Strikeout artist Lindsay Esterline broke two Farwell records

By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sports Writer

It wasn’t exactly by design, but there was no mistake about it. Farwell senior Lindsay Esterline just flat out had a knack for striking batters out. In fact, she struck out batters at a record-breaking clip for the Lady Eagle softball team this season.

“It’s pretty cool, but I wasn’t ever record chasing,” she said.

The records she set are some pretty good ones. She fanned a single season program record 190 batters this year. She also set the single game more for strikeouts this season; getting 21; which is tied for second most all-time in a seven-inning game in MHSAA history. She finished with an impressive 575 strikeouts in her career.

Her father Alan Esterline has doubled as her head coach in her time as a varsity player with the Eagles; but of course, her success on the diamond started way before she got to high school.

“She started pitching lessons when she was nine,” Alan Esterline said. “I think the hard work and dedication over the years (has been crucial). Pitching is not something you just pick up in the spring and that’s it; it’s year-round.”

Alan Esterline really cherished being with his daughter for all those strikeouts and seeing her cash in on all that hard work.

“It was pretty cool,” he said. “She spent hours and hours to do this, so to see what she accomplished was pretty neat. To know how many hours she put in throughout the winter in the gym and on the field in the summertime you realize that hard work really does pay off.”

The first game of the season was a 13-5 victory over Merrill on April 1; a contest that saw Esterline tie the program’s single game record with 18 strikeouts. She broke the record on May 10, in a 2-1 victory in the championship game of their home Steve Klinge Memorial Tournament over Carson City- Crystal.

I think it was a combination of my success and their struggle,” Lindsay Esterline said of that day. “They had maybe two hits in the game and seemed defeated at the end. Nothing like having 21 strikeouts against Clare or a successful team, but they still have to stand in the batter’s box and swing the bat I suppose.”

Amazingly, Esterline got the season strikeout record despite not throwing both ends of a double header most nights.

“I know that a lot of pitchers to have that many strikeouts have to throw every single game,” she said. “Considering I usually only threw one game a night, and I was still able to accomplish that, I’m proud of myself for that.”

The lefty pitcher added that her curveball is most often her best pitch; but she throws her change-up, fast ball and drop-ball effectively as well. Esterline plans to attend the University of Michigan beginning this fall, which also means that her softball career will end once her season with her summer team, the Michigan Bolts concludes.

“I definitely couldn’t have done it the last four years without my two catchers, I had Remi Sponseller and Jacey Stover,” she said. “A good catcher can make a pitcher look pretty good.”

Of course, a big part of that success was what Esterline brought to the circle too.