SOLID START
Lady Jackets open season with victory at Bethany
SENIOR PITCHER Kynlee Brunson delivers a pitch during the first inning of Kingfisher’s 6-2 victory at Bethany on Tuesday. Brunson scattered eight hits and struck out four in picking up the win.
Adlee Friesen reads after she led off the game with a double. Friesen later scored and finished the game 3 for 4 with a pair of runs scored.
If the Kingfisher softball team is going to take the next step in 2025, it certainly managed a big first step on Tuesday night.
A hot start at the plate, a superb performance in the circle and two late home runs from a senior led the Lady Jackets to a 6-2 victory at Bethany in their season opener.
The win gave KHS an early leg up in District 4A-3 and also avenged a pair of losses to the Lady Bronchos a year ago.
Bethany beat KHS a combined 25-5 in 2024, including 15-2 at Kingfisher in the season premier.
The second loss was one coach Morgan Dutton called “probably their least favorite” game last season, one that prompted a 5:30 a.m. practice the next morning.
It wasn’t necessary this time around as KHS beat Bethany for the first time not just for Dutton in her third year as a head coach, but for the KHS seniors.
Kingfisher got to work early this time around as Adlee Friesen led off the game with a double.
A Bethany error followed by an RBI triple from Kendall Farrar and RBI double by Kinlee East gave KHS a 3-0 lead before the first out was scored.
Bethany changed pitchers and settled in on defense, but the Lady Broncho offense never figured out Kingfisher’s Kynlee Brunson.
The right-hander scattered eight hits and struck out four batters while walking three.
Brunson transferred to KHS from Cashion and sat out last season.
Starting the senior instead of seasoned veteran junior Kinlee East or talented freshman Kennedy Stewart was an intentional strategic move by Dutton.
“They (Bethany) have seen Kinlee East each of the last two years. They saw Kennedy in junior high games,” Dutton said.
“Even though she’s been here for a year, they didn’t even know we had Kynlee Brunson because she couldn’t play last season.
“So we threw her out there and they never could get it going off of her.”
Brunson worked out of a bases loaded situation in the second inning and got double plays in two other frames, including a diving grab by Friesen with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Friesen snagged a line drive, then touched first base to put KHS within one out of the win.
Jancee Matthews se-cured it by catching a fly ball in center field.
But Matthews did her biggest work at the plate.
The senior belted a leadoff home run in the fifth inning to give KHS a 4-0 lead. It was the Lady Jackets’ first run since the first frame.
Bethany got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, but Matthews again struck in the seventh.
Another solo shot put KHS up 5-1.
Farrar delivered an RBI sacrifice fly for more insurance.
Kingfisher had eight hits in the game, which included Friesen going 3 for 4 from the leadoff spot.
She scored twice. Matthews was 2 for 3 while Reese Roof, Farrar and East all had one hit apiece. Farrar drove in two runs.
Kingfisher traveled to the Pauls Valley Tournament this weekend to defend the title it won it 2024.