Simmons Softball ended the 2010 spring season on a strong note, finishing fourth overall in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament after being ranked sixth in the pre-season poll. The Sharks capped their season with the second best record in program history (23-12 overall, 16-8 GNAC), while achieving a 13-game mid-season winning streak, a no-hitter and a grand slam.

"Simmons softball is hungrier now for a Championship than ever before," said Head Coach Anne Hennigan. "The program is growing and improving in the right direction. The team now knows what it takes to win and they have the heart and the drive to achieve it."

Three Sharks received GNAC All-Conference honors. Junior pitcher Courteney Collier (Bolton, Mass.) and junior shortstop Annie Thompson (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) earned spots on the First Team, while junior catcher Emily Nalband (Litchfield, Conn.) earned a spot on the Third Team.

Simmons said goodbye to three seniors at the end of 2010: Leah Derderian (Boylston, Mass.), Katelyn Bourgeois (North Smithfield, R.I.) and Sammi Letizio (Windham, N.H.). Derderian has been an integral part of the Sharks' lineup for the past four years and her intensity and passion will be hard to replace. Bourgeois played for Simmons for just one season, but was a tremendous addition to the team, and added another arm to the pitching staff. Letizio sat out for most of the season with an injury, but Hennigan is optimistic that she will recover and pitch for the Sharks in her first year of graduate school.

The upperclassmen led Simmons to another successful year by stepping up to challenges, aggressively chasing team goals and leading by example. Hennigan and Assistant Coach Hannah Angel were pleased to see underclassmen rising to the challenges of the season as well; working hard and proving reliable in new positions and clutch situations.

"The 2010 season was a great one for Simmons softball," said Hennigan. "Everyone contributed to every win. The nucleus of the team is returning next year and the maturity and experience factor of the returning players will hopefully help us propel to the next level next season."