Susie Rhodes is a big part of Ireton's early success on the softball field.
Cardinal softball hit mid season stride with three ballgames, including a doubleheader in Richmond over the weekend. It was a busy week, hosting Bishop O’Connell before heading to a Saturday double dip with St Anthony’s of Long Island, New York, and St Catherine’s of Richmond.
Bishop O’Connell demonstrated why they are the perennial WCAC softball champions on Thursday afternoon, blanking Ireton 10-0. The Knights no-hit the Cardinals behind 2010 all Met Player of the Year, Tori Finucane, who transferred from Good Counsel at the beginning of the 2011 season.
Ireton held the game close through the early innings, only down 1-0 after 3. Then the Knights got to starting pitcher Micki Crouch, erupting for 4 runs in the 4th inning. Susie Rhodes came on to pitch the 5th inning allowing an additional run. In the Ireton half of the 5th, Rhodes was hit by a Fincone fast ball and could not return. Crouch had to come back to finish the game, cruising through a 1,2,3 sixth before tiring in the 7th giving up 4 more runs to get to the final 10-0 score.
The Cardinals traveled to Richmond Saturday splitting a double header. Ireton squared off against the Friars of Saint Anthony’s, a 2600 student Catholic high school in Huntington Station, New York, losing a tight game 4-1. St. Anthony’s got on top in the second inning, scoring an unearned run before being quieted by senior pitcher Micki Crouch and very solid defense.
Ireton tied the score at in the bottom of the 4th as Heather Pearson led off the inning with a single and hustled in from first on a Debbie Ward double. The Friars came right back, however, scoring 2 more runs in the 5th to pull ahead 3-1. Ireton threatened again in the 6th, but stranded two base runners.
In the 7th, St. Anthony’s loaded the bases with its first three batters. With pitcher Susie Rhodes still unable to pitch after being hit on the hand while batting in Thursday’s O’Connell game, sophomore Katie Milam replaced Crouch making her varsity debut in the pitchers circle. She was able to get out of the jam allowing only one inherited runner to score to make it a 4-1 final.
In the second game of the double header, Ireton pasted host Saint Catherine’s 15-3 in a slaughter rule shortened 5 innings. Senior Micki Crouch went the distance allowing 4 hits while striking out 8. Adjusting to a different pitcher, Ireton started slow and did not get on the board until Megan Sullivan (3 for 4) sprinted home on a double steal. After setting the Saints down in order in the third, Ireton jumped all over the tiring Saint Catherine’s pitcher, erupting for 6 runs in the bottom half of the inning, 3 more in the fourth and 6 runs in the 5th. Crouch gave up an inconsequential 3-run home run in the 5th inning which accounted for all of the Saint Catherine offense.
“With our injuries, we really asked a lot of Micki Crouch today, forcing her to pitch both games of the double header and she really stepped up along with her battery mate, Debbie Ward,” commented coach Terri Pearson. “We played well against a good St. Anthony’s squad and were able to get everyone involved in the win over Saint Catherine’s.”
TheCardinals resume play on Monday, hosting Saint Mary’s Ryken at 4pm and then travel to Paul VI on Wednesday before returning home for a Saturday afternoon match up against Collegiate on Luckett field.
Line scores:
St. Anthony’s (New York) 4 Bishop Ireton 1
| Pitching | O | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | S% |
| M Crouch | 18 | 6.0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 61.1% |
| K Milam | 3 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Totals | 21 | 7.0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 60.2% |
Bishop Ireton 15 St. Catherine’s 3 (5)
| Batting | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
| M Crouch | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| K Kiesner | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C Snyder | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| D Ward | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| M Sullivan | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| K Walsh | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| E Quinn | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| M Manzek | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| B Degnan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| H Pearson | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| K Milam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 26 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 3 |
| Pitching | O | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | S% |
| M Crouch | 15 | 5.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 63.4% |
| Totals | 15 | 5.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 63.4% |
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