Haroules is prolific for UMass-Boston

Courtney Haroules was, without question, one of the busiest pitchers in the Little East Conference this past season.

The junior from Littleton on the softball team at the University of Massachusetts at Boston started a conference-high 26 of her team's 35 games, was third in innings pitched with 129 1/3, and fourth in strikeouts with 125. She pitched a no-hitter against Massachusetts Maritime Academy and was on the mound when UMass-Boston beat Keene State for the first time in school history.

The team behind her, however, was young and relatively inexperienced, and wins were few and far between. She lost 21 of those 26 starts as UMass-Boston struggled through a dismal 7-28 season.

Despite her woes on the mound, Haroules did not let her offense suffer. She batted a robust .391 to lead the Beacons and, when postseason teams were selected, Haroules received first-team honors as the designated player.

Haroules transferred to UMass-Boston from Division 1 Fairleigh Dickinson because, she said, "I needed to make a personal change," and got off to a rough start with the Beacons when she went hitless her first nine times at bat. Once she got her first hit, though, everything fell into place. Her next dozen trips to the plate resulted in nine hits, and she was a model of consistency the rest of the season. She had 10 multiple-hit games and drove in 15 runs.

Haroules was especially effective with runners in scoring position, hitting .452 in those situations.

"I had some personal trouble in the beginning with my game," said Haroules, who played the outfield when not on the mound, "and my pitching suffered. The season was short and, by the end, I was playing at the level I should have been playing at from the beginning. Our overall record was disappointing and the scores did not reflect how we can truly play. We were a young team and, with no one graduating, that should help us be stronger next season."

Haroules said the no-hitter was exciting, but called the win over Keene State more difficult and the highlight of her season. "I hit all my spots and my teammates did a great job that day backing me up at the plate and on the field. I look forward to more games like that next season."

UMass-Boston coach Natalia Ardagna called Haroules an impact player with strengths and weaknesses at both positions she played. "She is a great pitcher with a lot of talent," Ardagna said. "It took her a while to get in a groove, but she managed to buckle down and become very productive as the season progressed. She used her power to excel as a hitter in the conference and her pitching to help keep us in many games"

Ten former athletes, two coaches, and the 1989 Middlesex League champion boys' tennis team will be inducted into the Burlington Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 9. The athletes include Mark Annunziata (1975, football); Craig Cooper (1964, football and basketball); Cheryl Jackson Fogarty (1977, field hockey, basketball, and softball); Janet Testa Fox (1985, hockey, basketball, and softball); Ed Malatesta (1969, football, hockey, and baseball); Stephen O'Brien (1978, football, basketball, and baseball); Robert Pagagnetti (1982, golf, basketball, and baseball); James Patterson (1951, football); Camille Sparks (1996, soccer, basketball, and track); and Robert Vigneau (1969, hockey). Also slated for induction are coaches Kevin Field and William O'Connell. O'Connell, the football coach from 1973 to 1980, helped lead a successful transition from the Merrimack Valley Conference into the Middlesex League. Field, who also coached football and was the first chairman of the Hall of Fame, is being inducted as a benefactor. Ceremonies will take place at the Cafe Escadrille in Burlington, and tickets may be obtained by calling athletic director Ed Gillis at 781-273-7077.

Fairfield University junior Chip Palumbo of Winchester landed berths on the all-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference singles and doubles tennis team. Palumbo was a first team No. 6 singles pick after going 18-8 overall and 6-1 in conference play. He, along with partner Balazs Szikla, gained No. 3 honors on the second team after going 12-5 overall and 3-0 in the conference. . . . Merrimack sophomore Kerri Bomil of Lowell has been named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Academic lacrosse team. Bomil is a history major with a 3.8 grade-point average. In two seasons, she has scored 25 goals and had seven assists. . . . The University of Massachusetts at Lowell will host a free seminar on the college sports recruiting process at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Campus Recreation Center. The seminar is open to high school students, coaches, administrators, and parents, and is designed to aid college-bound student-athletes in the transition to intercollegiate sports. UMass coaches Ted Priestly (soccer), Blaise MacDonald (hockey), and Shannon Hlebichuk (field hockey) are among the scheduled speakers.

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