Nine members of the Middlebury College softball team earned academic honors when the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) announced its scholar athletes. Each honoree must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher through the spring season. Earning the honor for the Panthers were Nellie Wood, Alyson Downing, Geena Constantin, Kelsey Chisholm, Emily Burbridge, Alex Scibetta, Megan Margel, Ashley Higgins and Kimber Sable.

The softball program reached remarkable new heights during the 2011 season, as the 30-8 Panthers broke numerous records and garnered several post-season awards. The team broke or tied 25 program records, en route to school-firsts by winning a NESCAC title and making an NCAA post-season appearance.

Middlebury College softball players Geena Constantin (Pelham, N.H.) and Jessica Poracky (Ramsey, N.J.) have been named to the NFCA All-Region team. The pair helped lead the Panthers to their best season in school history, earning a 30-8 record with its first NESCAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.

The fourth-seeded St. John Fisher Cardinals (30-13-1) hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the 14th inning on their way to eliminating the third-seeded Middlebury Panthers (30-8) with a 9-5 win Saturday in the NCAA Division III Softball Regional at Ithaca College. The Panthers end their record-breaking season with a record of 30-8.

The third-seeded Middlebury Panthers (30-7) eliminated the seventh-seeded Centenary [N.J.] Cyclones (29-13) from the NCAA Division III Softball Regional at Ithaca College, posting a 9-1 win on Friday. The Panthers, who collected the program’s first NCAA playoff win, advance to play Saturday at 10 a.m. against St. John Fisher.