MISHAWAKA — Resiliency and perseverance strike right to the core of who Caitlyn Denny is.
The Penn High School softball pitcher is excelling as the ace now of a deep and talented pitching corps thanks in large part to those two traits.
The senior is the top pitcher on one of the state’s top teams even after having not one, but two, ACL injuries. The righthander has stepped to the forefront for her team despite losing her entire sophomore season on the diamond due to the second injury to her left knee.
“It helped open my eyes,” Denny said. “It made me realize that playing softball is a privilege. It made me love softball even more. It made me work even harder to be the best version of myself that I can be.”
Denny was a key cog as the “closer” for the Kingsmen her junior season as then-senior and now Toledo freshman Liv Signorino worked the most innings of the pair of standouts as she was 13-5. Denny went 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 77 innings as Penn posted a 25-5 mark, ending with a 4-2 loss to Crown Point in the semi-state title game. Crown Point went on to win the Class 4A state title.
Denny improved to 8-0 in the circle after a 13-3 five-inning Northern Indiana Conference win at Elkhart May 5. Her first setback came a few days later in a 4-0 loss to Crown Point Friday, May 8.
Going into the game against the Bulldogs, she had an ERA of 1.88 with 11 earned runs allowed in 41 innings pitched. Denny had fanned 47 with 17 walks with an opponents batting average of .171 versus her. The Kingsmen are 16-3 overall and 7-0 in the NIC.
“C has been outstanding for us,” said Penn coach Beth Zachary. “She’s responded this season as our ace, our go to out there. It has been a transition that we have had to mentally work through with her being out there and attacking from the start. I’m just super proud of the growth that she has shown.”
Zachary, who guided Penn to the Class 4A state title in 2023, has five pitchers on her staff this season.
Denny credits her family, especially father Derrick and mother Lacarla, for helping her get through the tough times of two rehab stints. She also has a younger brother and a younger sister Chloe, who is a sophomore on the Penn junior varsity team.
“It took a good support system, like my family and my coaches, for me to come back and succeed,” Denny explained. “Mentally it was really tough for me. I went from really active to like a dead stop for six weeks.
“My mom made me realize it was what God had planned for me. My dad and I are super close. He tore up his knee when he was younger, so he understood what I was going through. That helped me a lot. I’m close with my whole family.”
Zachary, a former state champion prep pitcher herself, loves the personality that Denny brings to the diamond.
“C is everybody’s friend,” Zachary remarked. “She likes to keep it fun and lighthearted. But she also knows when it’s time to get serious and I love that about her. She’s a fierce competitor and wants to do well for her team.
“She has grit, determination and inner character. She chose the hard path to put in the extra time and the extra reps to get back to an elite level after her knee injuries. That shows a lot about who she is.”
Denny admits that she tries to keep things fun for her team.
“I try to lighten the mood and crack jokes and make people laugh,” Denny said. “I think that helps ease the pressure.”
The Kingsmen have not missed a beat despite the loss of 11 seniors from a year ago. Those gone included Miss Softball Ava Zachary, now a star at Notre Dame. This year’s edition boasts four seniors, led by Denny and Northwestern University commit Logan Rumble. Denny will play at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Rumble is now the program’s all-time home runs leader, passing Ava Zachary earlier this season.
“This team is so close and has great chemistry,” Denny said. “We play as one. The unwritten rule here with Penn softball is to have the best culture we can have.
“I have complete confidence and all the faith in my teammates, both offensively and defensively. That allows me to just go out there and throw. It’s about doing your job.”
Denny is backed by a deep and loaded lineup that has outscored its foes 174-61 through its first 19 contests. The Kingsmen have scored in double digits in 10 of those games. Penn’s other two losses were to Class 4A No. 1 Lake Central 14-0 and Daviess County from Kentucky 14-3 in April.
Denny was throwing a no hitter in a home game versus Lake Central on April 2, in which Penn led 2-0 in the fourth inning, before the game was cancelled due to weather. She did not pitch in the 14-0 loss to the Indians.
“I do try to focus on the present and stay in the moment since this is my senior year,” commented Denny. “But the future does cross my mind. I think that this team can achieve it all this year. If we stay true to ourselves and come in strong, we have a very good chance.”
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Caitlyn Denny delivering big time as ace for Penn softball
Reporting by Scott Davidson, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
