She’s been playing middle school softball for only a year, but 12-year-old Ann Peterson is already hitting it out of the park. The Springs School pitcher competed in the All-American Select Games in Panama City Beach, Fla., from Jan. 2 through 4, where she won the All-American Ace Award and was named tournament M.V.P.
Her team, the Bayou Bandits, won the 12-U championship. Her fellow East Hampton softballers Madeline Abran, Addison Cinelli, Novella Dunham, and Evelyn Sanders were also on the first-place team. All five girls play with the Hub 44’s 12-U travel softball team, the Riptides.
“We went with five people from my travel team and there were a bunch of people from all over the country — Tennessee, Virginia,” Ann said. “The second day it was a knockout round . . . and we held together as a great team effort and won the whole thing — the championship game.”
The games included skills competitions and a home run derby. Eleven-year-old Novella Dunham, a sixth grader at Springs School, won the derby. Dunham is also a swimmer who won five state championships with the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter Hurricanes swim team last spring.
Ann won the 40-yard dash and came in fourth place in pitching speed.
Ann’s mom, Grace Peterson, called the championship a great team effort, especially from the East Hampton girls. “That 12-U team is really solid, with great developing athletes. We were lucky that we had everyone to contribute: Novee with the home runs, and Addy, Maddy, and Evelyn all coming together to win the championship down south.”
Ann has been playing since she was about 5, following in the footsteps of her older sister, June. “My older sister played so I was always playing. I’d always watch on TV and I just wanted to be a pitcher.”
These days, Ann idolizes Karlyn Pickens of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. Pickens holds the N.C.A.A. softball record for fastest pitch ever thrown, at 79.4 miles per hour.
Ann hopes she’ll continue to pitch when she’s in high school and college.
“My favorite thing about softball is building friendships and excelling at my sport,” she said. “It’s such a fun sport. You build so many friendships and opportunities. If you’re younger and are thinking about it, you should definitely try it.”