A standout at both the plate and in right field, Perry senior Rachel Kinney no doubt brought smiles to faces in Indianola Friday when she signed on to play her collegiate softball for Simpson College.
New Storm head coach Brent Matthias — fresh from plenty of prep success at Waverly-Shell Rock — will be adding a big stick and solid glove to a lineup that produced a 31-11 record last year, including an 8-4 mark in IIAC play.
Kinney helped lead Perry (25-14) to sixth place at the Class 4A state softball tourney last summer. Possessed of a cannon-like arm, she recorded only a single assist as a junior, entirely because the opposition knew better that to challenge her defensively. One was also the number of errors she committed on 33 chances, despite often playing while looking directly into the sun.
A hard out at the plate, Kinney batted .428 with 56 hits in 128 at-bats. She had 12 doubles, two triples and five home runs while driving in 35 runs and scoring 30 times.
A starter since joining the varsity as an eighth-grader for head coach Tina Kenney, Kinney has produced excellent career numbers from the batter’s box. She is 146-of-413 (.354) at the dish, with 78 career RBIs, 20 doubles, six triples and seven home runs. Kinney has scored 69 runs and proven swift on the bases, safely stealing 26-of-27 attempts.
Kinney will be joining a 21-woman roster comprised entirely of Iowans. Three of her teammates will be familiar faces, as Carlisle’s Taylor Davis is junior infielder, with former Wildcat pitcher Haley Wright a sophomore while Ballard infielder Annie Stolte will be in her junior season.
Can’t wait to have Rachel on campus and on the diamond! #StormSuccess