By AARON GRAY, For The Capital
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Lauren Gibson’s power and speed were on display when she smacked a line drive down the first-base line and stretched a single into a double with a face-first slide under the tag.
Moments later, she eased off the gas and calmly stepped on home plate after the next batter for the U.S. National Softball Team blasted a home run. The two runs lifted the U.S. to an 8-0 lead over Argentina and ended the contest because of the tournament’s mercy rule.
It was just one victory among many for Team USA at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. With a new cast of softball veterans and up-and-coming stars such as Gibson, the U.S. beat Canada 11-1 in four innings Sunday to win the country’s sixth straight softball gold medal and eighth overall.
For Gibson, a former Chesapeake High School standout and Capital-Gazette Communications Player of the Year, the opportunity to represent her country set a new precedent in her softball career.
“It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Gibson said while inside the tunnel of the new Pan American Softball Stadium. “I’ve played in the college world series and some other big games, but playing for your country and being able to represent the very best has been amazing.”
The University of Tennessee junior helped lead the Lady Vols to the 2010 NCAA Softball Division I Championship but while that performance propelled Gibson into the national spotlight, other coaches had been keeping tabs on her for years.
U.S. National Team coach Ken Eriksen was one of many.
“Lauren has been on my radar for a long time because she was my No. 1 recruit coming out of high school,” said Eriksen, who has been the head coach at the University of South Florida since 1997. “Unfortunately, she committed early to Tennessee so we missed out but it’s been great to coach her in this capacity. She is a great person, and that makes for a great softball player.”
Gibson started with the U.S. program last summer and among the team’s many national exhibitions leading up to the Pan American Games, one stop was made in Bowie. It was actually the first time Gibson had played in her home state since she left for college in 2009.
Don Ellenberger, her old high school coach in Pasadena, along with other friends and family came out for the occasion.
“It was a great homecoming,” said Gibson, who led the Cougars to back-to-back Class 4A state titles before she graduated. “I can’t thank our supporters back in Maryland enough.”
Fast forward a few months and Gibson found herself in Mexico trying to add another chapter to the U.S. National Team’s tradition at the Pan American Games.
The program took a hit after the sport was dropped from the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. As a result, most of the older players retired or left for professional leagues so the group assembled for these Pan American Games was the youngest ever.
“The U.S. has been very dominant at the international tournaments and the other countries voted the sport down because of that,” Gibson said. “It is frustrating but this isn’t the end. We still have the World Championships coming up and we’re hoping to have softball back in time for the 2020 Olympics.”
The offensive fireworks for the U.S. team continued in Guadalajara as it tallied 94 hits, scored 78 runs and put up a combined .446 batting average in nine games – all wins.
Gibson started at second base – she was a dominant pitcher while in high school – and was also one of the team’s offensive leaders. She belted a first-inning home run in the gold medal game against Canada and finished the tournament with eight runs scored, seven RBIs and a team-leading three stolen bases. Click here to continue reading.
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