Donna A. Poyant was a six-time All-New England softball pitcher who set or tied a total of six season records  and proved herself to be a post-season tournament workhorse. A New Bedford, Mass. native, Poyant helped the Warriors to the NCAA Division III national championship as a freshman, into the national tournament championship round as a sophomore, to a third straight regional title as a junior, and to an overall record of 124-40 (.756) in a four-year career between 1990 and 1993. In 92 career appearances, Poyant won 48 of 62 decisions with seven saves and a 1.10 ERA in 439 1/3 innings. She completed 43 of her 60 starts, with 13 shutouts.  As the team’s sophomore ace, Poyant led the staff in every pitching category, setting season records to that point in appearances (39), innings (207 2/3) and relief appearances (11) , and tying the season record of 22 victories, which equaled the second-most in Division III that year. In 20 NCAA post-season tournament games over seven regional and national tournaments, Poyant was 11-3 with one save and a  0.89 ERA in 111 1/3 innings, going unbeaten (6-0) in regional competition and posting two shutouts as a junior. She completed 11 of her 14 starts, with three shutouts. In 1991, she pitched in all 11 post-season games, starting nine and winning seven of nine decisions with seven complete games and a 0.65 ERA. In the 1991 national tournament at Spector Field, Poyant started all six of Eastern’s games, winning three and being named to the all-tournament team. Pitching on surgically-repaired knees as a senior captain, Poyant still led a deep pitching staff in wins, games, innings, and shutouts and shared the staff lead in starts and complete games. Poyant was named to the NCAA All-Northeast Region team each year after her freshman season, twice to the All-New England team and once to the ECAC all-star team, earning first-team All-Region and All-New England honors as a sophomore. Poyant’s season records for appearances, innings and wins without a loss stood until 2012, her shared season records for wins and saves remained the benchmark until 2011, and her record for relief appearances were intact until 2008. In both years of eligibility, Poyant also earned an E-Club Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award.
