HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (June 17, 2011) - In 2009, the Centenary softball team finished second in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and the ECAC South Tournaments while breaking program-records in wins and conference victories. In 2010, the team broke those records, placed third in the CSAC Tournament and again earned an ECAC South Tournament berth. Despite two years of unprecedented success, the team posted the best season in the history of the program in 2011.

Sophomore Cara Montferrat, the 2010 CSAC Rookie of the Year, was named CSAC Player of the Year after batting .471 (56-for-119) with 41 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs and 47 RBI. She slugged .840, walked 25 times and recorded an on-base percentage of .573. She also earned First Team All-CSAC Catcher and First Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-East-Region Catcher accolades.

Montferrat was joined on the CSAC First Team by junior outfielder Caitlin Veverka and senior pitcher Kristin Durborow. Veverka also earned First Team NFCA All-East-Region accolades after batting .385 (55-for-143) with 51 runs, four doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and 36 RBI and Durborow finished the year 13-6 with a 2.73 ERA and 11 complete games, six shutouts and 145 strikeouts.

Senior Sarah Olsen and freshman Meagan Madsen earned Second Team All-CSAC Utility and Pitcher honors, respectively, and freshman Katie Ciecwisz, junior Jen Vasta and seniors Nicole Fleming and Ali Knapp earned All-CSAC Honorable Mention accolades. Vasta was named Third Team NFCA All-East-Region Outfield.

The Cyclones went 26-12 during the regular season, including a 19-3 mark in CSAC, setting a program-record in conference victories. CC placed second in the CSAC to earn a first-place bye in the conference tournament.

Centenary opened the tournament with a pair of victories, defeating Immaculata, 4-1, and taking down Marywood, 4-3 in eight innings. Veverka singled home Knapp for the gamewinning run to put Centenary one win away from the NCAA Tournament.

On the second day of action in the tournament, Neumann eliminated Marywood to advance to a showdown with the Cyclones. The Knights defeated CC in the first game, 10-2 in five innings, setting up a one-game, winner-take-all situation with the NCAA Tournament at stake.

The Lady Cyclones found themselves trailing 2-0 after the top of the first inning. After a three-hour rain delay, Centenary got on the board thanks to an RBI single by Knapp, scoring fellow classmate Nicole Fleming. But Neumann seemingly took control of the game with five runs in the third inning to take a commanding 7-1 advantage.

In the bottom of the third, Montferrat crushed a ball to deep right field for a solo shot. Ciecwisz and Olsen each singled and Ciecwisz came home on an error by Neumann’s first baseman. But the Knights were able to get out of the inning without further damage. In the next inning, however, Veverka hit a two-run bomb to left field, scoring junior Gabrielle Pellegrino, and Olsen hit an RBI single to score Vasta, cutting NU’s lead to 7-6.

But the Knights bounced back, scoring two in the top of the fifth to increase their advantage to 9-6. After two scoreless frames, Centenary’s bats came alive in the bottom of the sixth. The Cyclones loaded the bases and Ciecwisz brought Veverka and Vasta home with a two-RBI single. Fleming then plated Montferrat and Ciecwisz scored on the play on another NU error. Knapp added another run with an RBI double as CC built an 11-9 lead heading to the top of the seventh.

Neumann was down but not out, however, as the Knights scrapped out two runs with two outs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. But in the bottom of the seventh, CC loaded the bases and Olsen singled home Vasta to give the team a 12-11 win, sending the Cyclones to their first-ever NCAA Tournament. Although Centenary dropped both of their games in the Ithaca Regional of the NCAA Tournament, the team returns most of its team.

Off the field, CC took home 11 CSAC All-Academic Team honors and Knapp and Vasta each earned CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District 2 Second Team accolades. The Cyclones will be without seniors Durborow, Fleming, Knapp and Olsen, but head coach Kim Broking has set the seeds for a program that will compete for a CSAC Championship each year.