All-Area Softball Profiles

• Having no fence behind her at NFA, center fielder Ally Blanchette earned Class LL all-state honors the hard way: tracking down deep fly balls to take away hits. Blanchette also hit .500 with four home runs, 23 RBI and 20 runs scored. She is an All-ECC pick and played in the state's Senior All-Star Game. Blanchette will play next year at Mitchell College.

• One of the highlights of the season was Andrea Chiaradio's "perfect" perfect game on April 21, in which the Stonington junior struck out all 21 hitters in a 3-0 victory over NFA. Chiaradio finished 12-5 with a 1.79 ERA, 182 strikeouts and 33 walks, while hitting .379. Chiaradio earned All-ECC and Class M all-state honors, as well as being featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd section after the perfect game. She is an honor roll student and a member of the Link Crew.

• One of the best in Waterford history, pitcher Kelli Connors capped her career by being named Gatorade Connecticut Softball Player of the Year. She was 20-2 with a 0.88 earned run average and 154 strikeouts. An All-ECC and Class M all-state pick who was The Day's Player of the Year in 2011 and competed this season in the state's Senior All-Star Game, Connors was 69-5 in her career with a 0.49 ERA and 41 shutouts. Connors, who also hit .374, will continue her career at Florida Southern College.

• More than just Griswold's All-ECC pitcher, Kirsten Drobiak starred as a hitter, batting .495 with 45 hits as the Wolverines went 20-5 with a share of the ECC Medium Division title. A sophomore, she hit three home runs and finished with a slugging percentage of .758, all while ringing up a pitching record of 19-5. Drobiak won her school's math award for underclassmen.

• Reports of hitting highlights from Ledyard sophomore Fran Francischelli circulated throughout the ECC, as Francischelli drilled eight home runs, several of them over the area's fences. An All-ECC outfielder, Francischelli hit .440 with a slugging percentage of .814 and had 26 RBI. She is a high honor student who has earned her academic letter.

• Waterford junior Katelyn Haff had a breakout season, combining a .477 batting average and 33 RBI with a solid defensive effort at second base, making only three errors. Haff had 16 extra-base hits, pushing her slugging percentage to .826. She had 32 runs scored and stole nine bases. Haff is an All-ECC pick who competed in the CHSCA Junior Select game.

• St. Bernard shortstop Melissa Halloran closed her senior season with a pair of memorable events, playing in her second Class S state championship game, then wrapping up Most Valuable Player honors for the East in the Class M/S Senior All-Star Game. An ECC all-star, Halloran hit .388 with 25 runs scored. She will attend Castleton (Vt.) State College.

• East Lyme junior shortstop Madison Horner was at the top of a dangerous Vikings' lineup, setting up her teammates with an on-base percentage of .443 and 15 stolen bases. An ECC all-star who captained East Lyme, Horner hit a team-leading .372 with 20 RBI and 21 runs scored. She has also been selected soccer captain for next season. Horner is a member of the National Honor Society.

• Theresa Kane was the leadoff hitter for a Stonington team that went 21-5, winning a share of the ECC Medium Division. Kane, the Bears' center fielder and part-time pitcher - she was 9-0 - hit .510, using her speed to scratch out 49 hits and score 30 runs. She set a program record by hitting safely in the season's first 25 games.

• Fitch junior Alana Luzzio is one of several formidable leadoff hitters on the All-Area team, hitting .531 with 35 runs scored. She had hits in 22 of Fitch's 24 games. Luzzio, was also an all-state pitcher, going 12-5 with a 1.18 earned run average. She was an All-ECC selection and named MVP of the state's Class LL/L Junior Select All-Star game. Luzzio is a member of the National Honor Society.

• Haley McCall of Lyman Memorial started the season by going 3-for-3 against all-stater Kelli Connors of Waterford and never stopped, finishing with a .494 batting average, 36 runs scored and 29 stolen bases. The leadoff hitter and second baseman for the ECC Small Division champion Bulldogs, McCall was an All-ECC and Class S all-state selection, also playing in the state Senior All-Star Game. She will attend University of St. Joseph in West Hartford.

• Coming off a basketball season in which her Bacon Academy team captured the Class L title, Bobcats' second baseman Kelsey McCarthy went to work for the softball team. McCarthy earned All-ECC and Class L all-state honors, hitting .459 with 24 RBI, 23 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. She will play next season for Southern Connecticut State.

• Elaina Sullivan was Waterford's steady sophomore catcher, competing in every inning.Charged with calling the pitches for all-stater Kelli Connors, Sullivan made only one error and just allowed four stolen bases. She was the recipient of the ECC sportsmanship award as well as Waterford's Coach's Award. Sullivan, who hit .365 with 25 RBI, has been named next season's captain.

• One of the most feared hitters in the ECC, Bacon Academy senior catcher Alicia White hit .456 with 30 RBI, earning All-ECC and Class L all-state honors. White scored 24 runs, had a slugging percentage of .759 and made only two errors, throwing out 15 runners trying to steal. She is a high honors student who will attend Eastern Connecticut State.