Polson leadoff hitter challenges all-time stolen base mark

The distance between first and second base on the softball field is 60 feet and as Polson High School leadoff hitter Kaelyn Smith attempts to close that gap, she has a number of different variables she must consider that includes only split seconds to successfully execute the art of the steal.

Smith’s quest to successfully clear 60 feet is also met with opposition. A catcher with a strong arm and a well organized infield can all stifle her progress or stop her dead in her tracks.

According to Lady Pirates’ coach and 16, 18U Purple Rain manager Larry Smith, the complexion of the game can change with one successful swipe of the bag.

Base-stealing can be as contagious as hitting, according to Smith, and Kaelyn, a soon-to-be senior, doesn’t mind shouldering the responsibility to get the rally started.

“Everyone thinks that you have to read the catcher,” Larry Smith said. “You have to pay attention to the defenders, the positioning of the infield and you have to have a sheer ability to beat them after the pitch is released. We always try to take a look at the catcher. If they don’t have a strong or accurate arm and we take our tees off a defender, we pull a little stunt with our batter to make the infielder react. Immediately after that, we try to head to second base no matter what the catcher has for an arm.”

Kaelyn Smith, the granddaughter of Larry Smith, has learned a lot about base stealing from her coach, who is soon-to-be formally inducted into the Montana State Coaches Association Hall Of Fame.

Smith stole so many bases, she broke a Lady Pirates base-stealing record that has stood for over a decade. Smith broke Strohm Fouty’s record of 39 stolen bases during her sophomore season.

Kaelyn, whose cousin Strohm wound up playing college softball between Idaho, Arizona and Oregon State, said her cousin was “excited for” breaking her records in high school.

Kaelyn admitted to being extra motivated to break her cousin’s long-standing record in one of the final regular-season games with Whitefish.

“She was excited and definitely proud of me when I told her,” Kaelyn said. “She punched me, as a joke, and said she was ‘frustrated with me,’ and also said she was proud of me.”

Kaelyn said breaking her cuz’s record drove her to steal four bases against Whitefish.

“It was a motivating factor and once Larry Smith told me I was beating her record,l I pushed more and more,” Smith admitted. I had four left to beat her and I called up Strohm and said ‘I beat your record.’”

Kaelyn, who needs 51 more stolen bases to break Fouty’s high school career mark, said she wasn’t always confident in stealing bases when she started playing with the Lady Pirates her freshman year.

Larry said he felt she gradually developed into a “successful” base-stealer.

“Confidence is key and as a freshman, I think I stole ten or so bases,” Kaelyn recalls. “Stealing bases wasn’t my thing yet because I didn’t know how fast I was at that time. I wasn’t using my long legs or speed yet.”

Larry Smith said sometimes it takes a while to develop confidence for a base-runner.

“When she started as a freshman, she hadn’t played a lot softball at a younger age and wasn’t a very aggressive base-runner,” Larry Smith recalled. “It took a while. Once she was successful she said ‘man, this is fun, I can do this every time. After she realized that, she got more aggressive, positive and confident that she could do that because I don’t think she realized just how quick and fast she really was.”

Kaelyn said she isn’t ambidextrous, but learned to develop the ability to hit from both sides of the plate.

“I was a right-handed hitter my freshman year,” Smith said. “I started hitting left-handed and started getting feedback saying ‘wow, you are really fast.’ That kind of built my confidence in stealing more bases and being more aggressive. I learned to understand the game a little.”

Kaelyn, who moved to Polson in sixth grade from Beeville, Texas, said she likes hitting in front of her teammate and friend, Laurel Bitterman, who bats No. 2 in the lineup. Several of her friends allowed her to adapt quickly to Montana.

“I became friends with Quinn Motichka, Laurel Bitterman, and Marina Mayorga. They all had a major impact in helping me make a successful transition. I also had other friends that I’ve been friends with since the sixth grade, and I am glad about that.”

According to Larry Smith, the two provide the one-two combination the Lady Pirates need in order to be successful. When Fouty played, they had a successful one-two punch at the top of the order with Fouty and Jenny Nesladek, and the record Larry Smith admits didn’t think would be broken.

“I am sure she didn’t mind breaking the record,” Larry Smith said. “I didn’t think Fouty’s record would ever be touched.”

Smith just isn’t in search of the Polson High career all-time stolen base record. She said she would like to win a championship, like the player she looked up to, former Lady Pirates’ pitcher Shay Duford.

“It is a great feeling to be compared to my cousin Strom,” Kaelyn said. “I want to win a state championship and I am just hoping to be compared to one of the previous state championship teams. Hopefully, we will win it my senior season.”

Kaelyn, a multi-sport athlete who has her collective eye set on playing softball at the collegiate level, said she aspires to play for the University of Montana Grizzlies’ softball program.