Oh yeah, she can hit, too. Cannode has developed into an elite hitter, belting an area-high nine home runs, consistently reaching base and wearing out opponents with her speedy base running. All those qualities were on display again last Monday as Cannode went 2 for 5 with a two-run triple and two runs, helping Williamsport defeat South Western, 6-5 in a nine-inning 6A state tournament first round thriller.

Next up, Cannode and the Millionaires (19-3) play Owen J Roberts today at North Schuylkill High School.

“Kinsley is putting it all together: average, on base percentage, power sand speed,” Williamsport coach Scott Stugart said. “She’s having a great year for us.”

Cannode made a sudden impact as a freshman last year, helping Williamsport repeat as district champions, while settling into center field. As the year progressed and she gained more experience, Cannode became especially dangerous, providing the Millionaires a well-rounded weapon.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport’s Kinsley Cannode and head coach high five after Cannode hit a two run triple during the PIAA Class 6A playoff game against South Western on Monday at Millionaire Mountain.

Still, this year has featured a quantum leap forward. The flashes displayed last year have become constant lights, helping Williamsport reach the state’s Elite 8 for the first time since 2022.

“It’s so awesome,” Cannode said. “I’m really glad I took a step up this year and was able to compete at the same level as the top our lineup does.”

Stugart often inserts freshmen starters lower in the order when they debut, so the adjustment to varsity softball does not become overwhelming. What he and assistant Todd Snyder immediately saw a year ago, however, convinced them Cannode could handle whatever was thrown her way and she quickly settled in at No. 2.

Williamsport stuck with her through some ups and downs and that trust was rewarded as Cannode played some of her best softball late in the year and into the postseason. A steep learning curve conquered; Cannode entered this season more comfortable and more confident.

That had a lot to do with seniors Emma Vollman, Brenna Beck, Ashlyn Robinson and Bella Reddy helping Cannode gain a positive perspective. Outs are going to happen, but the next at-bat; next play is all that matters and Cannode embracing that philosophy has helped her take the next big step up the ladder.

“Being surrounded by such role models; such positive people has helped change my mindset so much,” Cannode said. “I learned that failure happens. The only thing you can do is learn and that’s definitely what they showed me, and I feel like I took that into this year.”

Now Cannode provides a potent bridge between Vollman at lead-off and Beck and Robinson at Nos. 3-4. Whether being a table setter or table clearer, Cannode has excelled in both roles.

In addition to hitting safely in nearly every game, Cannode also has added power. Ironically, Cannode did not hit her first high school home run until the team’s fourth game this season. Since then, the center fielder has slammed eight in the last 14 games. Cannode is not trying to hit home runs; simply line drives but the combination of her powerful swing, discipline and focus has helped her truly become a five-tool player.

“She’s really had a great season, and we thought she would. That’s why we kept her in that two-spot and it has paid dividends,” Stugart said. “It’s so much consistency. To look at her season, that’s the impressive thing.”

It’s at the perfect times, too, that Cannode has displayed her evolution as a hitter and thinker. After starting 0 for 3 against West Scranton, Cannode rocketed a three-run home run which all but clinched the district championship. It was more of the same against South Western with Cannode starting 0 for 3 before belting the clutch game-tying triple and leading off the game-winning rally with a single.

On a team filled with players who have embraced the exciting moments, Cannode has been at the forefront and that is a major reason the Millionaires are standing among the state’s best 6A teams.

“Kinsley really comes through in big moments,” Beck said. “She’s an amazing hitter. I can’t say enough about her.”

So, after South Western took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth, Williamsport certainly was happy to have Cannode leading off. She delivered again, scorching a single before showcasing her speed and going to third on Beck’s single a batter later. The throw Cannode forced allowed Beck to move to second.

It may have seemed like a little thing at the time, but that speed and aggressiveness helped win the game. Cannode scored and Beck moved to third when Robinson hit a hard grounder to the right side. Instead of being at second, Beck was at third and scored the winning when on Payton Pennycoff’s sacrifice fly.

“I just knew I had to get on base and I was going to do whatever it took to get on base,” Cannode said. “I knew we had Brenna, Ashlyn and a deep lineup behind me. I knew that as soon as I was going to get on that I was probably going to score.”

On both her game-tying triple and lead-off single, Cannode was behind in the count 0-2. The first time, she fouled off a two-strike pitch and worked a full count before coming within a stiff inward breeze of a go-ahead home run. The next time, she protected the plate well and drove the next pitch up the middle.

It was a little intelligence, a little discipline, a little belief and a little adjustment. And all those are reasons Cannode has become a big-time player.

“I was in the on-deck circle and I just knew she was going to get on,” Beck said. “Even though she had two strikes, she’s an amazing two-strike hitter. I knew she was going to get on and then I knew I had to keep her going on the base paths.

“Kinsley is a phenomenal player.”