By Mark Ambrogi
Despite playing through a shoulder injury, Eme Estes wanted to make the best of her final high school softball season.
“I limited my pitching and played other positions while trying to minimize pain,” Estes said. “I communicated with my coaches and family and with all the support I played my senior year.”
The 2022 Perry Meridian High School graduate batted .494 with 12 doubles in her final season. The shortstop was named to All-Marion County softball team.
“I feel Eme made her most significant improvement this season in leadership. In years past, Eme has been injured and taken herself out of many games,” Perry Meridian coach Megan Edgar said. “I saw her play through the pain this year to help lead her team. She played the entire season with nerve damage and a torn labrum in her throwing arm. We needed Eme, and she knew that, so she kept pushing through and maintaining the pain as best as possible.”
Edgar said Estes’ strengths include leading by example, knowledge of the game, movement in the field, speed on the bases, and power at the plate.
Edgar said defensively Estes was able to get to many ground balls between shortstop and third base.
“Eme perfected her backhand and adjusted her throws to get out most of the hits in that area,” Edgar said. “It is rare for a shortstop to have speed and the arm to do so, but Eme does. She hit leadoff the entire season and could get herself on (base) over half the time. What more could I have asked for? She has the power to move runners around and the speed to get herself on when needed. We will miss her communication in the field next year, but I am confident she trained our underclassmen well.”
Estes started three years at shortstop for Perry Meridian with the 2020 season being canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She would pitch occasionally, appearing in five games as a senior compared to 14 her junior year. Estes hit .400 in 24 games as a junior.
“I improved most with communicating with my teammates on the field,” she said of her senior season. “The best part of Perry softball was the encouragement I got from my coaches and my teammates. Something I will always remember is my last pitch as a Falcon, a slow curve that ended in a strikeout.”
“After the season I rested and all the inflammation went down enough allowing me to play one last game with my travel softball team,” Estes said.
“It’s an injury that progressed over multiple years due to overuse.”
Estes received a small scholarship to compete for the University of Indianapolis bowling team.
“I love both sports but when a shoulder injury took away softball, I was fortunate enough to discover my love for bowling,” Estes said.
“I have been bowling competitive for a couple years, but I’ve been playing softball since I was 6.”
Estes averaged 165 for Perry Meridian’s bowling team last season, making it to the regional. She was named academic all-state for bowling.
THE ESTES FILE
NAME: Eme Estes
SCHOOL: Perry Meridian High School
CLASS: 2022 graduate
HEIGHT: 5-foot-6
AGE: 18
SPORT: Softball
POSITION: Shortstop
COLLEGE PLANS: Will attend University of Indianapolis this fall to major in nursing and compete on the bowling team
HOBBIES: Baking, working out and bowling
FAVORITE MOVIE: “Pitch Perfect”
FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC: Country music
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Florida
FAVORITE SUBJECT: Science
PARENTS’ NAMES: Jamie and Cameron Estes
