ALLEN PARK — A pair of Catholic League Intersectional Division foes hooked up on the diamond for a Friday afternoon as Marine City Cardinal Mooney made the long trip out to Allen Park Cabrini.
Both teams came into the matchup heading in opposite directions already to begin the season. Mooney was looking to snap a three-game losing streak after opening the season with a win over Warren Lincoln back on April 9. Cabrini meanwhile came in winners of three straight games to open the spring campaign.
It was ultimately another strong showing for the hometown Monarchs, who continued their recent winning ways with a sweep of the visiting Cardinals.
PHOTO GALLERY: Softball – Marine City Cardinal Mooney vs Allen Park Cabrini
Cabrini coming into play on Friday had already matched their win total from all of last season (3-21 overall). And the results from the doubleheader are a continuation of what has been a lot of run scoring thus far for the Monarchs.
Cabrini has eclipsed double-digit runs in four of their five games played, outscoring the opposition, 64-9.
Conversely on the other side, a very young Mooney squad has unfortunately been at the expense of similar scoring trends, having been outscored 86-32 in what is now five straight losses. It is a Cardinals team that boasts nine underclassmen, seven of which are freshmen.
Game 1 | Cabrini 8, Cardinal Mooney 2
Early scoring was the difference for Cabrini, who scored five of their eight runs in the first two innings in the game one win.
It was a patient approach offensively for the Monarchs, who tallied all eight of their runs on just seven hits while also drawing nine walks. Five of those came in the first inning alone including one issued to Madison Lewicki with the bases loaded to break the scoreless tie early. One at-bat later, it was Amy Tran grounding into a fielder’s choice that allowed M Torres to score from third.
The hosts made it a 5-0 lead in the home half of the second thanks to an RBI single from Brianna Manning followed immediately by a two-run double from Elena DelCotto.
Manning was doing the rest in the circle for Cabrini as she kept Mooney off the scoreboard through the first five innings. The senior did have to navigate some traffic on the basepaths early as she stranded runners on the corners in the top of the first.
After Cabrini plated one more in the fourth on an RBI double from Lewicki, the two CHSL foes scratched across two runs each in the sixth.
Mooney saw both Isabella Lutzky and Brielle Miller score on wild pitches. Lutzky led off the inning by drawing a walk before Miller reached on a base hit to center.
Cabrini however was able to get those two runs in the home half of the sixth. A double from Tran and a single from Lyn Dang in consecutive at-bats with two outs finished off the scoring in game one.
Manning on the rubber allowed just three hits and two walks over her seven innings of work. All but four of the outs she recorded came via the strikeout. On the other side, it was Noey Daugherty, one of just two seniors for Mooney along with Lutzky, who tossed all six innings in the circle.
Game 2 | Cabrini 17, Cardinal Mooney 2
The back end of the double dip was an abbreviated contest as Cabrini needed just three innings to finish off the sweep. The Monarchs in fact fell behind early in game two after Mooney scored their only two runs of the game in the top of the first despite recording just one hit.
Three of the first Cardinals reached base safely including two on dropped third strikes. That set up an early bases-loaded opportunity for Rebecca Gordon, who grounded into a fielder’s choice and allowed Lutzky to score. In the ensuing at-bat, Miller scored from third on a passed ball to make it a 2-0 lead for the Cards.
The rally for the visitors was squandered there and from that point forward, it was all Cabrini.
The Monarchs in the home half of the first inning nearly batted around two full times, sending 16 batters to the dish and scoring 11 times. Walks again plagued Mooney as the home team drew 13 total free passes in their two innings of offense in game two, nine of those coming in that opening frame.
Cabrini in fact only formally had three hits in the shortened contest: doubles from Manning and Ashley Pelc and a single off the bat of Dang. The Monarchs then finished off the scoring in the bottom of the second with six more runs, five coming on either a walk or hit by pitch.
In total, 10 different players reached base safely at least once for Cabrini in the game two win. DelCotto, Lewicki, Catherine Schumm, and Jodi Browning each drew two walks while Manning and Dang each had a hit and a base on balls.
Mooney sophom*ore Charlotte Barch spun both innings on the mound in game two, getting four of her six outs via the strikeout.
UP NEXT
Both teams are set to return to game action next Tuesday, April 23 with doubleheaders against fellow CHSL Intersectional Division foes.
Cabrini (5-0, 4-0 CHSL-Intersectional) will be venturing out to Royal Oak Shrine Catholic (4:30p). It will be an opportunity for the Monarchs to earn an early season series sweep after already taking two from the Knights just last week on Apr 9.
Mooney (1-5, 0-4 CHSL-Intersectional) meanwhile that same day will stay on the road and travel to Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood (4:00p).
