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Lori Mayhew Repeats as CCC Coach of the Year

Lori Mayhew Repeats as CCC Coach of the Year

CCC Release

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (April 28, 2016) -
Western New England University head softball coach Lori Mayhew '95 has been named the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, it was announced this afternoon along with the league's major award winners and All-Conference selections.
 
Mayhew led the Golden Bears to a 15-3 record in CCC play (22-16 overall) and the top seed in the upcoming CCC Tournament, which Western New England will host. The Golden Bears, who were picked third in the CCC Preseason Coaches Poll, captured their first conference title in program history last spring.
 
Under Mayhew's guidance, Western New England earned a pair of major CCC awards as senior Heidi Grieger (Hyde Park, N.Y.) was named Pitcher of the Year and junior shortstop Gabby Lavinio (Dalton, Mass.) collected Offensive Player of the Year honors. Grieger and Lavinio were among four Golden Bears to earn All-CCC first team recognition, joining senior first baseman Heather Fecteau (Biddeford, Maine) and senior outfielder Alexis Bukowski (Wallingford, Conn.). Additionally, junior catcher Corianna DeLisi (Tuxedo, N.Y.) and senior third baseman McKenzie Pezze (Albany, N.Y.) were named to the All-CCC second and third teams, respectively.
 
Western New England struggled during its season-opening trip to Florida with a 3-7 record in the Sunshine State, but the Golden Bears caught fire after heading back north.
 
Mayhew earned her 499th and 500th career victories as Western New England swept a doubleheader from Smith on March 24, and the team proceeded to win seven of its next eight games, including a pair of wins over CCC preseason favorite Salve Regina on April 9. The Golden Bears clinched the top seed in the CCC Tournament with their 6-0 triumph over the University of New England on April 24.
 
Western New England boasted one of the top offenses in the conference all season, ranking first in the CCC in batting average (.313), slugging percentage (.443), home runs (20) and hits (347) while scoring the second most runs (188). The Golden Bears also shined in the field, posting a .961 fielding percentage with 14 double plays, both of which topped the CCC. Led by Grieger, Western New England's 3.08 earned run average was the third lowest in the conference during the regular season.
 
Now in her 20th season at the helm of the softball program, Mayhew owns a career record of 517-284-2 (.645). She was inducted into the Downes Athletic Hall of Fame as a player in 2001.