Rowe, Lefkowski Highlight Softball’s CNE Postseason Awards

BEVERLY, Mass. – Announced by the Conference of New England league office on Tuesday afternoon, six student-athletes of the Wentworth Institute of Technology softball team earned recognition in the form of postseason accolades. Leading the way for the Leopards were two major award winners in outfielder/pitcher Jess Rowe, who was named the CNE Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and outfielder Lexi Lefkowski who was named the CNE Rookie of the Year.

Rowe, Lefkowski, and catcher Kyla Igawa each claimed respective spots on the All-CNE Second Team. Second baseman Katelin Howe and designated player Lauren Trostel each earned a spot on the All-CNE Third Team. Quincy Bolduc rounded out the Black & Gold's honorees as the Leopards' rep on the CNE Community Service Team.

The postseason awards were voted on by the league's ten head coaches prior to the start of the conference tournament.

Rowe earns the Leopards' fourth straight Scholar-Athlete honor behind a 3.962 grade point average while working towards her bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering. On the field, Rowe was a Swiss-army knife for the Black & Gold, making 17 appearances in the circle while batting at the plate 136 times. In the circle, Rowe posted a 3.26 earned runs average and led the Leopards with 59 strikeouts. Offensively, the senior placed second in the league with six triples and six home runs, respectively, while leading the Leopards with a .574 slugging percentage tacked on to her .358 on base percentage and 41 total hits.

After being named to the All-CCC First Team (formerly Commonwealth Coast Conference) last season, Rowe finishes her illustrious career with 143 hits, 100 RBI, and 16 triples, all the second-highest marks in those respective categories in program history. In the circle, the Yardley, Pa. native went 22-13 with a 3.11 ERA and 156 strikeouts, the eighth-highest mark in program history.

Lefkowski captured Wentworth's second straight Rookie of the Year accolade, notching 50 hits and 28 RBI (both second on the team) behind a .352 average. The freshman stole a team-high 10 bases and registered 12 extra base hits, including eight doubles, while managing a .399 on base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage.

Igawa earned her second straight all-conference honor after being named to the All-CCC First Team a season ago. The junior led the Leopards with a .366 batting average and 15 doubles, posting 45 hits and 25 RBI. Primarily catching, Igawa posted a .988 fielding percentage defensively.

Through 116 games of her career, Igawa is currently tied for fourth all-time in hits with 131, third in doubles with 36, and sixth in RBI with 79.

Howe was among Wentworth's offensive stalwarts this season, leading the program with 52 hits, tying the fourth-highest mark in a single season in program history. The senior hit .329 while tacking on a .373 on base percentage and a .354 slugging percentage. At second base, the Bow, N.H. native held a .968 fielding percentage.

For her career, Howe ties for sixth all-time in hits with 126 while holding a .284 average and stealing 14 bases. In 153 games played, she's locked a .333 on base percentage and recorded 37 RBI.

In her rookie campaign, Trostel claimed her first-ever conference honor behind 22 hits, including six doubles, and a .301 average tacked on to 13 RBI. The rookie also racked up a .338 on base percentage and a .425 slugging percentage.

Bolduc earned the nod as the Black & Gold's first-ever rep on the conference's inaugural service team, serving as a lead for the team's annual fundraiser for Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund through the Jimmy Fund Walk, alongside her efforts of raising awareness for cancer research during their Annual Strikeout Cancer game and volunteering for on campus Special Olympics events.

The Leopards made the conference tournament and captured 20 or more wins for the fourth straight season, going 20-22 overall and 9-9 in regular-season conference action.

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