5 GENERALS EARN ALL-AMERICAN SOFTBALL HONORS
Photo, clockwise from upper left: Jess Patterelli, Toni Secreti, Steph Siriano, Tina Karaqi, Ashley Sterritt, and Sammy Smaldone
Five Herkimer Softball Players Named to All-American Teams
Herkimer, NY— Five members of the Herkimer County Community College national championship women’s softball team have been named to NJCAA All-American Teams. First team selections include freshman catcher Samantha Smaldone (Delmar), sophomore infielder Jessica Patterelli (Canastota) and sophomore outfielder Stephanie Siriano (Sherrill).
Making second team All-American are freshman DP/Utility Delaney Buckley (Utica) and freshman pitcher Toni Secreti (Baldswinville). Siriano and Patterelli are the first two-year first team All-Americans in the history of the Herkimer softball program.
Head Coach PJ Anadio said, “I am very proud of these young ladies being named NJCAA All-Americans. There are only 22 spots to be filled from the entire country, so for Herkimer to be recognized with five is amazing and a true sign of respect for the program. This is also a team accomplishment. Without the rest of the team pushing these five day in and day out to achieve excellence, they wouldn’t be where they are today.”
The Herkimer County Community College women’s softball team won the 2013 National Junior College Athletic Association Division III National Championship on Saturday, May 18 in Rochester Minnesota. The Generals had a 4-0 record in the national tournament and a season ending record of 43-2. They also won the NJCAA Region III women’s softball championship.
Siriano was named the Region III Player of the Year and Patterelli was named to the Region III All-Tournament Team. Siriano, Secreti, Patterelli, Smaldone and Buckley were named to the First Team All-Region.
Ashley Sterritt (Accord), Rebekah Kitchen (Delmar), Secreti and Siriano were named to the All Tournament Team at the World Series. The National Tournament MVP was awarded to Tina Karaqi (Thornwood) who was also awarded the Outstanding Offensive Player award. Secreti was recognized with the Outstanding Pitcher Award for the tournament.
HCCC 5 BROOKDALE 2 GENERALS NATIONAL CHAMPS! NJCAA WORLD SERIES
MHTS update: 5/18
HCCC 5, Brookdale 2, Generals win NJCAA Division III championship, their first. More to follow.
They’re national champions.
The Herkimer County Community College Generals defeated Brookdale Community College of New Jersey 5-2 late Saturday night, claiming the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III softball title.
It’s the first national championship for the program, which split four games and finished fifth in last year’s tournament. HCCC, 43-2, is ranked second in the nation and were seeded second. Brookdale is ranked first and was the top seed.
The Generals got three hits, including a home run, from Tina Karaqi, another homer from Steph Siriano, and two RBIs from Ashley Sterritt. Toni Secreti went the distance for the victory, scattering eight hits and escaping a jam when Brookdale loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the seventh.
Coach P.J. Anadio’s team, the Region III champions, won all four of its games in Minnesota.
ROCHESTER, Minn.-Courtesy NJCAA
Herkimer County Community College’s softball team moved to within a victory of a national championship Saturday after rallying for a 6-5 victory over Dutchess Community College in the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament.
The Generals, 42-2, were scheduled to play either Dutchess or Brookdale Community College for the title at approximately 9 p.m. Eastern time tonight, with another game possible at 11 p.m. or later in the double-elimination tourney.
Tina Karaqi had three hits and three RBIs to lead HCCC, and knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Generals had trailed 5-1 before tying the game with four runs in the sixth.
Karaqi drove home a run in the sixth, Alyssa Balfe delivered a two-run single, and number nine hitter Courtney Gomprecht singled to tie the game. In the seventh, Steph Siriano singled, stole second, went to third on two-strike bunt by Delaney Buckley, and scored on Karagi’s drive.
Sammy Smaldone added two hits for HCCC and Jess Patterelli earned the victory, pitching three innings in relief of Toni Secreti.
MHTS update: 5/17
NJCAA Softball World Series
HCCC 12 Anne Arundel 1 Game one
HCCC 12 Rock Valley 2-Game two
Generals stun Rock Valley 12-2
Rochester, Minnesota – Eight teams began play in the NJCAA National Softball Championship Tournament on Thursday. At the end of the day only two teams remained unbeaten: Herkimer CCC and Dutchess CC.
Herkimer was the #2 seed in this elite eight tournament, so it was not surprising that the Generals earned wins in each of the first two rounds. Dutchess, however, was the #8 seed. They proceeded to upset #1-seeded Brookdale CC in the first round, and they downed #4 Monroe CC in the second round.
Herkimer 12-Rock Valley 2
The Rock Valley College (Illinois) Golden Eagles were the tournament’s #3 seed. They brought a record of 31-10 into their game with the Generals. A close contest was expected, but that did not happen.
Herkimer took a 3-0 lead in the first inning with a Delaney Buckley triple and a Tina Karaqi sacrifice fly. But that was just the beginning.
Toni Secreti was in the circle for HCCC. She held the Golden Eagles scoreless for the first two innings.
The Generals came to bat in their half of the second inning, and they put the game away scoring seven runs on six hits while sending 13 batters to the plate. Rebekah Kitchen led off the frame with a home run to center field – her second round-tripper of the day.Jessica Patterelli doubled to left. Buckley brought in a run with a productive out. Courtney Gumprecht doubled to right. Three other Generals – Karaqi, Ashley Sterritt, and Kitchen – singled. When the dust settled, Herkimer owned a 10-0 lead.
HCCC added two more runs in the third inning. The big blow was a Karaqi clout that cleared the left field fence. It was Karaqi’s fifth homer of the season.
Secreti was in good form and was en route to her 15th win of the season. The Golden Eagles scratched two runs in the fourth inning, but Secreti set them down one-two-three in the fifth and final inning of the game that was shortened by the run rule.
Herkimer had earned a 12-2 win and a place in the huge Friday game.
Friday contest
The Generals and the Falcons of Dutchess CC (Poughkeepsie, NY) are to meet at 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday. The tournament is a double-elimination event. Thus, the winner of Friday’s game will move directly to the championship game(s) at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. If they win that game, they will be the national champions.
The loser of Friday’s contest will have a more difficult challenge. They will have to win a game at 1:00 on Saturday in order to qualify for the championship game(s). If Friday’s loser should win the 3:00 championship game, then both of the competing teams would have one loss, and a deciding game would be played after the 3:00 game.
