Biographical Information |
Ashley Dryden - By Greg Budd DELMAR - Ashley Dryden appears ready to burst onto the scene In Delmar sports. Dryden, who will be entering the seventh grade at the Delmar Junior-Senior High School this year, recently completed a very successful season in local softball. Pitching in the Delmar Little League, the Wicomico Recreation League, and for the Delmarva Wildcats (a 14 and under NSA traveling team),Dryden was dominating as she amassed a one-year pitching record of 28-3, with 374 strikeouts over 199 innings and an earned run average of just 0.76. Dryden, who started pitching with her father, Bill, is certainly no stranger to hard work. Ten months out of the year, she will throw 120-140 pitches five days a week. Dryden's father can testify to her work ethic as he is the one who handles most of the catching duties throughout the year. According to Bill, his daughter has command of seven different pitches. Dryden's Recreation League coach, C.J. Townsend said that he's never seen anyone her age with such a command of the strike zone. "She works both sides of the plate extremely well," said Townsend, who characterizes Dryden as a very pleasant young lady who is very coachable and a total team player. Dryden's Little League coach, Delmar varsity softball manager Jeanne Foxwell, also sings praises for the young fire-baIler. "Ashley is one of the most dominating pitchers we've had in the Delmar Little League," said Foxwell about Dryden, who has never lost an All-Star game throughout her career in the League. "Ashley shows good composure on thc mound and is quite a competitor." With such an impressive array of pitches available at her command, Foxwell realizes that Dryden will be the next in line to assume the Wildcat's pitching duties. In her spare time Dryden also participates on a recreational league soccer team, and will be trying out for the Delmar Junior High School field hockey team this fall. However, with softball being her first love, Dryden, who would eventually like to be a teacher, has aspirations of playing in college and ultimately participating in the Olympics. |