By Rick Teverbaugh, Herald Bulletin Sports Editor
INDIANAPOLIS
June 27, 2009 11:52 pm
—
It was all fun and games for the four area players who competed in Saturday’s Indiana All-Star Softball Classic.
But due to the number of players on each team for both the North and South squads, none of the quartet got a lot of opportunities.
Highland’s Lauren Williamson, The HB Pitcher of the Year, didn’t pitch for the South team. Madison-Grant’s Sara Webster didn’t hit for the North Team.
“We had 11 pitchers on our team, so I told our coaches that I didn’t mind if I didn’t pitch,” said Williamson, who played third base defensively. “I have been having some back trouble and my travel ball team is playing today.”
Pendleton Heights’ Ashley Warrum and Tiffany Held, along with Williamson struck out in their only at bats in Game One, won by the North 4-3.
Warrum had a defensive adventure in the fifth inning. She bobbled a grounder and couldn’t recover in time for a force out at second base.
“I hadn’t made many errors all season so what a time to make one,” said Warrum. “I got mad at myself at first, but then I just told myself that it was over and there was nothing I could do about it.”
By keeping her head in the game she bounced back in the same inning. The next hitter grounded up the middle. Warrum grabbed the ball, stepped on second with her back to first, whirled and threw back to first for a double play.
“At least I got a chance for redemption,” she said. “I got a perfect bounce on it.”
Between the two games Avon’s Jenny Esparza was named Miss Softball and New Palestine’s Ed Marcum was named Coach of the Year.
Just as with their first times at bat, when the South trio came up for the first time in Game 2, they again suffered similar fates.
Warrum grounded out short to first. Held grounded up the middle and the ball deflected off the pitcher’s glove and went to short, who threw her out. Williamson grounded out short to first.
“I was so eager to get a hit I think I out thought myself,” said Williamson.
Those three would come to bat again in the seventh inning and this time Webster was on the slab for the North. Warrum grounded out third to first, but Held worked Webster for a walk.
Williamson struck out but Roncalli’s Jennifer Barnett doubled into the left field gap to score Held with an insurance run and make the score 4-2. Carmel’s Erika Petruzzi singled to make it 5-2 and end the damage against Webster. That turned out to be the final score and the teams split the two-game affair.
In the sixth inning, the first in which Webster pitched, the South got only an infield single and didn’t score against the Argylls’ hurler.
“I loved playing with those girls,” said Held. “It was so much fun. I think I knew everybody on the south team.”
Held had very little time to think softball following the double-header. She has a date with West Point. “I’ll be leaving in about 10 minutes,” she said. “The car’s all packed.”
“Luckily it hasn’t hit me yet,” said Warrum when asked about this being her final game as a high school player. “I don’t know, maybe it will in a day or two or a week. But it was great to mingle with the players on the team in those innings when I didn’t play defensively.”
Williamson was her usually vocal self in describing the experience. “It was a blast,” she said. “It was fun to play with all of the people that I’ve been playing against.”
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