Three Freshmen to Join FMU Softball for 2009

Francis Marion University softball coach Stacey Vallee has announced that three freshmen will join the Patriot program for the 2009 campaign: right-handed pitcher/first baseman Lauren Bubeck of Tequesta, Fla., catcher Kirby Ethridge of Lake City, S.C., and infielder/catcher Ashley Jaramillo of Canyon Country, Calif.

Bubeck, 5-6, is a product of South Fork High School, where she played for coaches Joe Sanchez and Bob Bubeck (her dad).

This past season, she batted .436 with 26 runs scored, six doubles, two triples, and 21 runs batted in. On the mound, she posted a 9-3 record with one save, an earned run average of 0.65, and 110 strikeouts in 96.1 innings as South Fork made its first regional appearance in 10 seasons.

A four-year starter, she also earned All-Conference recognition each of her four years and was named to numerous All-Area squads. She was a third-team All-State pick in 2007 after batting .457 with 29 RBIs and posting a 9-0 pitching mark with two saves and a 0.39 ERA.

She also played with the Lightspeed Gold fast pitch softball team.

Ethridge, 5-7, is a product of Carolina Academy, the same school that produced current Patriot infielder Shawn Moore.

Jaramillo, 5-4, is a product of Golden Valley High School, where she played under the direction of coaches Courtney Carr and Frank Cantu.

As a senior, she hit .512 with 19 runs scored, eight doubles, four triples, three home runs, 17 RBIs, and a .535 on-base percentage. She was named a second-team All-League selection.
During the 2006 season, she batted .442 with seven home runs.

She also played club softball with the Valley Breeze.

Francis Marion lost three seniors from its 2008 squad that ended the year ranked fifth nationally with a 39-16 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament’s Elite Eight in Houston.