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Not only does Emily Bayer lead the county in RBI's, the Pirates' leftfielder is among its top pitchers.
By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 30, 2002
CRYSTAL RIVER -- To give you an idea how lofty Emily Bayer's expectations are of herself, consider this: The Crystal River pitcher was disappointed after last week's 2-1 victory over Citrus, which clinched the district title.
She allowed six hits.
"That felt like one of my worst games," Bayer said.
Bayer is an integral part of Crystal River's success.
One of two pitchers in the Pirates' rotation (the other is sophomore Cassie Pearson), the right-handed junior is 10-2 with a 0.46 ERA and 105 strikeouts.
She hits .283 and is among the county leaders in RBIs. When Pearson pitches (as she is scheduled to do tonight), Bayer plays leftfield.
"She's a complete player ... actually more than a complete player," coach Lanna Hough said. "Most players don't pitch, and she does.
"And pitching is definitely her strength."
Bayer's best pitch is her riseball, but she also has a solid dropball.
The combination can baffle the opposition.
"She really keeps teams off-balance," Hough said.
Bayer, a Lecanto transfer, was an honorable mention Times All-Citrus/Hernando pick last year after recording nine of the Panthers' 14 victories and posting a 1.14 ERA.
She led the county with 117 strikeouts despite being sidelined much of the spring after experiencing numbness, tingling and sharp pain in her pitching arm.
"I'm a lot better this year," Bayer said. "My speed is the same, but I have a lot more movement on the ball.
"As long as the (riseball) gets going, that helps the other pitches."
Bayer had everything working in a 3-0 victory over Dunnellon on March19, when she fanned 14 and threw a perfect game.
"I still can't get over it," Bayer said.
Hough said she is not surprised by Bayer's success.
"She's smart," the first-year coach said. "She knows how to pitch and where a hitter's weak points are.
"She can tell by the way they stand in the (batters box) what she needs to get done."