Bradenton’s Kinsey Goelz plays through injury at softball All-American Game

With about 24 hours until her scheduled big close-up on ESPNU, Kinsey Goelz was in a batting cage in Southern California trying to prove to herself she would be good enough to play in the Premier Girls Fastpitch All-American Game.

On Wednesday, the former Lakewood Ranch High School shortstop had been drilled by a pitch on her left wrist. An X-ray had shown no structural damage — just a deep bruise that could be painful enough to keep her off the field for a few days.

But her session in the batting cage didn’t last long. Swinging was too painful to even complete a follow through, and when she tried to field ground balls she couldn’t squeeze her glove closed. Doctors advised her to ice the bruise frequently. She iced it seven times throughout the day.

“Literally the day before (the All-American Game),” Goelz said, “I couldn’t even squeeze my hand to catch the ball.”

By midafternoon Friday, Goelz felt as though she could play in the field. She ran the situation by Jennie Ritter, the head coach for the East team, who told the Lakewood Ranch alumna she was scheduled to start and play all seven innings at short. In the end, Goelz played in the field while the East used pinch-hitters in her seventh spot in the batting order.

Goelz, an All-Area selection by the Herald the past two seasons, still played an important role. She made one heads-up play in the first inning and lasted four innings as the East won 7-4 in Irvine, Calif., the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) organization’s biggest stage.

“I was really fortunate just to be able to play in the game,” Goelz said. “I was really glad that I still got four innings.”

The East scored four runs in the first inning at Bill Barber Memorial Park, and Goelz helped quash the West’s bid for an early counter. With runners on the corners and one out, the West went for a delayed double steal. The throw came in plenty of time to Goelz, who was covering second base, and she chased the runner back to first while staring down the runner at third. The West couldn’t get that runner home, and Goelz helped the East catch the other runner back at first base.

Goelz said just being on the field was an experience itself, getting a chance for a highlight play made it extra sweet. The venue was packed — even the standing room area. With the game televised nationally, Goelz said her phone was filled with text messages from friends in Bradenton and those with ties to Mississippi State, where Goelz will enroll in a couple of weeks.

To Goelz’ right on the field Friday was Mia Davidson, another future Bulldog who Goelz spent the summer playing with for the Birmingham Thunderbolts.

“People were texting me,” Goelz said. “‘Oh, Mississippi State’s going to have that left side locked down.’”

And the East did what Goelz had so often heard was impossible: Beat the West. Softball players out on the West Coast have long claimed superiority to their East Coast counterparts, which gives the PGF All-American Game an added layer of intrigue.

“We really showed that, hey, these East teams can play, too,” Goelz said. “It’s not all in the West.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Bradenton’s Kinsey Goelz plays through injury at softball All-American Game."