All-SSC Awards
MELBOURNE, Fla. - With the regular season over, Sunshine State Conference officials released conference honors on Monday afternoon, and the Embry-Riddle softball team had one of its members selected to the All-SSC First Team and another three included on the second team. Raissa Bianco followed in her sister Raquelli's footsteps by receiving First Team All-Conference honors while
Lauren Latoria earned Second Team accolades for the second straight season and
Mallory Kinahan and
Delaney Morgan were Second Team selections for the first time in their careers. Voting was conducted among the league's 11 coaches.Â
Bianco received the honor as a utility player. She split time between second and third base in 2023. Of her 43 starts, the sophomore made 25 at second and 18 at third. She finished her first season as a member of the Blue and Gold with 10 runs, three doubles, 11 RBIs and five stolen bases. In the field, Bianco notched 85 putouts and 72 assists. She also helped turn six double plays. Bianco is one of just six Eagles to be named to the All-SSC First Team, joining Destiny Carroll, Maggie Scott, Katy Thompson, Mariana Pereira, and Mahaliyah Sandridge.Â
Latoria returns to the All-Conference Second Team after doing so in 2022. She started 43 games as the Eagles' designated player and played in 49 of the team's 50 contests. Latoria finished 2023 with a .270 average, nine runs, five doubles, one triple, one home run, 22 RBIs, and a stolen base. Additionally, the junior had the most multi-RBI games by an Eagle this year, driving in two runners in a game six times.Â
Kinahan served as Embry-Riddle's ace, starting 27 games in the circle and appearing in 30 contests. Her 15 wins ranked fourth in the conference while her 2.06 ERA was the eighth-lowest in the league. She went the distance on 13 occasions, three of which were shutouts. The sophomore's 74 strikeouts were the seventh most by any pitcher in the SSC. Not only did Kinahan excel in the circle, but she also performed well at the plate. The Sayville, New York native hit at a clip of .256, scored eight times, drove in two runs, and swiped five bags.
Morgan had a breakout season in 2023, leading the squad in batting average (.359). Over 44 games played, she accumulated 21 runs, six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. Morgan made 42 starts in the outfield, catching 72 fly balls and assisting on three outs. She ended the year on a 16-game reached base streak, the longest by any Eagle this season.Â
