Who’s the best all-time lohud softball player?
Section 1 has had a lot of talent over the years so there’s plenty to choose from throughout Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
Our list includes players who had a major impact at the high school level first and foremost. Softball is a sport that has only truly had a professional level over the last few years with the advent of the AUSL. So, what the player did in high school counted for a lot and then where they went to college came next.
The poll is presented by White Plains Hospital. There’s also a write-in space for a candidate of your choosing if you believe we missed someone. Voting ends at 3 p.m. on Monday, July 20.
Shannon Becker, Mahopac
When you think of Section 1 softball, Mahopac may not have been one of the first places you’d think of. But during Becker’s time as a member of the Wolf Pac, she was the main event. In her five years on varsity (2016-2021), Becker left her name in the record books. She tied the state record for lowest ERA in a season (0.00) her senior year. Becker threw 18 shutouts in her senior season, 12 of which were consecutive. which is tied for second longest streak in state history. Becker was the first to pitch a perfect ‘perfect’ game striking out all 21 batters she faced. She had five no-hitters and six one-hitters and opponents had a .065 batting average against her in her senior year. In her 139 innings pitched, she racked up 286 strikeouts, allowed 19 walks, 29 hits and three unearned runs. Becker was also a pitcher who raked with a .470 average and 17 RBI. She’s in the state record books tied for sixth for strikeouts in a season with 369 in 2019. She’s in the books for her 22 strikeouts that she had twice in a game both in 2018 and 2019. She’s a two-time lohud Westchester/Putnam Player of the Year, named to the lohud All-Decade Team, and a two-time New York State Gatorade Player of the Year. Becker graduated from Mahopac and went on to have a stellar career at Notre Dame.
Bonnie Bell, Eastchester
The pitcher/infielder was a four-time all-state player and was named the New York State Player of the Year in 1990. Bell was instrumental in leading Eastchester to back-to-back state championships in 1990 and 1991. After high school, she went to play for the University of Charlotte. She was a part of the first class of the NYSSCOGS High School Softball Hall of Fame in 2012.
Cassie Reilly-Boccia, Yorktown
Reilly-Boccia’s impact on the Huskers her junior and senior seasons can’t be overlooked. She helped lead her team to the program’s first Section 1 title in 2007 and then a repeat her senior season. She garnered multiple all-league, all-section and all-state honors throughout her high school career. In her junior and senior seasons, the Huskers were 47-11 overall. Reilly-Boccia’s senior season stats were staggering. She batted .495 (45-for-91) with 11 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 44 RBI and a .923 slugging percentage. She also posted a .578 on-base percentage with 37 runs scored and seven stolen bases. In her senior year, she was the second Section 1 softball player to be named the Gatorade Player of the Year. Reilly-Boccia went on to play at Alabama and was a member of the first SEC squad to win the Div. I national championship. She was a member of the 2015 class of the New York State Hall of Fame.
Jess Calvini, Rye Neck
When Calvini played for the Panthers, not only was she a threat at the plate but also a top name in the circle. She left her mark on Rye Neck setting four offensive program records career hits (169), doubles (38), triples (21), and home runs (17). Calvini added five pitching records by the time she graduated in 2012. She set the school’s all-time wins record (73), strikeouts (852), shutouts (35), ERA (.98) and innings pitched (628). She finished her career as Westchester/Putnam Player of the Year. She played college softball at Lehigh University. She was named to the New York State Hall of Fame in 2023 and has returned to her alma mater as assistant coach at Rye Neck.
Maddy Coon, Horace Greeley
When you talk about players who gave opposing team’s fits, Maddy Coon was that player. In her senior season, the pitcher/shortstop drew a staggering 43 walks. In her senior season, in 54 at-bats, Coon had 42 hits for a .778 average. In 2005, she hit a Section 1-record 19 home runs, scored 43 runs and drove in 48. In the circle, Coon posted a record of 10-7. In her senior year, she was named the Journal News’ athlete of the season and was the Westchester/Putnam Softball Player of the Year. In her senior season, she was named the New York State Gatorade Player of the Year. Coon finished her high school career with a .624 average (181-for-282), with 41 home runs and 153 RBI. In the circle, she posted a career record of 48-12. Coon helped lead the Quakers to a pair of Section 1 titles. When she graduated, Coon went on to play for four years at Stanford. She garnered All Pac-10 honorable mention and had .303 batting average for her career. Coon was honored as a member of the 2013 Class of the NYSSCOGS High School Softball Hall of Fame.
Meghan Giordano, Croton-Harmon
Giordano, who graduated in 2018, left her mark not only in Section 1 but she left her mark on New York state softball. The Hofstra grad, in her sophomore year of high school batted .821, which is still a state record for an average in a single season. Her 56 home runs over her entire Croton-Harmon career (2013-2018) is still the most in New York state. She is still tied for third in the state with a career batting average of a .695. Her career hits of 224 and 12 home runs in one season are in the top 10 in state history. Her 226 RBI over her varsity career is second all time in the state. After she finished at Hofstra, Giordano did spend some time as the school’s assistant coach.
Katie O’Flynn, Pearl River
The Pirates ace during the 2010 and 2011 seasons led her to being the only Rockland County player to earn Journal News/lohud player of the year awards. She helped lead the Pirates to a state championship in 2010, the only Rockland County team to do so. In 2011 after a torn ACL, she finished her high school career with a flourish. She finished the year with a 21-2 record and an ERA of 0.73 that season. For her Pearl River career, she had a 54-7 record and an era of 0.77. After leaving Pearl River, O’Flynn played at SUNY Oneonta and is a member of the 2020 Class of the NYSSCOGS High School Softball Hall of Fame.
Lauren Rende, Ardsley
Rende was one of the best catchers to come out of Section 1 and was extremely important to the Ardsley program. She was one of the most feared hitters in the section for good reason. Over four years with the Panthers, she batted .623 with 40 HR, 188 RBI, and 207 hits. In her senior season, she helped lead Ardsley to the school’s first ever state championship, the last Section 1 team to win one. Her arm behind the dish put fear into opposing offenses. After high school, she went on to play for Manhattan and she’s the current softball coach at Briarcliff.
Linda Soto-Vasquez, North Rockland
Soto-Vasquez had a storied career for North Rockland from 1981-1984. In 1983 and 1984, she led the Red Raiders to the Capital Region Championship and the Eastern New York Championship. Both of those were the furthest a high school team could go prior to the advent of the NYSPHSAA Championships, which came into existence in 1985. When she left high school, she was a four-year starter at New Mexico State. Soto-Vasquez is a member of the 2016 Class of the NYSSCOGS High School Softball Hall of Fame.
Tammy Wray, Somers
In her five years at Somers, she put the program on the map and became one of the most feared hitters in Section 1. In 2010, she was named New York State Gatorade Player of the Year and was an All-American. She holds 14 school records and garnered four all-section honors and two all-state honors. Wray posted an over .500 batting average in her five years. In her senior year, she compiled a .623 batting average with 10 home runs and 34 RBI. Wray went on to play four years at LSU where she played in two Women’s College World Series. She’s a member of the 2020 Class of the NYSSCOGS High School Softball Hall of Fame alongside O’Flynn.
Twitter: @LoHud_Debbie; @LoHudSoftball
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Who is the best all-time lohud softball player? Poll presented by White Plains Hospital
Reporting by Debbie Schechter, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Debbie Schechter, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
