Home › Naples High School › Naples High School
Softball: Iamurri -- the player -- a big key in return
STORY TOOLS
RELATED STORIES
Related Links
More Naples High School
- Olympic Swimming Trials were quite an experience for area quintet
- Arena Football: Naples High's Saintil catches 2 TD passes in Sabercats' playoff win
- Olympic Swimming Trials: Naples' Sullivan 38th in men's 1,500 free prelims
Share and Enjoy [?]
PLANT CITY — Ryan Iamurri didn’t play a single game for Naples High during this softball season. That is, until the Golden Eagles’ 6-3 victory against Groveland-South Lake in the Class 4A state semifinal.
Iamurri sure knows how to pick her spots.
Actually, the 4-foot-10 sophomore was out with a torn ACL suffered last November during soccer season. She wasn’t supposed to play until May 27, but she convinced her doctor she was OK to play in Friday’s game.
Iamurri didn’t appear to be slowed on Friday, when she went 2-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly, scoring two runs.
Her last hit was a long ball to right field that caused several onlookers to stand with widened eyes.
Iamurri said she expects to play in Saturday’s state championship — as long as her dad and coach, Robert Iamurri, puts her in the lineup.
After Friday’s performance at the plate, Ryan’s lineup spot seems pretty set.
CHALLENGE MET: If Naples hadn’t reached the state semifinals this season, Ashley Pinkerton and Erin Beal would have been the first Naples softball seniors who went all four years without playing in the final four of the state softball tournament.
Robert Iamurri said he made a commitment before this season to get Beal and Pinkerton to the final four.
“I would have felt like I failed if we didn’t get here,” he said.
“This is amazing just to be here,” Beal said. “If you look at all the past Naples teams who have been here, they’ve been pretty incredible.”
NO WHIP: Sophomore Cody Wipperman did not play in Friday’s state semifinal game and will not play in Saturday’s state championship.
Wipperman left the team last week, Iamurri confirmed, but declined further comment.
She was the team’s leader in home runs with six, adding a third-best batting average of .383. Wipperman also had 23 runs and 26 RBIs. She was 3-0 from the pitcher’s mound, with an ERA of 0.00 in 17 2/3 innings, adding 28 strikeouts.
FOOTBALL FANS: The Naples softball team said they have gotten support from the 2007 state champion football team.
It might help that Beal is dating star safety Jack Swanson.
“(The football players) understand the experience and how it goes to be here, so that helps,” Beal said, blushing. “Some of them come to the games.”
Ryan Iamurri added that Golden Eagles football coach Bill Kramer had adjusted his team’s spring football practice schedule so that Kramer could attend Saturday’s softball state championship.
Tired of being stuck behind that cement mixer? Wondering if you need to buy stock in Bob's Barricades? 
Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. Break our rules, and we will ban you. No exceptions, no second chances. Read our privacy policy & user agreement.
Post your comment
(Requires free registration.)