April 28, 2005

HAMILTON, N.Y. - Six members of the Colgate University softball team have been named to the 2005 all-Patriot League team.

Leading the way is four-time first team selection Dorothy Donaldson (Lakeland, Fla.). The senior outfielder is Colgate's leading hitter with a .376 average. She also ranks in the top 10 of eight career categories: batting average, at bats, runs, hits, RBI, doubles, home runs and total bases.

Joining Donaldson on the first team is junior right-hander Kate Howard (Wheaton, Ill.), who leads Colgate in victories with 11. She has posted a 2.44 earned run average with five shutouts for the Raiders. In 112 innings, she has struck out 81 batters which is the ninth-best single-season total in school history.

The Raiders placed four players on the second unit, led by twin sisters Nichole and Natalie Rawson (Palmdale, Calif.). Natalie Rawson, a senior shortstop, is making her fourth appearance on the all-league team (twice first team and twice second team), while Nichole Rawson, a senior third baseman, has been selected for a second time.

Nichole Rawson is Colgate's third leading hitter with a .307 batting average and leads the club in home runs with five and tied for the RBI lead with 22. Natalie Rawson has a .250 average to go along with 20 runs scored and 15 RBI. She is Colgate's all-time RBI leader with 130.

Sophomore right-hander Kelsey Nordstrom (Salina, Kan.) is making her first appearance on the all-league team. She is 8-8 on the season with a 2.71 earned run average. Nordstrom is the second pitcher in school history to strike out more than 100 batters in a season. In 116.1 innings, she has blown away 106 hitters.

The final Colgate member of the all-league team is freshman designated player Erin O'Keefe (Millersville, MD). In her role as the designated player, O'Keefe has hit three home runs and driven in 14 runs for the Raiders. Against Lafayette, she became only the fourth player in school history to hit two home runs in a game when she drove in five runs.

The Raiders will be making their 15th straight appearance in the Patriot League Tournament this weekend at Lehigh University.