A dream came true for a mother and her daughter at Frost Stadium during Saturday’s Athletes Unlimited Softball League doubleheader between the Blaze and the Talons.
Time stood still for 10-year-old Keilani Whisenant of Fairview, Tennessee, as she talked through the netting beside the third-base dugout to her namesake and one of the most dominant pitchers in softball history: University of Oklahoma legend Keilani Ricketts, who is now with the Blaze.
After a minute of conversation, with a blue marker in hand, the 33-year-old Ricketts signed an autograph that will be treasured by one of her biggest fans.
“As soon as I saw the AUSL schedule and that this game was in Chattanooga, being here was given,” said Whisenant’s mother, Heather Newsome. “We canceled everything to come here in hopes she could meet her. I was like, ‘You are going to meet her, no matter what.’ I just waved at her, and she came over and spoke to us.
“To see my daughter meet her namesake was a very emotional moment. We never miss a game on TV that Keilani plays in. My daughter’s dream is to be out there one day, too. She is also a pitcher and is an all-star player. She was in complete awe. She couldn’t believe she met her favorite softball player.”