One by one, the youngsters ran past Lockport’s Brooke Keltner along the third base line.
One by one, the senior catcher gave them high-fives with a satisfied smile on her face.
Keltner remembers her youth softball days vividly, and she would like nothing better than to inspire those kids to do what it takes to become a varsity player someday. Her advice to them?
“Always have fun,” said Keltner, the Northern Kentucky recruit. “Play the sport, have fun, don’t take anything too seriously, because once it gets under your skin, you’ll just bring yourself down.
“You have to stay up, have a positive attitude and do your job.”
That’s precisely what Keltner did Tuesday afternoon for the Porters, who picked up a 4-2 SouthWest Suburban Blue victory over visiting Lincoln-Way East.
Keltner singled, reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in a run as the Porters (16-7, 6-3) honored players and coaches from the Lockport Junior Miss Softball program before the game.
The other contribution Tuesday for Keltner, who played Lockport Junior Miss Softball growing up, was orchestrating a successful, game-ending rundown with senior third baseman Ava Swain that stranded the potential tying run on second base.
“We work on rundowns every single practice, it feels like, and we just know how to do it,” said Keltner, who caught the ball on a ricochet after a wild pitch. “It’s like in our blood.”
Sophomore third baseman Cassidy Jagielski went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead Lincoln-Way East (16-9, 5-4). Senior shortstop Lea Herkel went 3-for-4 with three singles and also scored a run.
Keltner, meanwhile, has been a varsity player since she was a freshman, being brought up to the top level with Swain and several others.
Back then, Keltner paid close attention to the seniors, what they said and how they conducted themselves, and she’s implementing the same approach now.
“They just taught me how to take control and also learning about other people,” she said. “It’s not a game about yourself. It’s a game about other people and trying to work them up if they are down.”
Swain said that’s exactly what Keltner does.
“She’s a huge leader,” Swain said. “We look up to her a lot. She steps up for the team and is great behind the plate. She’s very vocal. She brings us together and brings the momentum back to us.”
Lockport coach Marissa Chovanec thinks so, too.
“She is all in, all the time,” Chovanec said. “She’s 100% here, and that is portrayed and conveyed to the rest of the team, so she leads by example.”
As Lockport’s catcher, Keltner is responsible for managing the pitching staff. Tuesday’s starter was junior Kelcie McGraw, who improved to 12-4 by scattering six hits and striking out 10. She also stranded 10.
That’s the kind of effort that will help Keltner as she levels up next fall at Northern Kentucky, a program that she committed to as a junior. For the most part, her recruiting process was enjoyable, but there was still some trepidation.
“The calls and stuff with the coaches are obviously stressful because you want to understand where their head space is at,” she said. “You just want to find your forever home for the next four years.”
Chovanec said Northern Kentucky is getting a pretty special player in Keltner, who stood nearby signing autographs for the youngsters.
“She’s just a great person, a great player, someone who loves the game,” she said. “Any time you can be surrounded by kids like Brooke, it elevates everybody, not only their love for the game but their play and just who they are as people.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
