Ramapo’s softball team enjoyed a stellar beginning to their 2025 campaign with a 10-1 record on their annual trip to Clermont, Fla., for THE Spring Games. The Roadrunners’ one loss came in extra innings against the 16th-ranked team in the country, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The biggest win of the trip by far was a 2-1 win over sixth-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Ramapo only needed three pitchers for their 11-game set down south, including junior Kassy Stefanski tossing 34.2 innings to a tune of a 1.21 ERA and senior Marissa DiPaolo throwing 31.1 innings with a 1.56 ERA. Junior Brooke Knight appeared in relief in six of the 11 games, throwing 9.2 innings and allowing six earned runs.
Stefanski was untouchable during the tournament, throwing two complete games, including in a 4-3 win over Eastern Connecticut, where she recorded 10 strikeouts. While in Florida, Stefanski recorded her 200th career strikeout, making her only the 11th Roadrunner to reach that mark, and joining her ace-counterpart DiPaolo.
DiPaolo tossed three complete games of her own, while tallying 22 strikeouts and allowing just 30 runners on base throughout the trip. Where DiPaolo was at her best was against Coe College, when she threw a complete game, allowing just one run and recording 10 strikeouts.
Offensively, the Roadrunners were humming to their usual level, averaging just over six runs per game. Senior infielder Katie Rygiel was one of many standouts for Ramapo on the trip, hitting .432 with a team-best 1.134 OPS, including five extra-base hits and not striking out a single time.
Rygiel’s trip was special for another reason, however, as she set a new program record with 51 career doubles, and recorded her 200th career hit — just the fourth Roadrunner to ever reach that mark. Additionally, the Hillsborough native is now just five hits away from becoming Ramapo’s all-time leader.
After recording 10 RBIs on the trip, Rygiel now stands just two away from becoming the school’s all-time leader in yet another category. In case that wasn’t enough, she also raised her career batting average on the trip to .431, which would place in the top five all-time for the school.
Other standouts for the Roadrunners on offense include junior infielder Avery Kontura, who led the team with a .436 average on the trip, while tallying 21 total bases and five RBI. Freshman catcher Rebecca Airel was tied for the team lead with 10 RBI, including recording her first career home run — a grand slam against Trinity College.
Sophomore Clay’le Correa-Vanness capitalized on her opportunities in her first season as a starter, scoring 10 runs while getting on base at a 45.5% clip. The Hillsborough native also recorded a team-high 10 stolen bases and never got caught once.
Following their Wednesday afternoon doubleheader against John Jay College, the Roadrunners, who are now ranked 25th in the country, will host Hunter College on Thursday afternoon for another doubleheader and travel on Saturday to face The College of New Jersey for their first New Jersey Athletic Conference action of the season.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
