When Grace Kendall speaks these days, her Aurora Christian teammates listen.
That’s because Kendall, one of just three seniors on the roster, has been a part of the program for four years. It’s only natural that the nine freshmen on the varsity would look to her as a leader.
The Eagles, unfortunately, have been hit or miss over the years.
More often than not, a lack of numbers have prevented the program from fielding a full varsity team, something Kendall and second-year coach Tonia Logan would like to remedy.
“The three of us seniors played a mixture of JV and varsity games our first two years that allowed us to grow and see what it’s like to play at the varsity level,” Kendall said. “I definitely think we can battle for a regional title this season.
“It’s a younger program, so by the time these freshmen will be juniors and seniors, I expect the team to reach a higher level in the postseason, hopefully battling in a sectional or beyond. We’re definitely a growing team.”
Aurora Christian took another step Wednesday when Kendall and Co. came through with a program first, eking out an 11-9 win over Chicagoland Christian Conference rival Timothy Christian in a home game at the Stuart Sports Complex in Montgomery.
According to Logan, it’s the first time the Eagles (3-3, 1-0) have ever beaten the Trojans (0-2, 0-2) on the varsity level in softball.
Kendall, as usual, played multiple roles. She worked three innings as the starting pitcher before swapping places with freshman first baseman Ella Owen, who threw the final four.
That dynamic duo combined to strike out nine while scattering seven hits and three walks, with the hard-throwing Owen notching six of the strikeouts.
“Our other pitcher, Ella, calls me ‘Unc’ sometimes,” Kendall said with a chuckle. “That’s just how she is. I like to think we’re always teaching them that we have ups and downs through games and we always need to compete as a team. We’re playing better together.
“And Ella has a lot of potential, 100%. Again, she’s a young player, but she’s pitching at speeds probably that juniors and seniors are throwing at, so she has the potential to go far.”
Sophomore second baseman Jada Vizcaya led the Eagles’ attack with two hits and two runs.
The big key, however, was Aurora Christian drawing 15 walks and also getting plunked once by a pair of Trinity Christian pitchers.
Kendall and fellow seniors Abby Henry, a third baseman, and Madisyn Glenn, a utility player, are in the midst of their second straight season playing a full varsity schedule.
Logan believes Kendall, whose older brother Conner is a junior left-handed pitcher in Benedictine’s starting rotation this season, has plenty of next-level potential as well.
“He definitely fueled my interest to continue with this sport and play at the next level,” said Grace, who has received recruiting interest from several NCAA Division III schools and junior colleges.
Kendall started with T-ball and house league play before moving to travel, first with the Yorkville-based Northern Lady Reds and then the Oswego Outlaws.
She also plays volleyball and basketball for Aurora Christian.
Logan, meanwhile, is pleased with Kendall’s impact on the varsity, especially those nine freshman she has also coached in travel since they were 9. Owen, in fact, is the coach’s niece.
“They look up to her,” Logan said of Kendall. “She’s my strongest player. She helps encourage and mentor them. Her ability to stay calm and know what we have to do as a team to win is impressive.
“In the last two years, she’s played everywhere on the field for me. To play college ball, coming from this program, will be huge. We’re trying to build and want the younger kids to see it.”
