The fear is returning for visiting pitchers to Penn State, and there's a good reason why.
As the Penn State softball announcer rolls the "r" in the name Ashley Esparza, pitchers are once again taking an extra helping of crisp Happy Valley air before throwing their next pitch.
Before the Saturday matchup against Northwestern, Esparza was batting only .230 on the season, a far cry from the All-America season Esparza had in 2005 where she hit .402 with 5 home runs and 27 RBIs, along with a .569 slugging percentage.
Since then, Esparza has gone on a five-game hitting streak, where she has hit safely in seven of 13 at bats with four RBIs, two doubles and a home run that would have wrapped itself around the left field foul pole if only the pole extended into the heavens.
The two-run blast created a three-run divide in Game 1 of the doubleheader against Bucknell yesterday that ensured the Lions were officially out of their losing streak, as well as their slump.
"I feel a lot more comfortable," Esparza said. "I'm seeing the ball a lot more than I was at the beginning."
The five-game tear brought Esparza's batting average up 46 points and improved her slugging percentage from .315 to .391.
Esparza attributes part of the early sophomore slump to adjustments opposing pitchers have made against her.
"Last year I had a great year," Esparza said. "People know me now, and I can't get away with some of the stuff I could last year."
Penn State softball coach Robin Petrini rewarded Esparza with a shot at cleanup after she was one of the only hitters in the lineup to come through consistently during the Big Ten series last weekend.
"Ashley's seeing the ball great, and she has so much potential," Petrini said. " When she's seeing the ball like that, you have to put her in a position to drive in some runners."
Esparza said she had never hit fourth before.
"Well I've never hit a lot of homers," Esparza said. "The 4 hole is new for me. I've always hit 2 and 3 because I've always been able to get on a lot."
The Lions have a record of 16-1 in games where they score three or more runs and have won 13 of 15 when hitting at least one home run.
Petrini said she knows Esparza is capable of hitting for power, but has a firm belief that waiting for good pitches trumps swinging for the fences.
Esparza's run-producing numbers have been down compared to last year, but Petrini did not see that as any type of disappointment. She said that she's never thought of Esparza as a major RBI contributor, even though she was tied for third on the team last year. Instead, Petrini credits Esparza for being a player who is always extending innings.
The extension of innings through walks is proof that pitchers still fear Esparza. Even after struggling, Esparza still leads the team in walks. Pitchers throw balls while avoiding her sweet spot, but Esparza's patience at the plate is what keeps her bat on her shoulder. Esparza said she learned her patience in a drill that they practiced while she was in high school.
"We had to pick a pitch that we wanted to hit, but we had to wait for two strikes before we were allowed to swing," Esparza said.
The pain of the early-season slump was not the only pain Esparza had felt this season. While warming up at practice yesterday, an errant throw from teammate Jen Acunto struck Esparza lightly on the side while she was distracted. The 25-foot lob probably felt like a love tap in comparison to the team-leading four times that Esparza has been plunked this year.
"I don't know, it kind of hurts," Esparza said of the constant beanings. "I wish they wouldn't. It's not like I stand on the plate either. I just get hit a lot."
Esparza said that she has always been a bit of a ball magnet.
"I had one bruise. You can't see it because it's dark, but I get hit all the time," Esparza said pointing to her left shoulder. "Even in high school I got hit a lot."
