Kallen Loveless is always a force to be reckoned with on the softball mound and is equally dangerous behind the plate as demonstrated with two powerful home runs to propel Edwardsville over Belleville West 7-3 on Thursday night at Edwardsville.
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Loveless homered twice, including a three-run shot in the fifth, to help The Tigers to a win. Loveless smacked a three-run home run in the sixth inning, which was a key to the win and gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead.
Loveless was overjoyed at her two home run performance.
“I think I try to focus my energy on my at-bats when I get off the field,” she said when leaving the mound. “The first one I definitely knew was going out; they second one I didn’t know. The second home run was off a pretty good pitch. She is a good pitcher.”
The Edwardsville star hurler said it took her a while to get in pitching rhythm in the game, but eventually it happened. She also was glad to see the offense come alive late in the game.
“I do wish we would start a littler sooner,” she said of the run production. “We are really comfortable with each other. Our starters are really close and that keeps us together as a unit in tough times.”
Edwardsville coach Lori Blade said she was proud of her kids for pulling it back together in the contest.
“Kallen had a big day at the plate,” she said. “She helped herself. I thought we had some defensive swings rather than being aggressive and hitting the ball hard early in the game. We have to focus on getting a good swing on a good pitch.”
Coach Blade also commended her team on its resiliency.
“We have a few things to tweak here and there,” she said, after a few miscues in the game and what she called “defensive swings,” early in the game.
Megan Radae went three for three for Edwardsville in the game and was the team’s top hitter. Late in the game Edwardsville executed a 3-6-4 double play, which is unusual in high school softball, Blade said.
Belleville West coach Cindy Garrett said she was pleased with her team’s play and that Edwardsville was one of the toughest opponents the team has faced all season. She was excited that her girls moved out to a 3-0 lead in the game.
Edwardsville is 19-3 overall and 11-0 in the Southwestern Conference after the victory.
