CHESAPEAKE
When it comes to pitching, Brittany Lane is as confident as she is skilled.
“I wouldn’t want to have to bat against me,” the 5-foot-5 junior at Greenbrier Christian Academy said. “You never know what’s coming.”
Her 2008 statistics support that contention about her five-pitch repertoire.
Lane finished 27-2 for the private-school Division II state runner-up Gators. She logged two perfect games, five no-hitters and six one-hitters. A righthander, Lane also rang up 296 strikeouts in 176 innings and owned a 0.05 ERA .
She also excelled on offense in the leadoff spot, batting .573 with 25 extra-base hits, 34 RBIs and 34 runs scored.
Lane, a year-round player with the Virginia Lady Eagles, has been pitching competitively for six years.
Her introduction to the game was traumatic.
“My mom (Renee O’Shea) started me in softball, and I kicked and screamed, wanting nothing to do it,” Lane recalled.
It took about a year for her to change her mind, but from then on, she loved the game.
“I liked being the center of attention, and the best way to do that was pitching,” Lane said.
She credits Tim Laws, her pitching instructor of four years, for boosting her success. Greenbrier catcher Robbin Kennedy also has been a factor in pushing Lane to get better.
Laws helped Lane through a rough patch last year when she developed a problem with her delivery.
“My elbow was hitting my hip, and I wore carpet padding around my waist for protection until Mr. Tim got me straightened out,” she said.
Greenbrier coach Dan Moore lauds Lane for her toughness and work ethic.
“Brittany is the hardest-working pitcher I’ve had and wants to be perfect on every pitch,” he said.
“She is without doubt one of the top three pitchers in Hampton Roads.”
Lane is a superstitious player. One ritual she insists on is assistant coach Robert Sweitzer placing the ball in her glove every inning and offering words of encouragement before her first pitch.
One of her big goals is pitching on the Division I or II level in college.
“Liberty University is a possibility,” said Lane, who has a 3.2 grade-point average and plans to major in biology.
The lowdown on Brittany:
School Greenbrier Christian
Year Junior
Sport Softball
Claim to fame Lane, a pitcher, has recorded 51 victories in two seasons and has led the Gators to state private-school Division II runner-up finishes both years.
Favorite book Any Nancy Drew mystery.
Bet you didn’t know She regularly beats guys at bowling.
Favorite escape Sleeping.
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