Posted: Feb 12, 2016

Benoit, Figueiredo, Parry named captains for softball

(l-r) Melissa Figueiredo, Nicole Parry, Genevieve Benoit to serve as captains for the 2016 softball season. (Photo credits: Samantha Wood, Brooke Scoca, Kelly Scafariello)

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University head softball coach Jessica DePolito has announced that three seniors will serve as team captains for the 2016 season - Genevieve Benoit (Swampscott, Mass.), Melissa Figueiredo (East Bridgewater, Mass.), and Nicole Parry (Quincy, Mass.).

DePolito, in her third season at the helm of the Seahawk softball squad, had Benoit and Parry as captains of the 2015 team that featured no seniors.

"We've added Fig as a captain this winter," says DePolito. "She brings a wealth of experience as a two-sport athlete (soccer) as she enters her eighth collegiate season. I think the dynamic of the three will be a great collaboration of ideas, personalities and experience. They have done a tremendous job already in helping to create the culture that we want in this program - an exemplary work ethic, discipline and positive communication - as they lead by the example every day."

Benoit earned the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Year honors in 2015 after leading the Seahawks to a No. 2 seed before they were knocked out by eventual champion Western New England University. She led Salve Regina in doubles (12), home runs (six), and basehits (55) while scoring 30 runs and driving in 34 runs in 40 games played. Benoit's total hits also led the league overall (55) and in CCC games only (28).

Figueiredo led the nation in sacrifice hits per game (22 sacrifice hits in 38 games; 0.58 per game) among all NCAA Division III players. She also led the team in stolen bases (nine) in 2015 while scoring 18 runs and driving in 11 runs in 38 games played.

Parry has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the league each of the last two seasons. In 2015, she posted 24 appearances (1st), four shutouts (2nd), 6.61 strikeouts per game (2nd), and 123 strikeouts (2nd). The previous season Parry led the league in shutouts (five) while her strikeout-to-walk ratio was 129:16 in 122 innings pitched.

Salve Regina softball (20-20 overall; 12-4 CCC in 2015) throws its first pitch on Saturday, March 19, in Clermont, Fla., against Amherst College in the 2016 Dot Richardson Spring Games. The Seahawks begin the season with 10 games in six days against 10 different opponents in Florida during spring break (all Florida games feature live stats and video).