East Hamilton senior Dani Wasserstrom was lights out in Tuesday’s 8-1 District 5-AAA victory at Hixson.
The right-hander’s off-speed pitches kept opposing batters flailing while she located her fastball in spots that were hard to hit as she struck out a dozen. Her complete game effort was aided by her sister, senior catcher Nicole Wasserstrom.
After moving in from Chicago, Ill. ahead of their junior season last year, the Wasserstroms have provided a spark for the Lady Hurricanes, who went 23-8 last season and won a district championship. This year, Norma Nelson’s team is off to a solid 4-2 start which includes wins over Soddy-Daisy, GPS, Boyd Buchanan and now Hixson.
Dani also drove the ball to the opposite field for a triple and RBI double in the victory, while Ashlyn Watkins drove in three runs and Grace Hixson doubled and had an RBI single. East Hamilton scored runs in every inning but the seventh.
“Dani was a standout at shortstop for us last season. She works her tail off at everything she does,” coach Nelson said. “Last year we didn’t need her to pitch because we had Syerra Rogers (272 strikeouts, 19 wins). Her chemistry with her sister behind the plate is forming and she really has worked hard with her pitching lessons. She is a competitor and loves to be out on the field working every day with her teammates.”