Junior center fielder Kaidence Bruno has the mentality of a leadoff hitter for Andrew.
And yet, she bats ninth in the order for coach Alyssa Gunther.
Doesn’t matter. Bruno produces, and it’s helping the Thunderbolts win big at the right time.
“She started the season off real hot, and she actually was more our five and six hitter,” Gunther said. “She kind of got to the point where she struggled a little bit, so we bumped her down.
“We just told her, ‘Your job is to be another leadoff hitter.’”
It worked again Saturday. Bruno hit a tying two-run homer to left field in the second inning as Andrew pulled out a 5-4 victory over the host Eagles in the Class 4A Sandburg Regional final.
The Thunderbolts (27-5-1), who earned their first regional title since 2011, scored the go-ahead run in the third and then watched junior pitcher Clare Hester shut down Sandburg (20-10).
The Eagles got a big day from senior first baseman Zoe Jeanes, who doubled, singled, walked twice and drove in three runs. On two occasions, Jeanes drove in senior outfielder Grace Fuller.
Andrew’s Kaidence Bruno (5) connects against the host Eagles during the Class 4A Sandburg Regional championship game in Orland Park on Saturday, May 25, 2024. (Trent Sprague / Daily Southtown)
However, to be honest, did Bruno think that ball was over the fence when she hit it?
“I felt really good about it off the bat, but I didn’t know if it was gone or not,” she confirmed. “I was going as fast as I could and then I heard everybody get loud.”
Chalk one up for honesty. Truth be told, Bruno also knew she was struggling midseason.
“School and sports, it’s a lot to handle,” she said. “In the beginning, I felt really good about myself, and then I kind of just lost confidence as we were going on. It was kind of a mental thing.
“I woke up this morning and told myself I’m ready for this game and something good was going to happen.”
Unlike Bruno, Hester was certain the ball was gone off the bat. And good thing, too, because it gave her the confidence she needed in the circle.
“Oh yeah,” Hester said. “I could barely see in the dugout, but I saw that ball and I was like, ‘That has to be over.’”
Andrew’s Kaidence Bruno (5) makes a catch in the outfield against the host Eagles during the Class 4A Sandburg Regional championship game in Orland Park on Saturday, May 25, 2024. (Trent Sprague / Daily Southtown)
Fun fact about Bruno. She’s a member of Andrew’s bowling team, which went to state this winter. She carries over one important aspect from that sport to softball.
“Probably my loudness because I’m always the loudest one at the bowling alley and I’m the loudest one on the field,” Bruno said. “Sometimes, people get a little annoyed with my voice.”
Bruno also can play defense. In fact, in the crucial top of the seventh, she recorded Andrew’s first two putouts on high fly balls, the second one with Jeanes dancing off first base after she walked.
Count Gunther as one of Bruno’s biggest backers because of how she handled adversity this spring. The home run, her eighth of the season, is proof positive.
“She just takes on any role that we give her,” Gunther said. “She’s sticking to the process, we’re still trusting her and it was great for her to come up big (Saturday).”
Andrew’s Kaidence Bruno (5) gets mobbed by her teammates after hitting a two-run homer against the host Eagles during the Class 4A Sandburg Regional championship game in Orland Park on Saturday, May 25, 2024. (Trent Sprague / Daily Southtown)
Bruno is hoping for deep run in the playoffs to conclude this season, and after high school, her game plan is to play in college. But logistics will be key.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” she said. “I don’t want to go too far from my family and stuff, so I want to go somewhere close, but not in Illinois.”
Hmm.
“Because Illinois is always cold and I don’t like that,” she said with a grin.
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
