  and displaying poise and talent that belied her inexperience at the varsity level. Piergustavo batted .440 this season with and OBP of .475. She was one of the league leaders with 21 RBI and also scored 25 runs. She also showed some power with a home run and nine doubles.

“Milford has a history of having underclassmen step in and produce right away and Emily took that to another level this season,” said HockomockSports.com Managing Editor Josh Perry. “She looked like a veteran whether it was stepping into the box or making plays in the field. It’s no surprise that she is already getting college interest.”

Piergustavo is the first Milford player to win this award and also the first freshman, following King Philip’s Renee Poirier in 2013 and Kali Magane in 2014.

Honorable Mention: Ali Atherton, Milford – Maggie Farrell, Milford – Kya Enos – Taunton

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Coach of the Year – Dave Lewry, Taunton
Taunton head coach Dave Lewry has been named the third annual HockomockSports.com Softball Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to the Div. 1 South final. This is Lewry’s second straight Coach of the Year award.

“Coach Lewry continues to build a program that can compete with the best in the state year in, year out,” said HockomockSports.com Managing Editor Josh Perry. “The Tigers lost some key pieces from last year’s team but Dave always puts out a team that is as prepared as any in the state.”

Lewry guided the Tigers to a 23-3 overall record and finished second to King Philip by a game in the Kelley-Rex Division. Taunton advanced to its first sectional final since 2007 and in the process Lewry set a program record for career wins as coach.

Honorable Mention: Norm Beauchemin, King Philip – Steve DiVitto, Milford – Lori Letendre, Mansfield