By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports
Sometimes, the more things stay the same, the more they change.
One year ago, the Calvary Baptist softball team faced Riverside Academy in the semifinals of the Division IV state championship. One year later, the same two teams face off in the semifinals again.
One year ago, the Lady Cavaliers run-ruled the Lady Rebels 13-3 in five innings on their way to the Division IV state championship.
On Friday at 1 p.m., the two teams will meet at the St. Julien Complex in Broussard to see which team will play for this year’s title.
If the result is the same, Calvary will face the winner of Opelousas Catholic and St. John in Saturday’s championship game at 3:30 p.m.
If the result is the same, however, things couldn’t be more different.
Last year, Calvary was led on the mound by Riley Walker. This year, the Cavs have relied on Kynzee Anderson to catapult them to a 22-12 record and another trip to the state tournament. Last year, Walker was a senior. This year, Anderson is an eighth grader.
Anderson has gone from pitching just 39 innings of relief last year (as a seventh grader) to 160 innings this year. In fact, Anderson has pitched all but 40.1 innings for Calvary this season. In those 160 innings, Anderson (17-9) has 171 strikeouts and just 70 walks.
“At the beginning of this season, I was really nervous,” says Anderson.” My mentality was, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m gonna get crushed.’”
Being the starting pitcher for your high school team as an eighth grader would be pressure enough. Add to that the grueling regular-season schedule that the Class 1A Cavs play, and Anderson’s success is even more amazing.
In their first 10 games, seven of those were against Class 5A teams. After starting 0-4 (with the first three to 5A teams), Calvary bounced back with back-to-back victories over 5A teams Ouachita Parish and West Ouachita.
“We opened up with a tough schedule,” says Calvary coach Tiffany Wood. “Part of the early struggle was a lack of confidence. But as we got better defensively, Kynzee got more confidence. Her work ethic is really good. She works really hard.”
If there was one point in the season when Wood noticed that boost in confidence, it would have to be the Cavs’ 3-0 victory over a strong 5A opponent, Natchitoches Central, on March 1. As the season progressed, Anderson’s confidence grew – and so did Calvary’s success.
In the first round of the playoffs, Anderson had eight strikeouts and allowed just one hit in the Cavs’ 15-0 victory over Ascension Catholic. Against Central Catholic in last weekend’s quarterfinals, she pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up just three hits and striking out four in Calvary’s 1-0 win over the Lady Eagles.
Anderson admits that she was more nervous than excited when she first took the mound for Calvary at the beginning of the season. So, how is she feeling going into the Cavs’ semifinal game against Riverside Academy (29-6)?
“I’m more excited than nervous,” she says.
My, how things have changed.
PHOTO: by JOHN PENROD