Lavinio & Kistner Earn All-New England Honors From the NFCA
NFCA Announces 2017 Division III All-Region Teams
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (May 16, 2017) – Senior shortstop Gabby Lavinio (Dalton, Mass.) and freshman utility player Aimee Kistner (Taunton, Mass.) of the Western New England University softball team have both been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-New England third team, the organization announced on Monday night.
Lavinio and Kistner are among 360 total NFCA All-Region selections and 45 All-New England performers. Players are nominated and then selected by NFCA member coaches in each of the eight NCAA Division III regions. Each regional squad is comprised of three 15-player teams.
Lavinio, a 2016 NFCA All-New England first team honoree, caps her career with another All-Region selection following a strong senior campaign. The Dalton, Mass. native was named to the All-Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) first team for the second consecutive year after batting .385 (40-for-104) with 15 doubles (1st in CCC), one triple, two home runs and 22 RBI through the end of the regular season. Lavinio also scored 27 runs and walked six times while stealing four bases. She posted a 17-game hitting streak from March 13–April 14 and recorded multiple hits in 12 of 35 games this season.
Kistner made an immediate impact for the Golden Bears both at the plate and in the circle during her first season with the program en route to Rookie of the Year and All-CCC second team accolades. Offensively, Kistner hit .396 (36-for-91) with seven doubles, one triple, four homers and 27 RBI while scoring 29 runs and drawing 19 walks. She emerged as one of the top players in the CCC over the second half of the season, batting .568 (21-for-37) with four doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI during a 14-game stretch from April 11-23. The Taunton, Mass. native was also a top pitcher for the Golden Bears, as she appeared in 15 games with nine starts (four complete games), posting a record of 6-4 with a 2.88 earned run average and 49 strikeouts in 73.0 innings.
Western New England's two representatives are the most in the CCC, which saw five players earn All-New England recognition. Gordon sophomore Megan Jenkerson was named to the second team, while Endicott junior Emily Sharpe and Roger Williams senior Meredith Moise joined Lavinio & Kistner on the third team.
Western New England finished the 2017 campaign with a 24-11 record, including 13-5 in CCC play. Lavinio and Kistner were among six Golden Bears to earn All-CCC recognition.
