Softball Places Seven on MASCAC All-Conference Teams; Joe Hough Named Coach of the Year

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State University softball team led all teams with five MASCAC All-Conference First Team selections as a total of seven Owls were named to the league's all-conference teams as voted on by the coaches from around the conference. After finishing the season as the MASCAC regular season champions, Owls head coach Joe Hough was named the BSN Sports Coach of the Year in just his second season with the team.

The Worcester State duo of Emma Lanpher and Emily Bartlett have been named the 2024 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Year and head up the all-conference squad which is voted on by the coaches from around the conference.

Lanpher, a junior short stop from Charlton, Mass., closed out the season atop the conference in several statistical categories. She finished with the highest batting average at .434, most hits with 69, runs scored with 44 and doubles with 20 over her 159 at bats. She also knocked in 37 RBI, four triples, four stolen bases, 11 walks along with a .610 slugging percentage and .465 on-base percentage. For the week ending May 5, Lanpher was named MASCAC Player of the Week after she batted .538 (7-13) with two doubles, a triple, five RBI, two walks, stolen base and three runs scored with a .600 on-base percentage and .846 slugging percentage in a 3-1 week for the Lancers.

Joining Lanpher as a major award winner, Bartlett earns her second MASCAC Pitcher of the Year honor after receiving it in 2022. The senior from Lowell, Mass. was a strikeout machine for the Lancers, collecting a league-leading 174 (8.46 per game) while also finishing first in the conference with 16 wins, five shutouts, in ERA at 2.28, WHIP at 1.10 and batting average against at .189. She only allowed one triple and six home runs on the season. Bartlett earned Pitcher of the Week five times this season, including three in a row which culminated in the April 8 week where she Bartlett was 3-0 in three appearances, allowing seven hits, six runs (three earned) with a 1.31 ERA, 32 strikeouts and two walks in a 3-0 week for the Lancers.

Sarah Holler of Massachusetts Maritime was voted 2024 MASCAC Rookie of the Year to make it two in a row for the Buccaneers after teammate Ab'c'de Patane won it last season. Holler, a freshman from Hingham, Mass., registered the second-best batting average in the league at .418 with a .557 slugging percentage and .439 on-base percentage. She ended the regular season with six double, a triple, home run, 21 RBI, 33 hits, five runs scored, three walks and three stolen bases. Holler earned Rookie of the Week honors after she batted .429 (9-21) with three doubles, a triple, home run, nine RBI, walk, stolen base and four runs scored in a 5-1 week for the Buccaneers. Hit her first-career home run in a 12-5 win over Rivier. Went 3-for-6 with a triple, three RBI, stolen base and run scored in the doubleheader sweep of Fisher. Went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI in the 8-2 win over New England College.

Joining Lanpher and Bartlett on the first team are Bridgewater State's Makayla Ansell, Fitchburg State's Dana Cisowski, Framingham State's Gwendolyn Carpenter, and Kelsey McGuill, Salem State's Alaina Giuliano, Westfield State's Christina Ciampa, Abby Clark, Sarah Hough, Stephanie Scoville and Hannah Wodecki and Worcester State's Emma Lapoint.

Grabbing a spot on the MASCAC second team all-conference are Bridgewater State's Victoria Becker, Framingham State's Brooke Grassia, Caroline Hughes, Ally Moran and Shelby Roode, MCLA's Hailey Peacbody, Westfield State's Sarah Bingham and Jordyn Lummus and Worcester State's Bella Gasborro, Abigail Koziol and Bailey Tammaro.

For full softball all-conference teams, CLICK HERE