Moore means less for foes

While Jessica Moore's statistics and achievements are well calculated, her drive and determination are immeasurable.

The Sutter High junior led her team in on-base percentage (.542), runs (49) and walks (13), yet it's her performance from the pitching circle that led the Huskies to a Northern Section Div. IV Championship and earned her selection as the 2008 Appeal-Democrat All-Area Softball Player of the Year.

"I push myself really hard and strive to be the best at whatever I do," said Moore, who also earned the honored in 2007. "I usually take a leadership role in anything that I do."

And it's OK if she's not the most vocal player on the team — her numbers speak for her.

Moore finished the season with an ERA of 0.33 in 166 innings. She went 24-1, 22 of which were complete games, 18 were shutouts and nine were no-hitters.

Moore also struck out 384 batters and walked just 19.

"She works so hard and that's why she's so successful," said Sutter High softball coach Raoul

Singh. "She's not just a great pitcher, she's a great ball player. She can really play anywhere, she's just such a good pitcher." Her coach also believes her strongest attribute is her dedication to the game.

"She has a very strong drive and amazing work ethic," Singh said. "She's just a good competitor and very disciplined."

It was that drive that earned her an opportunity to give a verbal commitment to the University of Oregon following her sophomore year.

Her goal now is to continue progressing as a pitcher.

"I just want to keep on improving," she said. "A lot of pitchers will flatten out after awhile, so I want to avoid that."

In 2007, Sutter was taken down in the Section finale against rival Wheatland, and from that point, Moore, along with the rest of her Huskies teammates, set out for revenge.

"We were focused coming in, but we knew this year was going to be really successful," Moore said. "We had a lot of power, and we had a small team this year, so everyone got along and meshed well. We just knew this year was going to be an amazing year."

Sutter shelled the Northern Section and beyond with a 35-2 overall record.

Moore began a summer-long Amateur Softball Association schedule in Las Vegas last weekend, where her Sorcerers Gold team gave up just four runs in five games. The team will play at a tournament in Lancaster for an ASA national qualifier in eight cities over the next two months.

Moore credits her long time teammate Channell Thurman for being a rock during crucial situations.

"We've played together for a really long time, so she knows me pretty well," Moore said. "Anytime I'm struggling on the mound, Channell is always there to talk to me or to help settle me down and get me re-focused."

"I love pitching," Moore said. "I like having that control of the game."

Named to the Appeal-Democrat All-Area softball team are:

PITCHERS

• Holli Bingaman, senior, East Nicolaus: She finished the year 15-1 with 113 strikeouts. She also batted .430.

• Tiffany Friel, freshman, Colusa: She went 11-5 overall and 5-1 with an 1.01 ERA in the SVL.

• Jordan Stanaland, sophomore, Lindhurst: Stanaland record 10 wins, five saves and struck out 162 batters in the process.

CATCHER

• Ashley Rovito, senior, Sutter: Rovito batted .462 with 42 RBIs, four home runs, nine doubles and a .692 slugging percentage.

INFIELDERS

• Alex Ortiz, senior, East Nicolaus: Perhaps the most feared hitter in the area, Ortiz batted .648 and her 61 RBIs set a Section record.

• Jennifer Rodriguez, sophomore, Lindhurst: Batted .588 and slugged 1.118 in Golden Empire League play while committing just three errors all season.

• Chanell Thurman, senior, Sutter: Thurman batted .485 on the year and her 50 RBIs led the Butte View League. She also slugged .772 with six home runs, seven triples and 10 stolen bases.

• Anna West, sophomore, Wheatland: Her 41 hits, .441 average, four home runs, 24 RBIs and 27 runs scored each led a Pirates team that reached the Section finals.

OUTFIELDERS

• Nikki Bingaman, senior, East Nicolaus: She was a rock at the plate, hitting .552 with 23 RBIs.

• Jackie Sizemore, junior, Sutter: Her .486 batting average led the team and she also slugged at a .660 clip by adding five doubles and six triples.

• Morgan Thome, freshman, Lindhurst: Played three positions and finished with a .314 batting average and 11 stolen bases. She was also 7-1 with four saves, a 1.08 ERA and 51 strikeouts from the circle.

UTILITY PLAYERS

• Jolene Graham, sophomore, Sutter: She batted .435 with 36 RBIs and 15 stolen bases for the Huskies.

• Courtney Gravel, freshman, Sutter: The Huskies' spectacular freshman batted .454 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. She also slugged .621 and stole 10 bases on the year.

• Ashley Lambert, senior, Colusa: She batted .426 on the year and her 41 hits set a school record. Her 10 doubles and four home runs allowed her to slug .760 on the year.

• Heidi McAllister, senior, Sutter: Besides having a 1.000 fielding percentage, she also batted .470 and drove in 32 runs while going 10-0 with a 0.77 ERA from the circle for the Section champs.

• Rachel Silva, sophomore, Wheatland: Although she finished the year 13-12, her 1.86 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 161 innings were enough to get the Pirates into the Section title game. She also batted .333.

• Alex Tanner, sophomore, Marysville: Tanner was a standout at various positions and solid from the plate for the Indians.

• Lucinda Wells, senior, Maxwell: She batted .446 while stealing 31 bases and scoring 30 runs for the Section-champion Panthers. She also went 6-3 with 33 strikeouts in the circle.

• Lydia White, senior, East Nicolaus: White went 10-2 with 99 stikeouts in the circle while batting .405 with 20 RBIs.

For a list of the 2008 Appeal-Democrat All-Area Softball Team, including honorable mention, turn to page B2.

Contact sports reporter Bryan DeMain at bdemain@appealdemocrat.com or at 749-4796.