2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Softball Coach of the Year – Dennis-Yarmouth’s Mike Bonasia.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Coach of the Year: Michael Bonasia, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School: At the Dolphin helm since 1988, this season could not have happened in more storybook fashion for one of the most devoted coaches and teachers on the Cape. Setting a new school record for most wins in a season at 19-3, Bonasia’s Dolphins tore into the postseason on the heels of a decisive, season-ending victory over the archrival Marshfield Rams on the road, a win that captured a share of the Altantic Coast League title. It was only the second time in 28 seasons that Bonasia’s girls took an Atlantic Coast League championship title, the last time coming eight years ago in 2007 but none could be as sweeter as this season’s title squad as Bonasia announced he would be retiring from his teaching position at the school after 35 devoted years. A cool, calm and upbeat mentor with an obvious, selfless devotion not only to his special needs students but also his softball athletes on the field, Bonasia won’t be leaving the diamond any time soon. With over 240 wins to his credit – roughly – the future remains bright for Bonasia’s Dolphins and their gloves and bats and there was little question that this wizened helmsman be the recipient of the first Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Team Coach of the Year honors.
2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Player of the Year: Hadley Tate, St. John Paul II High School: Heading to Providence College to play for the Friars in the fall, St. John Paul II Lions backstop Hadley Tate proved this season she is the real deal. With a batting average of .597
2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Softball Player of the Year, Hadley Tate, St. John Paul II.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports Photos
and an incredible 11 home runs, Tate paced the Blue & Gold to its first-ever Cape & Islands League championship title. Tate led the Cape in runs batted in with 42, she scored 33 runs and had a phenomenal .706 on-base-percentage. To put things into perspective, Tate hit home runs in 11 out of her team’s 18 games and averaged more than two RBI per outing.
2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Pitcher of the Year: Sammi Feinstein, Sophomore, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School: In softball, it all starts with pitching and this superlative sophomore proved beyond a doubt how critical that simple fact is to a team’s success. Feinstein opened eyes and closed down lineups all season with her pinpoint accuracy and blazing velocity from within “the circle,” and posted a 15-2 record while boasting a 1.70 earned run average. Feinstein tossed a no-hitter against Barnstable and posted shutouts over the Falmouth Clippers, Barnstable Red Raiders (two-hitter) and Nauset Warriors in key league and non-league tilts. An Atlantic Coast League All-Star who paced Dennis-Yarmouth to the school’s best-ever win-loss record and only its second Atlantic Coast League championship and first title since 2007, Feinstein struck out 116 batters and walked only nine, thus putting her at the forefront and in her selection as the 2015 Capecod.com Softball Pitcher of the Year.
Catcher – Maggie Johnson, Sr. Co-Captain, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School: The backbone of the Dolphin infield and even more dangerous at the plate, this senior co-captain hit a phenomenal .519 for the season with 40 hits in 77 at-bats, drove in 33 runs and scored 24 times. She hit one home run and was an Atlantic Coast League All-Star.
Shortstop – Taylor Conley, Jr., Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School: Conley batted .471 this season for the record-setting Dolphins, with an incredible 41 hits and four home runs to go along with 24 RBI. This strong-armed glovesmith led the team in runs scored with 39 and proved to be the kingpin of the D-Y infield… was named an Atlantic Coast League All-Star.
2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Softball Pitcher of the Year – Sammi Feinstein, Dennis-Yarmouth.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
Outfield – Patty Newhard, Sr., Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School: Tied with teammate Taylor Conley for the team lead in hits with a remarkable 41 on the season, the scrappy and sure-wristed senior co-captain batted .581, belted three home runs and drove in 34 runs to go along with 30 runs scored on the season. An Atlantic Coast League All-Star, the three-sport athlete was also named the Boston Globe All-Scholastic Division II Player of the Year.
Pitcher – Jackie Smith, Sr. Co-captain, St. John Paul II: This stellar senior co-captain was the cog that drove the Lions’ wheel this season as she went 14-4 from the circle and was equally formidable at the plate. Taking the Lions down the path to their first-ever Cape & Islands League championship title, Smith is heading to Western Connecticut State University where she will continue her softball exploits for the Colonials. Smith was a Cape & Islands League All-Star.
Catcher – Jaime Corey, Sr., Barnstable High School: With her Red Raiders all but written off early in the season after five straight losses, this hard-slugging receiver helped the Barnstable team turn things around 180 degrees with a 7-13 record. She batted an even and impressive .500 with 30 hits including five triples, four home runs and 25 RBI and she scored 20 runs for the never-say-die Red Raiders. Corey is heading to Dean College to continue her softball career at the collegiate level.
Shortstop — Kezia Duarte, Sr., Nantucket: Perhaps few moments this past season capture the essence of the season that Duarte had for the perennial powerhouse Nantucket Whalers than when she belted two home runs in a 19-6 upset over eventual Cape & Islands League champs St. John Paul II and earlier in the season was one hit away from the cycle after she broke a 4-4 deadlock against the eventual league champs. Named the 2015 Distinguished Young Woman for Nantucket High School this year and a multi-scholarship recipient for her academic excellence, Duarte’s home run power was not limited to her exploits against the rock-solid Lions.
Pitcher — Rahne Turley, 8th Grade, Sandwich High School: These days it’s become fairly normal to see a talented 8th grade student-athlete from time to time make their mark in a precocious way at the varsity level, but rarely does one see an 8th grader rise so quickly to become the ace of a high school’s varsity softball team. Sandwich High School’s Rahne Turley, a southpaw, did just that this season with remarkable potential and equally impressive results. Turley’s top performance of the season may have been her 11-strikeouts against the formidable St. John Paul II girls back in late April when the Lady Knights staged a walk-off upset over the previously undefeated Lady Lions. She was also one of the Lady Knights’ top sluggers this season and the future bodes well for Sandwich softball with this gunslinger hurling bullets from the circle for the next four years.
2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands, Honorable Mention
Natalie Keagul – Nauset Regional High School Warriors
Mimi Crowley – Sturgis West Navigators
Shannon Crowley – Sturgis West Navigators
Rachel Gardner – Sturgis West Navigators
Ashliee Curtiss – Barnstable High School
Gabby McKinnon – Sturgis East
Cat Cameron – Sturgis East
Fallon Culver – Cape Cod Tech
Kelia Durante – Nantucket
Farrel Duce – Nantucket
Samantha Stewart – Nantucket
Kaley Chitister – Nantucket
Renee Moore – Bourne
Molly Neil – Bourne
Amber DiBona – Upper Cape Tech
Krystle DiBona – Upper Cape Tech
Sara Vaughan – Upper Cape Tech
Kelly Ferreira – Falmouth High School
Samantha Fraser – Mashpee High School
CeCe Piermattei – Mashpee High School
Hailey Miller – Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School
Julia deBettencourt – Martha’s Vineyard
Emily Turney – Martha’s Vineyard
Mariah Duarte – Martha’s Vineyard
Eliza Hawthorne – Monomoy
Cassie Hall – Monomoy
Karley Marchese – Monomoy
Isabella Willette – Sandwich High School
Sam Carlowicz – St. John Paul II
Kasey Smith – St. John Paul II
Eric Fleming — Bourne High School
Kari Black – Bourne High School
— The 2015 Capecod.com All-Cape & Islands Team was compiled with the aid of coaches, game officials and school administrators. Written by Sean Walsh, sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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