Aug. 19, 2010

The UMass Lowell River Hawks, coming off an impressive showing in the 2010 season, will bolster their squad with the addition of Ali Ferraro (Kingston, N.Y.) and Melissa Effertz (Oceanside, Calif.). The impressive duo will join the veteran River Hawks, as announced by head coach Sean Cotter on Thursday.

Ferraro will be a dual-sport athlete at UMass Lowell and begins her tenure in a River Hawks jersey by playing for the field hockey team this fall. The Empire State native is a promising infielder, especially strong as a shortstop. The All-State selection captained her high school softball team and was a Freeman Softball All-Star and six-time summer softball tournament MVP.

"I am very excited about Ali," Cotter said. "She has the potential to be one of the top defensive shortstops in the Northeast-10 and is someone I've had my eye on for a couple of years. She has a passion for the game and competes hard every day. I think she will bring a great work ethic and enthusiasm to our program."

As a senior, she hit .409 with 16 RBI in 21 games and amassed a .449 batting average playing summer softball. She played eight seasons with the Ulster Fillies summer softball team and most recently played for the Mid Hudson Rebels.

Off the field, she was a four-year class officer and was named as an Honor Roll student and Scholar Athlete all four years, as well. She was named to the National Junior Honor Society and National Foreign Language Honor Society, as well.

Effertz, a product of the Golden State, attended Rancho Buena Vista High School. The flexible player has shined as a middle infielder and an outfielder, throws right and is a switch-hitter.

"Melissa played at a very high level in Southern California," Cotter said. "She will fit in nicely with our program, as she is both versatile in the field and at the plate. She can play all infield positions, as well as the outfield and switch hit. She will push for time right away and will certainly add depth to our team."

She played three years of varsity softball at RBV, starting at shortstop all three years. She was a recipient of the US Army Scholar Athlete Medal Award and the US Marine Corps Standout Athlete Award. She was thrice named to the San Diego Union-Tribune's All-Academic Team and received the Scholar Athlete of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Awards as a senior, when she also captained the team. Effertz finished her senior year with a .349 average.

Aside from RBV, Effertz also played for the San Diego Breakers 18U Gold team and placed ninth out of 100+ teams in the Colorado Showcase Tournament.