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SOFTBALL: Shrine Catholic continues strong start to season with doubleheader sweep of Cabrini
ALLEN PARK — The softball teams from both Royal Oak Shrine Catholic and Allen Park Cabrini braved the chilly and windy weather elements to play a doubleheader on Tuesday at Cabrini.
Both teams have been going in opposition directions to start the season.
Shrine came into play on Tuesday having won four straight games after losing in their season opener, averaging north of 17 runs in that stretch, while Cabrini was still eyeing their first victory of the spring after dropping their first five contests.
Both respective trends ultimately continued by day’s end.
Shrine, who fell to Cabrini five times a season ago including in the Catholic League St Anne Division title game, left town with a doubleheader sweep and outscored the Monarchs, 27-9.
Tuesday was the only scheduled regular-season meeting between Shrine and Cabrini. This season’s realigned Intersectional Division of the CHSL features seven teams with each school playing one doubleheader against the other six schools.
A year ago, the Intersectional housed only five teams with each team playing four games against each other, two home and two away.
GAME ONE | Shrine 10, Cabrini 2
A strong pitching effort coupled with a pair of crooked innings offensively helped Shrine earn a game one victory over Cabrini.
After a scoreless first couple of innings, Shrine opened things up considerably with a four-spot in the third before Cabrini got one back in the home half of the frame. That scoring trend was matched by both teams later on in the sixth before Shrine capped things off with two more in the top of the seventh.
The Knights tallied their 10 game one runs on just five hits as they were also aided by 10 walks issued by Cabrini pitcher Catherine Schumm. The top four in the batting order for the visitors — Samantha Swanek, Jenna Rhule, Summer Smith, and Madeleine Doud — combined to go 5-for-13 with six runs scored, seven stolen bases, and three runs batted in.
Doud reached base safely three times with two hits and a walk, as did Natalie Lanfear with three walks drawn. Smith meanwhile drove in her team-high two RBIs with a two-out double in the third.
The early offense proved to be more than enough run support for Shrine starting pitcher Elizabeth Beaudoin, who allowed just one run and struck out 11 over four hitless innings before giving way to Swaneck.
For Cabrini, Clara Bondareff drew two walks, stole three bases, and scored a run out of the leadoff spot. The sophomore was one of three Monarchs to reach base safely multiple times, along with Jodi Browning and Faith Sterling.
GAME TWO | Shrine 17, Cabrini 7
Both teams saw an uptick in runs scored in the back end of the double dip. However, Shrine — who was the home team for game two — needed just four innings to dispatch Cabrini and earn the sweep.
After keeping Cabrini off the scoreboard in the top of the first, Shrine picked up where they left off in game one offensively but putting up four runs in the second.
Cabrini answered with its best inning of the entire afternoon, a six-run second to take its first and only lead, only to see the Knights tie things back up at 6-6 in the ensuing home half. The ‘visiting’ Monarchs scratched across one more run in the top third before seeing their true visitors close the game with 11 unanswered runs.
It was many of the same players coming through again for Shrine in game two. The trio of Rhule, Smith, and Doud each turned in two-hit games while combining for five runs scored and five runs batted in. Their efforts in the third and fourth innings proved to be key after Cabrini had taken the lead in the second.
That was in large part due to Beaudoin suddenly losing the command she had in game one. After a clean first inning, he senior walked seven of the first eight batters she faced in the second before handing the ball off to Swaneck again.
Swaneck surrendered a two-run single to Cabrini’s Elena DelCotto but eventually settled things down for Shrine, yielding just one run on three hits over the final 2.2 innings.
DelCotto was one of two Cabrini batters to register multiple RBIs in the loss. In addition to a bases-loaded walk, Browning delivered an RBI single in the third.
Schumm ended up tossing all 10+ innings between the two games for the Monarchs.
UP NEXT
Shrine (6-1, 4-0 CHSL-Intersectional) will continue conference play on Thursday, April 10 when they return home and welcome in Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes. That will be the first of four straight home games for the Knights, who will then host another CHSL foe in Marine City Cardinal Mooney on April 15.
Cabrini (0-7, 0-4 CHSL-Intersectional) will visit Our Lady a day after Shrine plays them on Friday, April 11. That will be the first of five consecutive road games for the Monarchs, who after visiting Dearborn High in non-conference action on April 14 will play two against CHSL foe Detroit Cristo Rey on April 15.
PHOTOS: Softball – Royal Oak Shrine Catholic vs Allen Park Cabrini
