HENNIKER, N.H. - The New England College Athletic Department has named graduate left fielder Emily Gagne (Portsmouth, N.H.) of the NEC softball team their Female Pilgrim of the Month for March 2024. 

Gagne had an eventful month for the 'Grims, joining the 100 hits club in a four-hit in a doubleheader against Augsburg University on March 9th before then becoming the all-time program leader in career stolen bases with three steals against Rutgers University-Newark on March 10th. 

The left fielder shook off a slow start to the season and has been an unstoppable force over the last three-plus weeks. Gagne, in the month of March, put up a .513 batting average and a .587 on-base percentage, both good for second among eligible players in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Gagne has posted seven multi-hit games, which leads the team, and is tied for the team-high with fourteen runs scored.

"Emily is off to a great start in her last year of play." Head coach Ben Masters said of his star outfielder. "I'm proud of her and very happy to see her success!"

While Gagne has had a dominant month in the batter's box, she has been an absolute terror on the basepaths. The graduate student went 21-for-24 in stolen base attempts this past month, as her 21 steals is the most in the GNAC and ranks tied for ninth in Division-III. She had seven multi-steal games in March and swiped a season-high four bags in just five innings against Maine-Presque Isle on March 29th. 

Softball is currently riding a three-game winning streak, a streak Gagne and co. will look to extend as they move into conference play, which is set to begin on Saturday, April 6th, with a doubleheader against Rivier University.

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