PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – The Pace University softball team impressed in 2024 as they tied the program record for wins in a season with 33. In a year where the squad ranked sixth among the Northeast-10 in the preseason poll, Pace exceeded expectations with a third-place finish in the conference.
In 2024, head coach Claudia Stabile guided the Setters to a 15-7 conference record, and a 33-16 overall record. Although the Blue and Gold came up short in the postseason, it was still a year to remember for the softball team.
The season opened in the state of Virginia as the Setters took 3-of-4 games on the road trip defeating Virginia Union University twice and then taking down Virginia State University once. The journey to Virginia included the first of several no-hit performances for All-American pitcher Gisselle Garcia. Garcia opened her 2024 season with a perfect game against Virginia Union, tossing five innings with 13 total strikeouts. The eye-opening performance would shortly become normality for the junior pitcher as she put together one of the most impressive years in Pace softball history.
Next up for the Blue and Gold was a trip to Pennsylvania as they battled Shippensburg University and West Chester University in a weekend back-to-back doubleheader. After dropping both games against Shippensburg, the Setters got back on track and swept West Chester. Following the four-game stretch in Pennsylvania, the Setters swept Georgian Court University before traveling back to Pleasantville for their home opener.
Returning to the Pace Softball Field, the Setters held a 7-3 overall record before stringing together four straight wins on their home field. Pace swept the Dominican University of New York and then the University of Bridgeport to push themselves ahead of the rest of the conference. In the opening contest against Dominican, Garcia broke the all-time strikeout record for Pace University surpassing the previous number of 480. In game two, the Setters celebrated a walk-off sacrifice fly from Riley Jenkins to solidify the doubleheader sweep. Two days later against Bridgeport, Garcia tossed her second no-hitter in a dominant 11-strikeout performance. Pace cruised past Bridgeport as they did not surrender a run in either contest.
After suffering a setback at Wilmington University of Delaware the Setters returned to their winning ways against Saint Michael's College and Franklin Pierce University as they took three of four in that stretch. In the opening inning of game one against Saint Michael's Brianna Shea launched a three-run homer to kick-start the Setter's productive weekend.
Following a split with American International College on the road, the Setters returned home and came away victorious in three of four games. The Blue and Gold swept the College of Saint Rose behind Kaylee Matsuda's five-hit day. Next, the squad split with Adelphi to improve their overall record to 18-8 at the midway point of the season.
After a doubleheader split against Saint Thomas Aquinas College, the Setters came back to Pleasantville to celebrate Senior Day with a twin bill against Assumption University. In game two, Garcia tossed her third no-hitter of the season in a dominant 13-0 win.
Over the next eight games, the Blue and Gold strung together their longest win streak of the season handling business against Bentley University, the College of Staten Island, Queens College, and the University of New Haven. With the eight-game winning streak, Pace improved their overall record to 28-10. Willa Poplawski made her mark in the twin bill against Bentley going 5-for-5 with six RBIs. Against New Haven, Garcia threw her fourth no-hitter that included 17 strikeouts, marking the highest of her career.
The Setters then traveled to New Haven, CT to battle Southern Connecticut State University where they split a doubleheader which included an extra-inning affair in game one. In the tight-knit match-up, Matsuda drove in two runs in the tenth inning to help lift Pace over SCSU. After the split, Pace swept Molloy University in a showcase of the Setters dynamic duo in the circle. In game one, Garcia allowed one hit and struck out nine, and in game two, Anna Acevedo held Molloy to three hits in a complete game shutout.
With four games remaining in the regular season, the Setters split their final two doubleheaders against Saint Anselm College and Southern New Hampshire University. The Blue and Gold wrapped up their regular season with a 32-13 overall record before moving on to the Northeast-10 Tournament.
In the postseason, Pace made the trip to Garden City, N.Y. in search of a Northeast-10 Championship. However, their run came to an end at the hands of Saint Anselm after a nine-inning battle ended with the Hawks on top 3-0. Their chance at a Northeast-10 Championship was over but the Setters would move on to the NCAA East Regional in hopes of making a special run.
In their opening game against Molloy, the Setters had an uncharacteristic performance leading to their first loss in the NCAA East Regional. Despite the setback, the Blue and Gold found success in their next game against Bridgeport cruising to a 7-0 win that included Garcia's fifth no-hitter of the year. Poplawski supplied a 2-hit and two-RBI performance in the contest.
In their second game of the day, with the season on the line, Pace went up against Molloy in a close-knit contest. Despite an impressive outing from Acevedo, the Setters came up short of a comeback win falling 3-2 in seven innings. Their season came to an end with the loss, but Pace matched the program record for wins with 33.
It was a stellar season for Pace that comprised many noteworthy moments on the field. Following the conclusion of the season, Garcia was chosen as the first-ever All-American in Pace softball history earning NFCA third-team honors along with a D2CCA second-team selection.
Garcia and Shea earned a D2CCA All-East Region first team while Raelle Gorman was selected to the second team. When it comes to all-conference honors, Garcia won Northeast-10 Pitcher of the Year alongside a first-team selection. Shea and Poplawski joined her on the first team while Matsuda, Jenkins, and Gorman earned second-team honors. Rounding out the all-conference selections on the third team was Sophie Valle, and Alexa Borino. All-around it was a remarkable 2024 season for the Pace Setters.
With several returning players, 2025 is shaping up to be another great year of success for the Blue and Gold.
