Kutztown University

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Of the four seniors on the Kutztown University softball team, the three Canadians should be the players who feel like outsiders.

Instead, the lone American senior, Steph Denlinger, is on an island of her own.

Coming to America

    There isn’t that much of a difference between Americans and Canadians. For the most part, traveling to either country is just like visiting another state, says Ashley Fitzgerald, a native of Kitchener, Ontario.
      “You know, the funny thing is, I don’t think like I’m in another country,” she said. “To me it just feels like another province.”
      The four years in a different “province,” has opened up new doors for the three Canadians.
      “The four years have been a great learning experience and I believe our team has grown every year,” said Krista Cameron, of Formosa, Ontario. “We improved every year we’ve been together.”
       For Kim Morrison, a native of Snake Island, Ontario, she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
       “I just feel like overall this is a really good program, and I’m not trying to hype it up,” Morrison said. “Not only can coach Judy Lawes recruit, but she can coach. She has been able to help players improve so much. Everyone on this team is so close and that is something that I’m so proud of. I think that contributes to our success. I just love it here. It’s been a great four years.”

“It’s kind of a running joke,” she said. “They always make it known that I’m the only American.”

“I once came to practice acting all sad,” Morrison said, laughing before she could even complete her story. “I told Steph that my pet penguin, Pingu, was sick and we had to ship her back to Nunavut, which is the Northern-most province in Canada. It’s funny what people will believe about Canadians. Everyone always assumes we have penguins.”

The truth is, you’re just as likely to find a domesticated penguin in Canada as you are to quiet the bats of these four seniors.

Still, many pitchers in Division II think there’s a way to get around this quartet of lefty hitters.

They try to pitch around Denlinger, the 2007 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Player of the Year, but then they just run into the 2008 PSAC East Player of the Year, Ashley Fitzgerald.

Pitchers can’t work around both of the sluggers because Morrison bats before them, and with a career on-base percentage of .343, she’s likely already eyeing up home plate.

And then there’s Cameron, who follows Fitzgerald in the lineup, boasting a career total of 41 home runs and 184 RBIs.

“All of us can hit the ball,” Denlinger said. “It’s pretty cool to see any one of us come up and you know they can do it.”

“I think we knew right away freshman year that we were going to be something big,” Morrison said. “We just had that confidence. I feel like I expected it. We have great talent between the four of us.”

Together, they have totaled 995 hits, 220 doubles, 177 home runs, 697 RBIs and 656 runs scored leading up to this Sunday’s PSAC Championship round at Lock Haven.

“I actually had no idea that we did that,” Cameron said. “I don’t think any of us keep track of the numbers, we just keep a common goal to get to regionals and win. All four of us want that the most. I guess the numbers show how hard we want to get there.”

Denlinger, who leads all of Division II with 77 career home runs and 155 walks, agreed with Cameron.

“As a freshman, you come in here not really knowing what is going to happen,” she said. “It is surprising to put the numbers together and hear that. It all comes down to, we just work well together. We always get along and we work hard at practice.”

Friends on and off the field, two countries have come together to create something special at Kutztown. The bond among these seniors was ever-present on Senior Day on April 18 when Denlinger dropped off a CD with “Oh, Canada,” the Canadian national anthem, at the press box before the game.

“They sing it all the time,” Denlinger said. “So I wanted it played in our final home game. It kind of made my heart stop a little bit because they do mean so much to me. I know they were happy to actually hear it on the field. Kim was singing along.”

“It was great,” Morrison said. “Every time I hear the American anthem, I just think of how lucky I am that you guys give me this chance to come here, but hearing the Canadian National Anthem for the final day and having my parents there was just great because I could feel like I’ve done something good for Canada.”