LANCASTER, Pa. – After leading the way to the playoffs in a breakthrough campaign, six members of the Ursinus College softball team garnered All-Centennial Conference honors.
Senior shortstop Kayla Quinn and senior outfielder Sammi Donato were named to the first team; sophomore catcher Amanda Ladzinski and freshman designated player Mackenzie Brennan were selected to the second team; and freshman pitcher Kayla McTamney and sophomore outfielder Morgan Comfort received honorable mention.
The six all-conference honorees are the most for the Bears since 2008, when they had seven.
Quinn was a steady presence in the middle of the infield and the middle of the order, batting .314 and leading the team with two home runs, 29 RBI, and a .537 slugging percentage. The senior tops the Centennial with eight triples and also ranks fifth in RBI and total bases (65) and eighth in slugging. Quinn was second on the Bears with 38 hits and added five doubles and six stolen bases, eclipsing 100 career hits during the year.
Donato was one of the toughest outs in the conference, leading the league with a robust .411 batting average over 73 at-bats and pacing Ursinus with a .476 on-base percentage. Functioning as a second leadoff hitter out of the ninth spot in the order, Donato drove in 12 runs with five doubles, 15 runs scored, and three stolen bases.
Ladzinski became the primary starter at catcher and took full advantage, batting .305 with a .431 on-base percentage, a home run, and 10 RBI over 32 games. She scored 15 runs and hit three doubles.
Brennan took over the leadoff role and flourished as a table-setter, batting .371 with a team-best 39 hits. She ranked sixth in the conference in batting average and recorded 15 of her 24 RBI in CC play, good for second in the league. Striking out just five teams all season, Brennan notched eight doubles and a home run in addition to five stolen bases.
McTamney came on strong in the second half of the season, becoming the team's ace and helping to transform the Bears into a championship contender. The rookie right-hander finished 6-5 with a 3.06 ERA in the circle, at one point collecting a CC pitcher of the week nod after tossing 18.2 consecutive scoreless innings in a trio of starts. McTamney threw a six-hit shutout against No. 11 Moravian and added a four-hit shutout at Washington College.
Comfort continued to be a dangerous presence in the middle of the Bears' lineup, hitting .346 with a team-high 10 doubles, a home run, and 21 RBI. She was third on the team in hits (37) and runs (24), adding a triple and seven stolen bases to her ledger. Comfort ranked second for the Bears in on-base percentage (.434) and slugging percentage (.486) and was a solid starter in the circle, going 5-3 with a 3.32 ERA over 15 appearances (eight starts).
Additionally, senior Samantha Garritano was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team. Garritano batted .260 with three RBI and five stolen bases in 26 games.
The Bears finished 20-19-1 overall and 10-6 in conference play, earning the third seed in the CC Tournament and their first playoff berth since 2012.