SB: 4A #4 Avon ends 33-game win streak of 4A #2 Hamilton SE, 2-0

By Eric Eaton
HCC Coordinator

FISHERS – On a cold and extremely windy day March 25 at the Hamilton Southeastern Softball Complex, Avon’s Jenny Esparza pitched a no-hitter against the Class 4A defending state champion host Royals as the 4A No. 4 Orioles snapped 4A No. 2 Southeastern’s 33-game winning streak, 2-0.

(Make sure you check out our video highlights from this game, which include an interview with Esparza. Those highlights can be found by clicking here!)

Just how windy was it on this evening? Well, I can tell you that I nearly got blown off the top of Hamilton Southeastern’s press box on more than one occasion while attempting to shoot the aforementioned video!

Avon scored its first of two runs in the top of the second inning on a single by junior Holly Wasmund that scored Nikki Burris. The Orioles then tacked on a second run in the top of the fourth when HSE pitcher Taylor Rager was called for an illegal pitch.

Avon senior Mallory Pera was on third base at the time of Rager’s miscue and thus was allowed to score, putting the Orioles ahead 2-nil.

The two-run lead was more than enough for Esparza as she struck out 13 and walked just two in recording the no-hit shutout. In fact, Hamilton Southeastern would fail to advance a single runner past second base for the entire game.

The game was both the season and Hoosier Crossroads Conference opener for the Orioles, who will take a 1-0 record into March 26 HCC matchup with Fishers. The Royals (2-1 overall, 0-1 HCC), who suffered a defeat for the time since May 22, 2006, will attempt to start a new streak March 26 when they host Anderson.

Avon (1-0, 1-0)
AB R H RBI BB SO
Lizzie Campbell cf 4 0 1 0 0 0
Bailey Smith rf 4 0 0 0 0 3
Jennifer Esparza p 2 0 0 0 2 1
Helen Rogers c 3 0 1 0 1 1
Mallory Pera dh 4 1 1 0 0 2
Nikki Burris 3b 2 1 0 0 1 0
Katie Mathieu 1b 3 0 1 0 0 0
Holly Wasmund ss 2 0 1 1 1 0
Valerie Carrillo 2b 2 0 0 0 1 2
Ashlee Witty lf 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 26 2 5 1 6 9
2B: Mathieu (Rager)
RBI: Wasmund
2-out RBI: Wasmund
Scoring position: 1 for 9
Team LOB: 9
J. Esparza (W) 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 13 K
Pitches-strikes: J. Esparza 88-56
Ground balls-fly balls: J. Esparza 2-6
Batters faced: J. Esparza 23

HSE (2-1, 0-1)
AB R H RBI BB SO
Jenna Abraham rf 3 0 0 0 0 2
Taylor Rager p 3 0 0 0 0 3
Brett Williams c 3 0 0 0 0 2
Kathleen Maloof cf 3 0 0 0 0 1
Dearing Dearing 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1
Caitlin Laughlin ss 2 0 0 0 0 0
Katie Syrus 2b 2 0 0 0 0 2
Ashley Nelson 1b 0 0 0 0 2 0
Jordan Kleine pr 0 0 0 0 0 0
Samantha Ballinger lf 2 0 0 0 0 2
TOTAL 21 0 0 0 2 13
Scoring position: 0 for 2
Team LOB: 2
SB: Nelson (2nd off Esparza/Rogers)
DP: Laughlin (Wasmund off Rager)
PB: Williams
T. Rager (L) 7.0 IP 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 9 K
WP: Rager 3
Balk: Rager
Pitches-strikes: Rager 138-80
Ground balls-fly balls: Rager 5-5
Batters faced: Rager 32
Umpires: Matt Davis, Clint Wilson
T: 1:42
Weather: Cool