When extra practice with Mom leads to a power surge, you know something special is brewing. That's exactly what happened for Brenna Fyffe, a senior standout on the Kenton Ridge High School softball team, who turned a four-game stretch into a display of pure dominance at the plate.
Over just four days, Fyffe was nearly unstoppable, smashing multiple home runs in three separate games. Her stat line reads like a video game: 11-for-13 at the plate, 14 RBIs, and a pair of long balls in each of those three contests. For her incredible performance from April 20-26, she was voted the Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week—a well-deserved honor decided by fan votes at DaytonDailyNews.com.
"I wouldn't have been able to get this without the team I have and the coaches and my family," Fyffe said, showing the humility that makes her a true team player. "I have such a good support system and my teammates always cheer me on."
Her power surge kicked off with two homers against Tecumseh, and she repeated the feat two days later at North Union. In a doubleheader, she didn't record a single out in the first game against defending Division I state champion Lebanon, then followed it up with two more home runs against Centerville in the nightcap. It's the kind of hot streak that leaves opposing pitchers searching for answers.
So what changed? Fyffe credits a more relaxed mindset and some quality time with her mom. "I've been feeling a lot more relaxed before and after every practice," she explained. "My mom and I have been going and getting extra reps in, and we'll go up with my team and get them in too."
As an Ohio University commit, Fyffe admitted that the pressure to prove herself after committing was overwhelming at first. "Once I committed, that's when I had put pressure on myself to prove for everybody that I was good," she said. "Now I just have kind of calmed down and relaxed to realize that I'm good no matter what." That newfound confidence has translated directly into results.
Her resume is already impressive: a three-time all-state pick and a first-team selection in the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail division. She recently became the program's all-time hits leader, cementing her legacy at Kenton Ridge.
Fyffe also credited her battery mate, sophomore pitcher Ivee Rastatter, for helping her read pitches from behind the plate. "She's such a good pitcher, and seeing her spin and knowing what she's throwing and how each pitch has a different spin, just being able to read that while I'm up to bat helps me so much," Fyffe noted.
Whether it's extra reps with Mom or a calmer approach at the dish, Brenna Fyffe is proving that hard work and a cool head can produce some unforgettable fireworks on the diamond.