1995 LOS ANGELES TIMES : All-Ventura Softball Team : Player & Pitcher of the Year : They Played Hardball

Years ago, when toddler Kelly DeArman first shook her rattle with her left hand, no one knew the impact it would have on Marmonte League softball in 1995.

As Westlake High’s ace in the circle, DeArman dominated. A junior, she pitched all but two games, posting a 23-6 record with an 0.26 earned-run average. In 215 innings, she struck out 227 and gave up 86 hits.

Her performance, which earned her The Times’ Ventura County pitcher of the year award, can be boiled down to one factor.

“First of all, she’s left-handed,” explained Westlake assistant coach Gary McGinnis.

Said DeArman: “My ball spins in a different direction and a lot of the batters I face aren’t used to that. It’s definitely an advantage to me.”

She carried the team not only into the playoffs, but all the way to the Division I semifinals, upsetting top-seeded Foothill on the way.

“She meant everything [to the team],” McGinnis said. “We would not have even been in those games without a good pitcher.”