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Kendall quiets national softball team By Don Hunt Passed over by major college softball programs three years ago and cut by the USA Softball Women�s National Team last summer at an Olympic tryout, Jessame Kendall got some revenge on Tuesday night. The former Illinois Valley High standout held the national women�s squad scoreless through five innings of play during an exhibition game in Sacramento, Calif. The national team, which won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics, used a three-run homer by Laura Berg after Kendall left the game to secure a 3-0 victory over the Sacramento Collegiate All-Stars in the second game of a doubleheader. "It was a tremendous feeling," said Kendall, who limited the USA all-stars to two hits while striking out two and walking one. "I wanted to prove myself so badly. "I wouldn�t really call it revenge, but I wanted to prove to them that I could do it.�� Kendall, a 1997 graduate of Illinois Valley and a senior-to-be at Humboldt State University, was overshadowed by USA pitcher Michele Smith, who struck out the first 18 batters she faced. Smith finished with 19 strikeouts. Nonetheless, Kendall received a compliment from USA assistant coach Margo Jonker after the game. "She just said, `Great job, pitcher,��� Kendall said. Kendall threw mostly dropballs to the hard-hitting national squad. "The game plan wasn�t to strike them out � I didn�t feel like I could throw the ball past any of their hitters," Kendall said. "But I moved the ball around pretty well and handcuffed them a few times on the inside corner. "But they�re great hitters. A couple of their girls hit line drives that would have put holes in the fence at the point they were caught." Kendall led Humboldt State to the Division II national championship in 1999 when she posted a 33-3 record and garnered second-team All-American honors. She registered a 33-6 record this past season and will enter her senior year in the fall. Kendall plans to teach and coach after she graduates, although she hasn�t ruled out playing professional softball. "No matter what happens the rest of my career, I�m going to look back at this game (Tuesday) and have a great feeling about it," Kendall said. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA