Broadneck's Salvarola picked as Gatorade player of year

Broadneck softball player Kourney Salvarola, who was a Baltimore Sun 2010 nominee for high school athlete of the year and helped the Bruins win their second straight 4A state championship, has been named the state's Gatorade softball player of the year.

Salvarola had a 14-2 record with a 1.17 ERA and logged 125 strikeouts with 33 walks. She pitched three no-hitters and one perfect game, giving up only 37 hits in 102 innings. She was also an offensive standout. She batted .531, had eight doubles, four home runs and scored 30 runs in the spring for the Bruins.

In the classroom, Salvarola had a 3.8 GPA and volunteers as softball instructor for local youth.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes athletes for athletic and academic distinction. The selection process is overseen by ESPN RISE and Gatorade's high school sports leadership team. That team works with high school sports experts to make selections.

Recent state winners include Melanie Mitchell of McDonough (Charles County), who won last year, and Lauren Gibson of Chesapeake-AA, who won for 2007-08.