CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – After repeating as Patriot League regular season champions, the Boston University softball team collected three major year-end awards and had a program-record 10 Terriers earn all-conference honors, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon.

Senior catcher Alex Heinen and sophomore pitcher Ali DuBois helped lead the Terriers to a 34-18 (15-2 PL) record and were recognized for their efforts yet again by PL coaches as the Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Heinen also added Defensive Player of the Year honors to her awards haul and was one of seven Terriers to claim All-PL First Team accolades after seven total were recognized on the first and second teams a year prior.

Heinen was joined on the PL's top squad by DuBois, senior infielder Emily Morrow, senior infielder Alexa Ponce, sophomore designated player Marina Sylvestri, freshman infielder Nicole Amodio and freshman pitcher Emily Gant. Senior infielder Madi Killebrew, sophomore outfielder Jen Horita and freshman outfielder Aliyah Huerta-Leipner were placed on the second team.

The two major award winners will be recognized prior to the first pitch of Thursday's Patriot League tournament opener against Colgate. The start time is slated for 12 p.m. at the BU Softball Field.

Regular Season Team Accomplishments

• Led by fourth-year head coach Ashley Waters, BU became the first program in Patriot League history to have the same two student-athletes repeat as Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.
• The 10 All-PL awards are the most for BU, topping the previous high of seven set in 2018, and also mark the most ever in a season from a conference after the Terriers were in the America East from 1991-2013.
• The Terriers matched a personal best with 15 Patriot League wins after claiming the same amount a year prior. 
• The Terriers repeated as conference regular season champions for the first time since finishing atop the America East standings in both 2011 and 2012.
• BU finished the regular season with a perfect home record (15-0) for the second time in program history after earning an 18-0 mark in 2001.
• BU ranks fourth nationally in fewest hit-by-pitches allowed (10), 12th in ERA (1.78), 21st in shutouts (14), 19th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.53), 91st in fielding percentage (.964) and 99th in triples per game (0.19).  

2x Player of the Year (2018, 2019) and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year
Alex Heinen (Sr., C, San Clemente, Calif.) – All-PL First Team
.314 avg., .383 ob%, .516 slg%, 50 H, 34 RBI, 25 R, 4 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR

• Remains just the second catcher in PL history to earn Player of the Year honors and the first to claim two Player of the Year awards.
• Claimed BU's 13th overall Player of the Year award and third in the PL after Jilee Schanda ('18) was recognized in 2017.
• Earned BU's second Defensive Player of the Year award after Brittany Younan ('18) was recognized in 2018 while also becoming the first in PL history to earn both Player and Defensive Player of the Year accolades in the same season since the conference started recognizing the top defensive player in 2014.
• Earned her fourth overall All-PL honor and second on the first team.
• Heinen ranks first in the PL with eight homers and second with 34 RBIs while leading BU at .314.
• Started 50 games as catcher for the PL's best pitching rotation and has thrown out 10 base runners.
• Owns a school-record 151 RBIs, which are the fifth most in PL history.
• Threw out 10 batters this season attempting to steal a base and committed just two errors all year for a .995 fielding percentage while catching for the top pitching staff in the PL.

2x Pitcher of the Year (2018, 2019)
Ali DuBois (So., P, Torrington, Conn.) – All-PL First Team
21-9, 1.37 ERA, 3 SVs, 39 GP-29 GS, 17 CG, 8/2 SHO, 189.0 IP, 183 K  

• First in the PL to repeat as Pitcher of the Year since Lehigh's Emily Bausher accomplished the feat in 2014-15 and first in the PL to be recognized as the top pitcher her first two collegiate seasons since Lehigh's Lisa Sweeney won the award all four years in 2006-09.
• Claimed BU's 14th overall Pitcher of the Year award and third in the PL after Melanie Russell ('16) was recognized in 2016.
• Became first Terrier to earn a second Pitcher of the Year award after BU Hall of Famer Robyn King ('01) was recognized by the America East in both 2000 and 2001. 
• Ranks 20th nationally in ERA at 1.37 after finishing the 2018 regular season 63rd in ERA (1.77), while also ranking 16th in solo shutouts (8), 24th in victories and 37th in strikeouts (183).
• Held PL batters to .168 average in 10 starts and three successful save opportunities with the help of 49 strikeouts in 64.2 innings.
• Collected non-conference wins against defending West Coast Conference champion BYU and Boston College while also holding UMass, Rhode Island and Dartmouth to one run apiece.
• Ranks sixth all-time at BU with 49 career wins and 375 career strikeouts in just two seasons.

Emily Morrow (Sr., INF, Lakewood, Calif.) – All-PL First Team
.314 avg., .404 ob%, .423 slg%, 49 H, 22 R, 25 RBI, 23 BB, 2 SB, 5 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR

• Earned her second overall All-PL award in the "at-large" slot after being named to the second team in 2018.
• Posted a team-high .314 batting average while finishing third on the team with 25 RBIs.
• Tallied 13 multi-hit performances, including a four-hit game against UConn, while tallying seven multi-RBI performances, including a walk-off two-RBI triple against Boston College.
• Owns a .968 fielding percentage at second base after posting a .956 during the 2018 regular season.

Emily Gant (Fr., P, Grove City, Ohio) – All-PL First Team
12-7, 1.45 ERA, 1 SV, 30 GP-17 GS, 8 CG, 4/2 SHO, 130.2 IP, 145 K  

• Helped BU become first PL school since 2015 (Lehigh) to have two pitchers earn All-Conference First Team accolades.
• Ranks 25th nationally with 1.45 ERA, 44th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.39) and 55th in strikeouts per seven innings (7.8).
• Posted 8-0 record in conference games with a miniscule 0.43 ERA while holding opponents to a .160 batting average.
• Pitched eight scoreless innings of relief in 3-2 win vs. UMass Lowell, limited Brown to one hit in six scoreless innings and held Omaha to one unearned run in six innings. 

Alexa Ponce (Sr., INF, San Pedro, Calif.) – All-PL First Team
.261 avg., .324 ob%, .353 slg%, 40 H, 17 R, 25 RBI, 11 BB, 3 SB, 8 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR

• Earned second overall All-PL award and second after being named to the second team in 2017 as a designated player.
• Played primarily third base this season and finished with a 0.964 fielding percentage.
• Finished the regular season tied for third on the team with 25 RBIs and second with eight doubles.
• Recorded 13 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI performances, including a four-RBI game at Brown.

Nicole Amodio (Fr., INF, Phoenix, Ariz.) – All-PL First Team
.244 avg., .355 ob%, .387 slg%, 29 H, 21 R, 24 RBI, 8 BB, 6 SB, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR

• Currently fifth on the team with 24 RBIs and tied-for-third with four homers while posting a .971 fielding percentage.
• Batted .286 in conference play with a team-high 13 RBIs.
• Recorded seven multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games, including a five-RBI performance in an 11-6 come-from-behind win over Army.

Marina Sylvestri (So., DP, San Mateo, Calif.) – All-PL First Team
.256 avg., .364 ob%, .279 slg%, 33 H, 7 R, 12 RBI, 19 BB, 2 SB, 3 2B, 7 SH

• Earned her first All-PL award at the designated player position after leading the team this regular season with seven sacrifice bunts.
• Recorded eight multi-hit games, highlighted by a 2-of-3 performance in the 3-2 win at Bucknell.
• Tallied two RBIs apiece in wins over Holy Cross and UMass Lowell.

Aliyah Huerta-Leipner (Fr., OF, Santa Barbara, Calif.) – All-PL Second Team
.292 avg., .384 ob%, .503 slg%, 47 H, 37 R, 26 RBI, 18 BB, 3 SB, 11 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR

• Led the team with 37 runs scored and 11 doubles while finishing second with seven homers and 26 RBIs.
• Posted a perfect fielding percentage in the outfield while tallying 13 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI performances.
• Recorded four RBIs in a win at Lafayette and went 3-of-3 in a game at then-No. 14 Arkansas with two RBIs and two runs scored. 

Madi Killebrew (Sr., INF, Dana Point, Calif.) – All-PL Second Team
.260 avg., .321 ob%, .393 slg%, 39 H, 20 R, 18 RBI, 18 BB, 3 SB, 8 2B, 4 HR

• Earned her first All-PL honor after moving from third base to shortstop this season.
• Finished third on the team in conference play batting .352 with a team-high 11 runs scored and five doubles.
• Posted eight multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games with three-RBI performances against Dartmouth and UConn.

Jen Horita (So., OF, San Mateo, Calif.) – All-PL Second Team
.299 avg., .358 ob%, .368 slg%, 26 H, 15 R, 4 RBI, 8 BB, 4 SB, 2 2B, 2 3B

• Earned her first All-PL honor competing in the outfield with a 1.000 fielding percentage
• Led BU in PL play batting .483 with two triples and eight runs scored.
• Tallied five multi-hit games, including a perfect 4-of-4 performance against Army.

2019 Softball All-Patriot League and Major Awards
Player of the Year: Alex Heinen, Boston University, Sr., C
Pitcher of the Year: Ali DuBois, Boston University, So., P
Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Heinen, Boston University, Sr., C
Rookie of the Year: Allyse Volpe, Bucknell, Fr., OF
Coach of the Year: Joey Lye, Bucknell

First Team
1B – Nicole Amodio, Boston University, Fr.
2B – Mary-Hannah Smith, Lehigh, Jr.
3B – Alexa Ponce, Boston University, Sr.
SS – Anna Gimmestad, Bucknell, Sr.
C   – Alex Heinen, Boston University, Sr.
DP – Marina Sylvestri, Boston University, So.
OF – Taylor Drayton, Army West Point, So.
OF – Allyse Volpe, Bucknell, Fr.
OF – Jaelynn Chesson, Lehigh, Fr.
P – Ali DuBois, Boston University, So.
P – Emily Gant, Boston University, Fr.
At-large – Emily Morrow, Boston University, Sr., 2B
At-large – Meghan Romero, Colgate, Sr., 2B

Second Team*
1B – Nicole Rounsavill, Colgate, Jr.
2B – Lauren Hadley, Bucknell, Sr.
3B – Emily Ballesteros, Army West Point, Jr.
SS – Madi Killebrew, Boston University, Sr.
C  – Virginia Irby, Colgate, Jr.
DP – Sarah Baluch, Bucknell, Fr.
OF – Aliyah Huerta-Leipner, Boston University, Fr.
OF – Jen Horita, Boston University, So.
OF – Jess Hom, Bucknell, So.
P – Raeanne Geffert, Bucknell, Jr.
P – Kelly Nelson, Holy Cross, Fr.

*Due to a tie for at-large on the first team, there is no selection for the second team.