Jenny Esparza, a standout senior pitcher from Avon bound for Butler, was named the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association Miss Softball for 2009 between games of the annual Indiana All-Star Classic doubleheader June 27 at Ben Davis.
Esparza (CLICK ON THE VIDEO PLAYER TO SEE MANAGING EDITOR E. SHAWN AYLSWORTH’S INTERVIEW
WITH ESPARZA AFTER THE ORIOLES’ 3-1 UPSET VICTORY OVER EVENTUAL CLASS
4A STATE CHAMPION CENTER GROVE IN LATE APRIL!!) finished the season with 431 strikeouts, a record of 24-3, and an earned run average of 0.15. She also hit .452 with 23 runs batted in for the Orioles, who were ranked No. 1 heading the postseason before falling 1-0 in a regional rubber match with Center Grove.
The hard-throwing right-hander bested Whiting pitcher Mel Dumezich for the Miss Softball crown. Dumezich (19-2 with 350 strikeouts and a 0.11 ERA plus a .544 batting average with nine home runs entering the 1A state finals), who played on the North squad, led the Oilers to three state finals appearances, including 1A titles in 2006 and 2008.
Esparza threw three scoreless, hitless innings in Saturday’s North-South doubleheader. The North took the opening game 4-3 on an RBI single by McCutcheon’s Meg Teller in the top of the seventh inning, but the South responded with a 5-2 win in the second clash.
Esparza struck out six batters and was the winning pitcher in Game 2. That’s when the South plated a pair of insurance runs in the seventh inning, including a run-scoring single by Carmel’s Erika Petruzzi.
Edgewood’s Audrey Ernst earned the John Clark most valuable player award at the Classic, going 2 for 2 with a double and two runs scored.
New Palestine coach Ed Marcum, who led the Dragons to their second straight 3A state crown two weeks earlier, was named the ICGSA Coach of the Year.
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