Hibriten's Ashlyn Pope

RETURN TO UNIFORM: Hibriten's Pope throws ceremonial 1st pitch months after near-fatal accident
by Andrew Simon






LENOIR — After she took up pitching in middle school, Ashlyn Pope threw thousands upon thousands of balls to her father David while practicing to become the dominant force she turned into for three years at Hibriten.

“Whenever she had time, she’d say, ‘Let’s go throw, daddy. Let’s go throw,’” David said. “She loved it.”

Yet none of those pitches meant as much as the one Ashlyn Pope threw to her dad Tuesday evening before Hibriten clinched a spot in the state playoffs with a 9-2 Northwestern 3A-4A victory over Hickory on Senior Night.

Because of the Oct. 22 car accident in which she sustained numerous life-threatening injuries, Pope hasn’t played this season, and she still hasn’t healed to the point where she can move around well enough to get into a game.

But before her teammates took the field for their final regular season home contest, Pope stepped into the circle from which she used to mow down batters to throw a ceremonial first pitch to her father.

“I was really nervous because everyone was watching, but it felt good,” said Pope, who was back in a Panthers uniform for the first time since the accident. “It was special for (my dad) and my mom and my family.”

In her time at Hibriten, Pope set school records in career wins (46), shutouts (14), no-hitters (3), one-hitters (13) and strikeouts (538), while leading the Panthers to the first three playoff appearances in school history.

But when a drunk driver slammed into the car she was riding in with her father that night in October, Pope suffered severe internal injuries plus several broken bones. She still walks around most of the time with a protective boot on her left foot to guard her ankle, and doctors have told her she is not yet allowed to run or jump.

All of that makes it difficult to pitch, an action that requires putting weight on the foot and using it to drive toward the plate. But even though she had a good excuse, Pope was still mad that she tossed the ceremonial pitch in the dirt, calling the throw “horrible.”

For her teammates, it didn’t really matter where the pitch landed.

“It felt amazing because it’s been a tough season without her,” said senior right fielder Erika Pratt, who hit her school-record 14th career home run to jumpstart Hibriten’s win. “It felt good to see her back on the mound again.”

Hibriten head coach Jim Blanton had wanted to get Pope into a game but said that considering her condition, it wasn’t worth risking a setback in her recovery.

Still, he said the fact Pope was even able to walk onto the field and throw a pitch was a miracle. He remembered when a police officer called his house after the accident and said to prepare his team for the likelihood that Pope would not survive.

But as David Pope put it, “Ashlyn has changed a lot of people’s predictions about she can do.”

That might include eventually pitching in college. Pope had some scholarship offers before the accident and said that after taking a year off to travel, she hopes to restart her career.

“I think I will,” she said. “I just have to relearn it a little bit.”

Until then, she will continue to attend Hibriten’s games, as she has all season.

The Panthers (10-12, 4-7 conference) will be in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season after beating the Red Tornadoes (3-10, 1-10), behind seven solid innings of pitching by Kirsten Oakes, who has stepped into Pope’s role in the circle.

Pratt’s two-run homer in the first inning erased a 2-0 deficit, and Hibriten added two more runs in the second and four in the third to take control of the game.

 

I don't know Ashlyn but I've followed her story since the accident. She's been through a lot.

I'm happy for her and wish her the best. When she starts pitching again I'm going to make sure I try to get to a game.

There are some wonderful people in her area supporting her. Matter of fact there are people from all over that have followed her story.

 

Thanks

Thanks for sharing the article and story...conquer every thing life throws at you, one pitch at a time....make your way back!

 

WOW! .........Big time props to HOPE!!!!!!!!!

I get the hospital care page on email and I'd like to ask ya'll to get involved along those lines....maybe its your thoughts or your money, which is needed, or most importantly, your prayers for AP.

Fishfriend

 

Awesome Ashlyn, hopefully nothing but great things in your future! See you June 5th.

 

.....just to clarify the post above and the use of the word HOPE. I meant that very thing. Props to HOPE. Without hope and a positive mindset, we're all due to fail.

Positive Vibes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Luv to AP

Fishpal

 

That is GREAT news! The future is wide open!

 

glad she's doing great!!!

can't wait to see her again!!

 

Amazing

Happy tears for Ashlyn. Would like to see a picture of that.