WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross softball head coach Jon Ladino has announced that six student-athletes will join the Crusaders in the fall of 2025. Mackenzie Crerand (Tampa, Fla.), Kendall Grady (Sterling, Mass.), Emma Horrocks (Dighton, Mass.), Bridget Mulkeen (Westwood, Mass.), Bella Nugent (Berkley, Mass.) and Olivia Pignatello (East Windsor, N.J.) make up the class of 2029.

"We are excited for the Holy Cross softball class of 2029. All of these recruits have a team-first mindset and a relentless approach to competing and winning," said Ladino. "One of the core values of our softball program is 'opportunity' and we believe these recruits are ready to make the most of it."

Crerand is a 5'9" catcher, who played six seasons of varsity softball for head coach Dayna Crawford at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Fla. She served as a team captain during her senior year and led the team to two District Championship victories and two Regional semi-finals. Was nominated for the Prime Time Preps Hitter of the Week and earned the honor once. Crerand has also made the BayMade Fastpitch Hitter's Honor Roll.  During her career, she has started 115 consecutive games, with over 100 hits, over 80 RBIs and owns a .973 fielding percentage. She also plays club softball for the Clearwater Bullets Fastpitch team coached by David Patton. The Floridian has helped the team to a third-place finish at the AFON Nationals in 2024. With the Clearwater Bullets, she has over 60 hits, 15 doubles, eight home runs and over 35 RBIs. Crerand has also made an appearance on the national level with the Georgia Impact National softball team in 2019 when the squad competed at the PGF Nationals in Irvine, Calif. Off the field, she is a four-time Headmaster's List selection, two-year member of the National Honor Society, two-time AP Scholar Award recipient and a two-time National Honor Society of High School Scholars selection.

Coach Ladino on Crerand: "She has a great arm behind the plate and can control other teams' offenses. She is also a great hitter, with the ability to hit gap to gap with power."

Grady is a 5'3" catcher and utility player, who played four years of varsity softball for head coach Jason Lanpher at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, Mass. She served as a team captain during her senior year and led the team to two MIAA Softball State Semifinals in 2022 and 2024. She is a Mass D1 Four Year Varsity Softball Starter, a 2023 Midland/Wachusett League Spring Sports All-Star and a 2023 T&G Hometeam High School Softball Super Team Honorable Mention. Grady also played club and national softball for coach Lisa McGloin with the Concord Raiders Premier. Off the field, she is a member of the National Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish National Honor Society) and DECA while earning a spot on the High Honor Roll. Along with softball, Grady also plays field hockey and basketball at Wachusett Regional.

Coach Ladino on Grady: "She has the ability to catch, play the outfield and is an incredible hitter. Above all else though, she is a grinder and finds ways to win."

Horrocks is a 5'9" catcher, who played four years of varsity softball for head coach Katie Holmes at Dighton-Rehoboth Regional in Dighton, Mass. She served as a team captain during her senior year and helped the team to a Division 3 State Championship in 2024 and two SCC Championships in 2023 and 2024 (Co-Champions). She is a 2024 Sun Chronicle Honorable Mention and a 2023 Sun Chronicle All-Star, Taunton Gazette All-Scholastic and SCC Honorable Mention. The Massachusetts native has tallied a .376 batting average, 1.01 OPS, 53 hits, nine doubles, eight home runs and 46 RBIs in her career. Horrocks club softball for the Mass Drifters under coach Carol Savino, with incoming first-year Bridget Mulkeen, where she was a team captain from 2023 to 2025. With the Mass Drifters, she had a .406 batting average, 1.181 OPS and 36% caught stealing. Off the field, she is a four-time Honors recipient, a member of the the National Technical Honors Society (2023-24 President and 2024-25 Vice President) and a member of the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Student Government. In 2024 she earned the Junior Book Award and the Jon H Poteat Leadership Award. Along with softball, Horrocks also played field hockey for Dighton-Rehoboth Regional where she was a 2024 SCC Honorable Mention.

Coach Ladino on Horrocks: "She is a rock behind the plate. Does a great job at building chemistry with her pitching staff while also controlling the game. She also has a great personality and is the type of teammate you want to play with."

Mulkeen is a 5'7" pitcher, who played four years of varsity softball for head coach Tom Grandy at Westwood High School in Westwood, Mass. She served as a team captain during her junior and senior seasons to help her squad become the 2024 TVL Large Co-Champions. Mulkeen is a three-time TVL First Team All-Star and a two-time  TVL Pitcher of the Year (2023 and 2024) while also being named Team MVP three times. She has pitched 350 innings for 550 strikeouts during her career. She also played club softball for the Mass Drifters under coach Carol Savino, with incoming first-year Emma Horrocks, and helped the team to a 29-22-3 team record in the summer of 2024.

Coach Ladino on Mulkeen: "Bridget is a rare pitcher who has both speed and spin on her pitches. She has a tremendous presence in the circle and is a great addition to our pitching staff."

Nugent is a 5'11" pitcher and first baseman, who played three years of varsity softball at Somerset Berkeley and two years of varsity softball for head coach Alexandra King at Berkeley Preparatory School in Marion, Mass. At Somerset Berkely, she served as a team captain during her junior year and helped the team to the MIAA Final Four of the Division 2 State Tournament in 2023. Along with softball she also played basketball for Somerset Berkeley. At Berkeley Preparatory School Nugent was a 2023 Boston Globe Honorable Mention and a 2024 ISL Co-MVP, Boston Herald All-Scholastic and Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection. She has been chosen to lead the team as a captain in 2025. Nugent also played club softball for the Somerset Berkley Wildcats under head coach Kevin Jacob. Her brother Joe is currently on the Holy Cross men's basketball team.

Coach Ladino on Nugent: "We believe Bella will be able to impact both in the circle and at the plate. She is incredibly steady with her approach, with a consistent demeanor who is ready to compete."

Pignatello is a 5'4" outfielder, who played four years of varsity softball at Highstown High School in Highstown, N.J. She served as a team captain during her senior year and helped the team to three Mercer County Carpenter Cup victories. She is a three-time All-CVC Conference who has over a .400 batting average and 71 career hits. Pignatello also plays club softball for Mystics Fastpitch under head coach Sisi Machinski. Off the field, she is a member of the National Honors Society and a four-time Honor Roll selection. Along with softball, the New Jersey native also played on the varsity field hockey team at Highstown.

Coach Ladino on Pignatello: "Olivia first impresses with her speed and range in the outfield. But her ability to be a force at the plate and her intelligence really sets her apart." 

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