This is one in a series of articles highlighting some of the best players in the area heading into the 2022 high school softball season.
STRATTANVILLE, Pa. — Kendall Dunn isn’t concerned with numbers.
She only cares about letters — and just one in particular.
Ws.
She craves them for herself and her Clarion-Limestone softball team.
“I’m not really worried about my accomplishments. I’m just worried about doing well for my team,” said Dunn, a junior shortstop. “We can accomplish something bigger this year. I feel like I just have to focus on making my team proud.”
Dunn certainly did that as a sophomore, batting a gaudy .656 with six doubles, seven triples and 28 RBIs for the Lions, who reached the District 9 Class A championship game where they fell to DuBois Central Catholic.
DCC went on to advance to the PIAA semifinals.
Dunn and Clarion-Limestone want another shot at the district title. They want to get one of those Ws there.
To help her team do that, Dunn has carved out time in her hectic schedule that also includes standout careers in volleyball and basketball to get into the batting cage.
“Well, I’m also in club volleyball, so that takes some time out of my life,” Dunn said, chuckling. “I get as much reps as possible during practice, and I just do a lot of hitting inside.”
Dunn’s main goal in the cage has been to improve her bat speed. She’s worked tirelessly on quickening her hands through the zone to generate more pop.
“I’m just focusing on perfecting my swing,” she said.
Dunn isn’t sure of her future — choosing a sport at the next level has proven to be problematic.
“Honestly, I cannot pick one sport over the other,” Dunn said, chuckling. “Whatever season it is becomes my favorite sport. Right now softball is my favorite. It’s just difficult to chose because I love them all and I have my teammates there with me.”
Dunn said the C-L softball team is a as close as a team can be.
“I’ve been playing with those girls my whole life, and just having that support system really makes me want to play better,” she said.
Many of them also play volleyball and basketball with Dunn.
At a small school like C-L, playing multiple sports is almost a necessity and the Lions have a group of gifted players coming through right now.
It also helps with the team chemistry.
“It just makes it easier. Just having that support is amazing,” Dunn said.
Losing her freshman season to the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult for Dunn to stomach. It took away a season with her upperclassmen friends in the school.
“That was really hard because I wasn’t really expecting COVID to wreck my freshman year,” Dunn said. “I was going to play third base and I was excited to play with all those older girls and see how far I could strive with them. It was kind of sad that I didn’t get to experience that.”
She may not experience softball much longer.
Dunn said it is unlikely she will play softball in college. She said she has narrowed down her next-level pursuit to basketball or volleyball.
Dunn is thankful she has choices.
In volleyball, she was a standout setter for Clarion-Limestone. This winter, she excelled as a guard for the Lions’ basketball team, scoring 12.9 points per game and helping C-L turn in one of its most successful seasons in years.
She’s hoping to bring even more success to the school on the softball field this spring and next.
“This year and next year,” she said, “will have a special place in my heart.”
