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Bailey Kendziorski (B.K.) commits to Boston College (B.C.)
500th Strikeout for Baily Kendziorski
South Effingham right-hander Bailey Kendziorski (front row, third from left) celebrates the 500th strikeout of her high school career with her teammates after the Mustangs defeated Grovetown 6-3 on Sept. 6. Kendziorski recently committed to play softball at Boston College. (Donald Heath/for the Effingham Herald.)

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald



GUYTON – South Effingham's heralded pitcher Bailey Kendziorski added another highlight to her outstanding senior season when she verbally committed to play softball at Boston College during the 2024-25 season.

Kendziorski (B.K. to friends and teammates) announced her decision on social media. She will sign to make it official Nov. 8.

"There was a lot to take in consideration," she said. "First of all, Boston College is an amazing school, both athletically and academically. I talked to the coaches and they were so supportive. Every time I talked to them I could tell they wanted me for me. They knew what kind of player I was and what kind of person I was."

Kendziorski has been on softball's national radar for a long time. At the age of 12, she was the winning pitcher for a regional U-12 premier team based out of Tennessee at the national championships in Oklahoma City.

During the summers, she played club softball with the highly competitive Georgia Impact.

Since entering high school, Kendziorski has been the dominant pitcher in the area, leading South to a 90-21-1 record during her four years with two region championships and one appearance at Columbus – the site of the Elite Eight state tournament.

Kendziorski and the Mustangs would have advanced to Columbus another time, but in 2020 only four teams advanced because of the threat of COVID. The team lost to Buford in the round of eight.

In the past, the right-hander relied on pinpoint control to keep batters off balance in the past. This season, her dominant rise ball has led to an increase in strikeouts. She also fields her position like a fifth infielder.

Kendziorski has an 8-0 record with an 0.37 earned run average and has issued just one walk while striking out 67 in 38 innings. Her ERA ranked fourth lowest in the country by MaxPreps (among teams posting stats to the website).

In a Sept. 6 win over Grovetown, she fanned 10 to reach the milestone of 500 strikeouts in her high school career.

Kendziorski has been the Pitcher of the Year in the region three straight years and last season was named second-team all-state in Class 6A by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association.

"I'm pretty excited to have (my decision) public," she said. "I think it's pretty cool. I get to wear my visor and Boston College colors. I'm so proud to be going there."

Kendziorski, a 4.0-student, said she hasn't decided on a major, but said she might be leaning toward math or sociology.

Kendziorski and the Mustangs begin a key three-game series with rival Effingham County Sept. 26 in Springfield.

 

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Sports Notebook


EC, SE cross county teams run at Honey Ridge

 

South Effingham will play host to 15 varsity boys and girls cross country teams Sept. 23 at the Honey Ridge 5K at the Farm race in Guyton.

Effingham County's runners will compete as well.

The action gets started at 8 a.m.

Last season, Mustangs Tyler Phillips won the boys' portion of the race with a time of 16:25.47, followed by teammate Julian Howard (16:53.20) and Rebels' Levi Thomas (16:57).

South's Magdeline Morgan won the girls race with a time of 21:06.15.

SEHS' boys and girls’ teams both placed first a year ago.