McGuinness and LaFrance earn honors from LEC as Corsairs finish sixth overall with a 5-9 record

(Dartmouth, MA) -- With only three returning veterans back and a roster filled with 16 newcomers to the program, UMass Dartmouth softball coach Marilyn Ritz wasn't quite sure what to expect for the Spring 2001 season.

By the time the season was over, Ritz and her Corsairs were pleasantly surprised at UMass Dartmouth's season which concluded with a 12-19-2 overall record. The Corsairs were 5-9 in the Little East Conference, good enough for a sixth place finish and a spot in the LEC Championship Tournament at season's end. Despite a 5-3 loss to Keene State in the LEC quarterfinals, the Corsairs developed several solid starters for next year's team while receiving outstanding contributions from a pair of players.

Two members of UMass Dartmouth's softball team were Little East Conference Second-Team All-Star selections at the end of the season. Senior co-captain Jen McGuinness (E. Taunton, MA) was selected at the utility player position and first-year player Alisha LaFrance (Fall River, MA) was selected in the outfield.

McGuinness completed an outstanding four-year career in both field hockey and softball for the Corsairs by leading UMass Dartmouth in hitting with a .351 average and 11 RBI. McGuinness also led the Corsairs in several other offensive categories, including runs (tied for 1st, 20), total bases (48), doubles (8), sacrifices (10), and slugging percentage (.511).

A first-year performer for the Corsairs, LaFrance worked her way into the starting lineup and was a key contributor throughout the season. LaFrance hit .324 for the Corsairs, second best on the squad, while finishing third with 10 RBI. McGuinness and LaFrance tied for the team lead in hits (33) and runs scored (20).

UMass Dartmouth also received solid offensive contributions from two other players. First-year infielder Meghan Fenton (Dartmouth, MA) finished second in team batting average at .338 in 26 games plus 22 hits, 14 runs scored, 28 total bases and a team-leading .357 on-base percentage. Sophomore catcher and co-captain Lauren Johnson (W. Boylston, MA) was UMass Dartmouth's RBI leader with 15 to go along with her 23 hits, 26 total bases and .256 batting average.

The Corsairs developed a pair of first-line pitchers in sophomore Sara Charbonneau (New Bedford, MA) and first-year player Mary Beth Lima (Norton, MA). With a pair of pitchers to carry the load, Ritz was able to split the pitching duties during the season and keep both pitchers fresh. Charbonneau appeared in 19 games for the Corsairs, posting a 6-10 won-loss record with one save. In 103 2/3 innings, Charbonneau had 37 strikeouts and walked 41 plus a 3.85 ERA, including a shutout. Lima finished with a 5-9 record, a 3.30 ERA in 20 games with 28 walks and 27 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings.

The Corsairs played their best softball of the season in the first two weeks of April, putting together a 7-2 record. Among the Corsairs' best wins of the season were a 7-3 win over Wheaton and a pair of doubleheader sweeps of Mass. Maritime Academy and UMass Boston.