Pats’ McDonnell registers 100th career hit

Matt Metcalf, Sports Editor
Posted 5/7/15

Ellen McDonnell has a lot to look forward to next year, as she’s set to play softball at Division I Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.

But the senior captain is proving on the field that she …

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Pats’ McDonnell registers 100th career hit

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Ellen McDonnell has a lot to look forward to next year, as she’s set to play softball at Division I Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.

But the senior captain is proving on the field that she wants to leave her mark at Pilgrim before she departs for greater endeavors.

McDonnell registered her 100th hit on a single in the first inning of a 7-0 win over Narragansett on Monday afternoon. She then tallied her 101st hit later in the game.

The 100-hit feat is impressive, especially considering the fact that McDonnell missed a chunk of last season with some injury trouble.

She is now just 18 hits shy of tying Katelyn Reph’s all-time hits mark of 119.

McDonnell has plenty of time to reach that number at the rate she’s going, as the Pats have eight games left in the regular season plus playoffs.

Pilgrim head coach Bill Aquilante has seen McDonnell grow as a player, and couldn’t have been prouder of her accomplishment of eclipsing that 100-hit plateau.

“We are very proud of Ellen’s accomplishments both on and off the field,” Aquilante said. “Her freshman year she was our starting centerfielder, then her sophomore year the starting catcher. In her junior year, she did a lot of pitching and also caught, and in her senior year, she is our starting shortstop. She plays where she can best help the team and puts her ego aside to help us win. She never even mentioned the milestone this season, and while I know she is very happy about it, I think that she would be much happier with a deep playoff run and a chance at a state championship.”

A state title is certainly in reach for the Pats, who sit in second in the Division-II-West standings with a record of 8-1.

A big reason for Pilgrim’s success is McDonnell, who hasn’t struck out once in 38 at-bats thus far this season. She has also compiled an average of .395 and an on-base percentage of .439.

Her steadiness and leadership on and off the field has truly made her team one of the best in D-II.

“As a team captain, she has been more than we could ever expect,” Aquilante said. “It is like having another coach on the field with her level of maturity and understanding of the game.”

McDonnell has also provided some depth behind Morgan Almon in the circle this season, posting a record of 3-0 with an ERA of 1.10. She has an 11-3 career record over her four seasons.

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