Lauren Gibson (Chesapeake-AA) and Kourtney Salvarola (Broadneck) were recently selected to USA National Softball Team rosters. Both are former Baltimore Sun Players of the Year.
Gibson, a sophomore at Tennessee, will play for the full U.S. National Team, while Salvarola, a freshman at South Florida, was named to the USA Junior National Women’s Team.
"It is unbelievable to have two girls from Maryland on USA teams at this level and both are from Anne Arundel county," Chesapeake-AA coach Don Ellenberger said. "It may never happen again."
Gibson, a second baseman, had a .420 overall batting average and a team-best 13 doubles with three triples, eight home runs and 63 RBIs. She was also 12-for-12 on stolen bases for the Volunteers. Salvarola, a shortstop, was one of four players to start all 53 games for the Bulls, batting .290. She was second on the team with six home runs and 43 RBIs. She also led the team in total bases (79), triples (four) and hit by pitches(seven).
The national team will play a two-game exhibition series in Plant City, Fla., on Saturday, June 25, and then will travel to Salem, Va., for another exhibition series on June 29.
The final tune-up before international play will be in Bowie on July 1.
From July 9-17, 12 of the 18 players will play in their first international tournament at the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship in Surrey, B.C., before returning home for the World Cup of Softball VI, July 21-25 in Oklahoma City.
-- Todd Karpovich
The Parkville Thunder softball team won the ASA Girls B 14-and-Under Fast Pitch Eastern National Championship Saturday after going 8-1 in the tournament and defeating the Bethlehem Blaze from New York, 5-2, in the title game.
