Purchase's LaPadula Makes Impact on Softball Field

PURCHASE, N.Y. -- Alyse LaPadula had an impact on the New Rochelle varsity girl’s lacrosse team as a five-year starter. She would put away the lacrosse stick, though, when she went to college.

When LaPadula arrived at Purchase College, there was no girl’s lacrosse team, so in her freshman year, she switched over to softball. It has been an easy transition for LaPadula, who is having an excellent senior year.

LaPadula is currently third on the team in hitting (.365, 23 for 63), hits, runs (15) and RBI (13). She was recently named the Skyline Conference softball player of the week, after a sizzling .800 (12 for 15) clip for four games, all Purchase wins.

“I made the switch to softball because of my unconditional love for the game of baseball,” said LaPadula, who did not play softball her sophomore year because of mononucleosis.

LaPadula, who will graduate in May with a bachelor of arts in history, almost gave up on softball following her freshman year. After making the team, she did not receive much playing time. Even though LaPadula was somewhat discouraged, she fully understood and was preparing for her sophomore year when mono sidelined her.

LaPadula, who was already a member of the women’s basketball team, returned for her junior year and played soccer in the fall and then basketball before earning the starting third baseman’s job on the softball team.

“Before the start of my junior year, we had a lot of coaching changes at Purchase, two specifically relevant to me were the head coaching positions for soccer and softball,” said LaPadula, who will begin her master’s program at Long Island University this fall. “A lot of my return to the softball field has definitely been because of Albana Krasniqi, our softball coach. She really has been pivotal in this process, along with Erika Stahl, our assistant, and Chris Bisignano, our associate athletic director.”

LaPadula says her time on the softball field has been more than she could have wanted, and a lot of the fun came from figuring out the sport and developing as a player.

“The team, in all three years of softball here at Purchase, has made the experience what it was. They are a great bunch of girls, who have helped me in more ways than just being a softball player. I'm happy to have been able to form such as strong bond with my teammates I have met through my experience on the softball team.”

 

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