Lady Kavs are ‘jelling pretty well’

Published 9:28 am Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Kenston Forest School’s varsity softball team has been logging a lot of playing time, entering Spring Break this week with 24 games played while some teams in the area have participated in only eight. But the Lady Kavaliers have been taking advantage of their abundant opportunities, growing as a team and winning at a high rate, presently holding a 19-5 record.

Lady Kavs Head Coach Jannon Coley shared what has keyed her team’s current seven-game winning streak.

“I think our hitting is coming along, and we’re actually jelling pretty well on and off the field, so we get along really well, and that helps … ,” she said.

The fact that Coley’s team has around 30 regular season games scheduled is no mistake.

“When I started, I said I wanted a lot of games,” Coley said.

Though she values practice, she did note that “I’d rather play a game than practice.”

Across the last seven games, Kenston Forest has allowed only six runs. This is due in part to strong pitching.

“I’ve really only had two girls, for the most part, in the circle,” Coley said. “One is a ninth-grader, Shelby Gunn, and she’s kind of pulled it together for me. And the other one is an eighth-grader that I pulled up, and that’s Mackenzie Newcomb. So I think the combination of both of them, they’ve done very well in the circle for me.”

Newcomb has been impressive on both sides of the ball.

The Lady Kavaliers’ offense has produced 101 runs during the current win streak.

Batters Coley highlighted included sophomore Molly Epperson, sophomore Berkley Rose, junior Peyton Coleman and Newcomb.

“So really those top four are doing really well, but I’m going to be honest with you — if you go from top to bottom on us, one through nine, we can hit the ball,” the coach said. “So I don’t think it really matters who’s up to bat.”

The Lady Kavs return to action Monday when they host Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School at 4:30 p.m.