Kennedy Latimer’s 6 RBIs powers DeKalb to win, 2-0 start

DeKALB – With four freshman in key contributor roles, the DeKalb softball team has picked up a pair of 10 run-rule wins to start the season under first-year head coach Erica Swan.

“I think we’ve really all bonded with each other,” said freshman Kennedy Latimer, who had four hits and six RBIs in a 16-6 win over Belvidere North in five innings Saturday. “Coach Swan, I think she’s really helped us in knowing this is our year. This is our year to win. I think that just helps us out a lot.”

In a 14-4 win over at Belvidere on Tuesday, Cassidy Cavazos was 4 for 4 with five RBIs. Latimer became the second DeKalb freshman in as many games to go 4 for 4. Alynna Johnson was 3 for 4 on Tuesday with three runs and four RBIs and added a hit and a run Saturday.

In both games, Jasmine Rodriguez got a complete-game victory. She allowed one earned run, six strikeouts and four walks Tuesday. She followed that up with a four-hitter against the Blue Thunder (0-1) while striking out three. But she allowed five earned runs and walked seven during her five innings.

Rodriguez had two scoreless innings Saturday and those were the only innings in which she did not allow a run.

“We missed some spots, but she came back and fought through the adversity,” Swan said. “I’m really proud of how she finished up.”

But the bats for the Barbs came out hot from the get-go for a team averaging 15 runs per game through the first week of the season. Senior leadoff hitter Hazel Montavon was 2 for 2 and scored three times.

The Blue Thunder put up three in the top of the first, but the Barbs scored five in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Latimer drove in Montavon and Ayla Gould on a single.

“We can hit up and down the lineup,” Swan said. “Everyone is strong and everyone has the ability to hit hard or lay down a good bunt. They’re all aggressive, they’re all hitters, so I feel confident about the whole lineup.”

The Barbs are looking for their first winning season and wining record since taking fourth in Class 4A in 2016.

Montavon said the team’s chemistry is through the roof. She added that both the players have adjusted to Swan, as well as Swan adjusting to her new squad.

“I think this year is going to be a really big year,” Montavon said. “I feel like we have a lot of expectations for this year because obviously we want to perform better than we have the past few years. So we have a big goal to reach for the end of the season.”

Golud had a hit, three RBIs and scored twice. Izzy Aranda had a pair of hits and scored three times. Maddy Hallaron had a pair of hits and threw a run out trying to steal second.

The last three hitters in the DeKalb lineup – Sydney Myles, Hallaron and Naz Dean – combined for three hits, four runs and two RBIs.

“I think just seeing the ball and hitting it as hard as well can, I think that really helps us,” Latimer said. “Hit after hit, it was contagious. That helped us a lot.”

Swan said she likes this mix of freshmen and seniors like Montavon, Gould and Aranda.

“I can’t take credit for those upperclassmen, right?” Swan said. “But I’m very blessed to have this freshman class come in and round them out. It’s also about setting a tone and building the culture with them, and it’s helping them bridge the gap between that rebuilding process and the potential we have.”