O'Brien, Vara Collect NCAA All-Region Honors
Lauren O'Brien (left) and Samantha Vara were named ot the NCAA All-Regional team.
St. John
Fisher College softball players Lauren O’Brien and Samantha Vara have been named to the NCAA Division III Championship All-Regional Team.
After winning the Empire 8 Conference title and nabbing an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship, the Cardinals posted a 2-2 record and advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated by eventual runner-up Buffalo State College.
An Empire 8 Conference First Team selection, O’Brien batted a team-best .462 in the four games (6-for-13) while leading the team with five RBI. The sophomore outfielder picked up two hits in three of the four games, and brought in a season-high three runs in Fisher’s 7-6 elimination of Keuka College.
Vara, who has earned All-Conference honors in each of her two seasons at Fisher, scored four runs to lead the Cardinals, while batting .417 (5-for-12). In Fisher’s final game, Vara recorded the game-tying RBI with a sacrifice fly as Fisher nearly stole a win to eliminate the Bengals. With the game tied at four following Vara’s sacrifice, Kelly Jones (Lancaster/Lancaster) hit a triple the could have scored the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh, but a quick relay on a throw from centerfield made it to the plate in time to get an out at home, keeping Fisher from victory.
Fisher finished the 2009 campaign with a 32-12 overall record, marking the sixth year that Fisher has won 30 or more games under 15-year head coach Len Maiorani. The Cardinals won their second consecutive Empire 8 Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship in back-to-back years for the first time in program history.