St. John Paul II senior co-captain Jackie Smith took her record to 3-0 on the season Tuesday afternoon in a 21-1 rout over Sturgis East.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
HYANNIS – Beneath gray skies and biting cold, the St. John Paul II Lady Lions softball team nevertheless looked ready for anything right out of the gate Tuesday afternoon.
The St. John Paul II Lions (3-0) plated 13 runs in the bottom of the first inning and batted around the order twice en route to a 21-1 win over the Sturgis East Storm (0-2) in the Lions’ first Cape & Islands League game of the season.
All totaled, the host Lions combined 16 walks with 11 hits in a game shortened to five innings due to St. John Paul II’s 20-run lead (15-run mercy rule after five innings).
Centerfielder Sam Carlowicz led the hitting attack for the Lions, as she went 4-5 with three RBI and scored three runs. Lions’ leadoff hitter Kasey Smith went 3-4 with four runs scored, walked once and had one stolen base. Senior co-captain Jackie Smith went for four shutout innings and struck out six including the side in succession in the fourth frame.
The sole hit allowed by Smith was to Sturgis East senior co-captain and leadoff hitter Nicole Collucci in the top of the first inning but Collucci was forced into a double play when Smith flashed some leather on the mound on a vicious line drive right back at her by East second baseman Samantha Vanasse. Smith nabbed the liner and threw Collucci out at second on the non-tag, then retired Deja Andrews for a flawless first.
Lions’ freshman Maddie Doyle came on in the fifth frame and allowed one run on a pair of walks and one hit. Collucci had both hits for Sturgis East and went 2-3 on the day and had one RBI in the fifth.
With St. John Paul II catcher Hadley Tate behind the dish, Sturgis East’s Nicole Collucci leads off Tuesday’s game with a basehit. Collucci went 2-3.
Sean Walsh/Capecod.com Sports
Smith was no slouch at the plate for the Lions as she went 2-3 with three runs scored, including an RBI-double in the third inning. Smith is heading for Western Connecticut State University next fall to play softball. Her catcher and fellow senior co-captain Hadley Tate is heading to Providence College next fall to play softball.
St. John Paul II plated five runs in the second inning for an 18-0 lead, tacked on a pair in the third and added one more for good measure in the fourth frame.
Sturgis East freshman pitcher Gabrielle “Gabby” McKinnon’s stat line was deceptive as the hard-throwing righty looked sharp against a well-disciplined, talented Lions’ team.
The Lions face Sturgis West at home on Thursday (April 9) at 4:00 pm. Sturgis East hope to get on the winning track on Friday (April 10) when the girls head to Monomoy for a 4:00 pm start.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
