Pace Softball Clinches 2016 NE10 Title

Posted: Mar 01, 2021

In 2016, the Pace University softball team gave its former home field on the university's Briarcliff Campus a proper farewell as the Setters captured their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference Championship.

Pace won 11 of its final 15 regular-season games to finish 17-7 in the NE10, and captured a share of the program's first-ever Southwest Division title, climbing to as high as No. 8 in the NCAA East Region Poll.

In fitting fashion, the Setters earned the right to host the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament with the final games to be played at Pace Field on the Briarcliff Campus. The Setters took down nationally-ranked Adelphi in their first game of the tournament by a score of 5-2, avenging a trio of regular-season defeats to the Panthers.

This was the most important win though, as the victory catapulted Pace into the championship round against defending NE10 Champion, Southern New Hampshire. Once again, the Setters rose to the occasion, knocking off the Northeast Division's top-seed, 7-4, to earn the program's first-ever NE10 Tournament title.

Head coach Claudia Stabile, who was in her 34th season in Pace's dugout, did some of her best work in 2016. She was rewarded by being selected as the Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year. Stabile's Setters capped off a two-year stretch in which they posted a record of 53-33, earning back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths.

Going 5-for-6 with five RBIs, three runs scored, two doubles and a home run in the final two wins, sophomore Larissa Labs was rightfully named NE10 Championship MVP. The California native was key for Pace all season long, finishing with a .342 batting average and a team-high seven triples.

It was another pair of sophomores who piloted the Blue and Gold during the regular season. Ashley Lew led Pace with a stellar .400 batting average in 2016, capping off her incredible year by being named Pace's Female Athlete of the Year.

Surina Sandhu also had herself an outstanding campaign, coming up big in many games throughout 2016. She batted .397 and led the team with 31 RBIs, 48 hits and three home runs.

In the circle, pitchers Kaitlynn Nelson, Jaclyn Flores and Caitlin McCann helped the Setters secure 10 shutout victories on the season. Nelson racked up a team-high 108 strikeouts, with a 2.17 ERA and 11 wins.

McCann and Flores combined for 17 wins and 97 strikeouts on the season, with Flores earning the complete-game victory in the NE10 Championship game.

Pace Softball Links of Note:

ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.