In her final game of the softball season Tuesday, May 8, Brentwood School star junior Logan Kinsey dove into first base, much to the concern of her parents.
“I knew right away something was wrong,” said Nancy Kinsey, Logan’s mother. “Before Logan’s sophomore season she underwent open heart surgery. She’s had two corrective surgeries since and still has wires in her chest.”
It turned out the wires weren’t affected this time, but Logan suffered a broken finger that required surgery two days later.
“Don’t get me wrong, a broken finger isn’t a good way to end the season. But we were relieved to know it wasn’t another problem with the heart,” said Nancy.
Logan arrived at Brentwood three seasons ago already well known in softball from summer travel ball, and immediately made an impression. She pitched almost every inning, made all-CIF and led the team into the playoffs.
The following August she was preparing for a travel ball tournament in Missouri when she fainted.
Doctors thought she could travel, play and wait until she returned to undergo tests.
“She had an exceptional tournament and the team finished second in the nation,” said Nancy. “It didn’t seem like anything was wrong with her health.”
However, when Logan was checked out upon her return a mass was discovered in her right ventricle.
“It was hard to identify,” said Lance Kinsey, Logan’s father. “But then doctors said it had to come out immediately. Thank God it was benign, but it still shakes you down to your bones.”
Logan had the support of her parents and brother Matt, a 2005 Santa Monica High graduate now studying at UC Santa Cruz.
“She was fantastic,” said Lance. “She underwent a lot of physical therapy and never once said ‘why me?’”
Logan told her parents she would be a changed person. She began doing volunteer work at UCLA, helping youngsters with heart disease at summer camp. She focused on science, math and English in school.
“She loves the academic challenge of Brentwood,” said Nancy.
As for softball, Logan recovered well enough by the spring to play in her sophomore year. She was much stronger in her junior season, which ended in a 5-1 loss to Marshall of Pasadena this month. Brentwood was behind 1-0 when Logan left the game with the broken finger.
She finished with a 6-8 record and an impressive 1.05 ERA. She struck out 100 batters in 106 innings and walked only 25. In addition, Logan led the Eagles in hitting with a .447 average and in RBIs with 10.
A recent poll listed Logan among the top 50 high school softball pitchers in Southern California.
“She’s an all-around player,” said Patrick Brown, Brentwood’s longtime football coach who shares softball coaching duties with Amanda Kelson.
“She keeps batters off stride with her pitching. She changes speeds well and has outstanding control. She’s a good hitter and can handle other positions defensively if needed.
“She’ll probably play more travel ball, then have her senior season at Brentwood and go on to college.”
Although Brentwood didn’t make the playoffs, Kinsey had a fine season.
“She kept us in a lot of games against quality opponents,” said Brown.
The final image of Logan’s season is of the star player in considerable pain with the broken finger rooting on her teammates.
