Softball: Pair receive Nancy Kelly Scholarship

Kayla Klein (L) and Lily Cornejo (R) pose with Nancy Kelly after receiving the Nancy Kelly Academic Scholarship at the Foundation Golf Tournament
Kayla Klein (L) and Lily Cornejo (R) pose with Nancy Kelly after receiving the Nancy Kelly Academic Scholarship at the Foundation Golf Tournament

For the last  11 years, Nancy Kelly has been awarding a scholarship in her name at the 28th Annual Cerritos College Foundation Golf Tournament. On Monday, August 5, Kelly awarded Kayla Klein and Lily Cornejo with the Nancy Kelly Academic Scholarship. The scholarship, designed to pay for books, awards the recipients $400 twice annually for the two years they are attending four-year universities. Those applying for the scholarship must have competed for the Falcon softball team, meet academic qualifications, submit a written request and transfer to a four-year college.

Klein, a pitcher for the Falcons in 2013, played her freshman season at Texas A&M University before an elbow injury ended her freshman year, She transferred to Cerritos and was a 2nd Team All-South Coast Conference selection after posting an 11-5 record with a 2.15 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 104.1 innings pitched. Klein will be transferring to Hope International University and is studying to be an English teacher.

As a freshman, Cornejo was a 1st Team All-SCC selection when she registered a 27-9 record with a 4.29 ERA and tossed 29 complete games. The 27 wins are tied for the fifth most in a single season and she pitched 224 innings on the year. Injuries slowed her sophomore year, as Cornejo went 5-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 16 starts. She will be transferring to Saint Katherine College, a private liberal arts and sciences college in Encinitas, CA. They will be starting their first season of softball in 2014.