DEVOUT WITH CLOUT; ESTILL'S STATISTICS AND FAITH RATE HIGH.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer The .784 batting average batting average n. Baseball A measure of a batter's performance obtained by dividing the total of base hits by the number of times at bat, not including walks. Noun 1. draws the most attention, followed closely by the 16 home runs and 77 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in . Gaudy statistics like those are impossible to overlook, no matter what level of play they are achieved. Lisa Estill understands that, although she wishes people would concentrate more on what she stands for rather than the numbers she is constantly being asked about. Estill, who will represent tiny Grace Brethren Monday at the 12th annual Daily News All-Star softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' game, is much more concerned with being recognized for her beliefs, not what she's accomplished on a softball field. ``I don't play to prove anything to anyone,'' Estill said. ``I play for the glory of God. I want to be known as a person that follows God, not an athlete that's out there putting up numbers.'' Estill's conviction led her to Grace Brethren from larger Moorpark High last year. She transferred to the small Christian school A Christian School is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country according to the religious, educational, and political culture. in Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. over the summer. The decision was based on her growing religious awareness. ``I've always been a Christian, but after my junior year I started to focus more on living for Him,'' said Estill. Most of Estill's friends understood her choice, although a few had trouble accepting Estill's new lifestyle. She expected as much, so it wasn't a big shock when some good friends became former acquaintances. ``I can understand because in many ways I'm a completely different person than what I was,'' Estill said. ``But I'm not mad at anyone, even though maybe I guess some of them think I'm weird. ``I'd say I lost some friends because of this. We just don't have as much as in common anymore. There's a lot of stuff that I do that they probably don't want to do, and likewise.'' If the reaction of some friends caused any concern, it didn't last long. Estill said her beliefs helped her move on. ``Nothing is too big (to overcome) with God on your side,'' Estill said. Grace Brethren coach Janeen Skinner knew the Lancers lanc·er n. 1. A cavalryman armed with a lance. 2. A member of a regiment originally armed with lances. 3. lancers (used with a sing. verb) a. A kind of quadrille. b. were getting a talented player when Estill enrolled, but even Skinner could not imagine the impact Estill would have. Who could? ``I think Lisa gained some momentum early in the year and her confidence level just went sky high,'' Skinner said. ``She had so much confidence that she felt she could get a hit off any pitcher in (Division VI).'' Certainly, Estill wasn't batting against top pitchers from nearby Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. schools, but nobody ever said she'd hit 16 home runs playing against Division I teams. She isn't a power hitter, despite the big home run total. Estill is a contact hitter In baseball, the term contact hitter is used to describe a hitter who does not strike out often. Thus, they are usually able to use their bats to make contact with the ball (hence the name contact hitter) and put it in play. who finds the gaps. She outran out·ran v. Past tense of outrun. throws from the outfield for most of her home runs. ``She's not really super fast, but she's quick,'' Skinner said. ``And she's a good baserunner.'' Considering Estill is more concerned with what people think of her as a Christian rather than her softball achievements, it's not imperative that she play well in the Daily News All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league. The players are often chosen by a popular vote of fans of the sport and the game often occurs at the halfway point of the regular season, although this is not the case for some all-star games . Even the temptation to justify her statistics alongside many of the top players in the area isn't strong enough to shake her focus. ``I just try and go out and do my best to glorify God, that's what I'm thinking about'' Estill said. ``It's been a great experience getting to know the other girls. Everybody has been really awesome; it's been a lot of fun.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Lisa Estill of Grace Brethren doesn't want to be known just for her softball prowess, which is extraordinary. She prefers instead to be known as a committed Christian. David Crane/Daily News |
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