Two friends will meet on the
softball field for the first time
this spring when the Bulldogs
take on the Lake Superior State
Lakers on Saturday.
Former Rockford High
School and travel softball
teammates, freshman catcher/
outfielder Stephanie “Duse”
Dusendang and Lakers’
freshman first baseman Sam
“Smalls” Klinker will take
the field as opponents and as
friends.
Friends since eighth grade,
they have faced each other
before, but never on this big of
stage, in a college game.
“We have played against
each other before. It’s not
going to be that weird except
it will be hard not to talk to her
during the game or before,”
Duse said.
“When we
played each
other we spent
most of the time
making jokes at
one another. If
I was hitting or
she was a runner
on 1st base
we would talk
a lot of smack
back and forth.
All in good fun
though,” Smalls
said.
After years of
high school and
travel softball
they are supportive of each
other, and cheer each other on.
“It will be weird to not cheer
for her. We spent every school
year and summer rooting for
one another and now it’s the
total opposite. I will still be
cheering for her...just not so
anyone else can hear me. We
will always support one another
no matter the turn out,”
Smalls said.
They have stayed in contact
throughout the school year.
When Lake State played at
Grand Valley State, Duse traveled
down to watch her friend
play.
“Duse actually came to my
game last weekend when we
played GVSU. It was great to
see her!” Smalls said.
Throughout high school
Duse and Smalls were practically
inseparable, and the
friendship allowed them
to achieve great things at
Rockford High School.
“All through high school,
Smalls and Duse have been
good friends on and off of
the softball field. As a coach,
it was fun coaching them
because they had good chemistry.
Their ability to work
together to lead the team is
evident through the many
school records they broke at
Rockford.
“Together, these two outstanding
softball players helped
lead their team to Rockford’s
best season in school history
by winning a Regional
title. Smalls played first base
and Duse was our catcher,”
Rockford varsity softball coach
Casey Dunham said.
While they are not able to
feed off each other at practice,
they have both blazed a path
to success at their respective
schools.
Duse has compiled a .250
batting average in her 10 games
she has played and started in,
with one RBI, five hits, and a
walk. She also took one for the
team, taking first after being
hit by a pitch.
Smalls is hitting
.279 in her
27 games and
started in 25 of
them. In 61 plate
appearances she
has recorded 17
hits and 10 runs.
With four doubles
and seven
RBIs.
“These girls
have a lot in common.
They are
both competitors
and they like
to win. They are
also both motivated to become
the best players they can be
and are not afraid of working
hard to improve their skills.
“At practices they used to
feed off of each other’s energy
to improve their skills for
the good of the team. This
developed them into positive
role models for the younger
players within the Rockford
Softball Program, and raised
the expectation level for their
teammates.
They have left a legacy.
They came, they played,
they achieved. That’s truly
what it means to be a good
leader and both of these girls
accomplished that during their
time in Rockford,” Dunham
said.
They are on their way to
accomplishing a lot for their
teams now, and as freshmen
both Duse and Smalls will be
around for a couple more years
to continue to represent their
universities on the softball
field.
They will play their hardest
on Saturday, and will play for
the win, but when it’s all said
and done, they will still remain
friends.
