Agape Freedom Sports LLC

BY: JERIC YURKANIN

(Update 4/2/26, 8:00 a.m. — About seven hours after the article was published, the game was officially called, making Abington Heights the winner by a 10-3 final score.)

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On a strange, almost eerie afternoon at St. Anthony’s Field, the weather felt like it was in charge from the very beginning.

A little rain moved through early, leaving the Holy Cross field wet and forcing a delay until 5 p.m. as coaches spread rapid dry and tried to rescue the surface. Eventually, the game did start.

But even then, it never really felt normal.

The sky stayed dark and heavy. Clouds hung over the field all afternoon, and with each inning, it felt like the atmosphere kept getting more tense. You could feel it in the air. This was one of those games where everything felt unsettled.

And by the time the sixth inning rolled around, that strange feeling had only grown stronger.

For a while, though, this was a battle.

Abington Heights came to the plate first, and Holy Cross pitcher Ava Schmidt worked around an early walk to Eva Kane. After that, she settled in nicely, recording two pop outs and a strikeout to keep the Lady Comets off the board.

Holy Cross had its first real spark in the bottom of the first when Lila Kolcharno and Ava Schmidt both singled, but Abington’s defense stood tall and got out of the inning without damage.

In the top of the second, Abington went quietly with a quick three up, three down inning.

But in the bottom half, Holy Cross could not get much going either. Abington’s defense stayed sharp, allowed just one hit, and once again slammed the door.

Then came the top of the third, and Abington’s bats started to wake up.

Avery Venesky drilled a single to center field. Avery Brister followed with a single of her own, moving Venesky up to second. Then came one of the first big swings of the afternoon. Adrianna Condrad hammered the ball to left field and drove in both Venesky and Brister, giving Abington Heights a 2-0 lead.

“My first thought in the box was to make contact to move the runners, and I think that definitely helped in those RBI situations where it was just timely hitting, plus my teammates also smoking the ball today and giving us the best chance to win,” said Abington Heights’ Adrianna Condrad.

But Holy Cross did not blink.

In the bottom of the third, the Lady Crusaders answered right back. Ava Schmidt worked a walk, and Jules Galella followed with a single to put Schmidt on second. Then Peyton Graboske delivered a huge moment, ripping a double to center field that brought both Schmidt and Galella home. Just like that, the game was tied 2-2, and you could feel the energy rise again from the Holy Cross side.

Abington, though, was far from finished.

In the top of the fourth, Isabella DeRiggi doubled to center field to get things started. Riley McColligan then drew a walk, and Ella Long reached on a fielder’s choice as DeRiggi was retired while trying to advance. That brought Venesky back up, and she came through in a big way, blasting a triple to right field that scored McColligan and Long to put Abington back in front, 4-2.

“As I was rounding second base and heading to third, all I was able to hear were the cheers and screams from my teammates and coaches in the dugout. I knew that having a big hit like that not only helped my team score more runs, but it made the energy explode in the dugout and is honestly what made that hit so much more special in that moment,” said Abington Heights outfielder Avery Venesky.

She added, “We were trying to keep the momentum going from our Valley View game yesterday, and when I stepped into the box today, I knew that I just had to put the ball in play and help my team out. Going into the game, I knew that Holy Cross had a great pitcher, so I just went up to the plate looking to put the ball into play and to get on base any way that I could.”

Holy Cross could not answer in the bottom of the fourth as Abington’s defense kept control, thanks to Condrad in the circle.

“I think being a pitcher and a hitter helps me see some of the movement and other things. I’m seeing off of the pitcher we’re facing and relaying it back to our team to help put us in the best spot to hit,” stated Adrianna Condrad.

The Lady Comets added another run in the top of the fifth to go up 5-2, but once again Holy Cross showed some fight. In the bottom half, the Lady Crusaders scratched across a run of their own to cut the deficit to 5-3 and keep themselves hanging around.

Then came the top of the sixth.

And that is when everything started to swing heavily in Abington’s favor.

Venesky singled to get things going. Eva Kane followed with a bunt, and then Brister came up with another huge hit, a double that knocked in both Venesky and Kane to make it 7-3. Condrad followed with a single and later moved to second on an error. Another run came in as Brister crossed the plate, stretching the lead to 8-3.

Abington still was not done.

Brianna Bustos drew a walk, and DeRiggi singled to right field, allowing Bustos to move to third. Courtesy runner Brigid O’Malley then came around to score, making it 9-3. Sofia Adamsky followed with a single that brought Bustos home, and suddenly the Lady Comets had blown the game open at 10-3.

“I think as a team, our big thing is that we don’t let up regardless of the situation. We ended up putting in a few pinch hitters, and also for our starting lineup, it was third or fourth at-bats for some girls, so I think they were able to time the pitcher better and make solid contact!” said Adrianna Condrad.

Avery Venesky responded, “Overall, as a team, we go into every game just wanting to put the ball into play, and we look to get on base any way possible. Especially against Holy Cross, we knew that we had to be aggressive and come out swinging at anything close, and that is exactly what we did. Every girl, from our leadoff batter to our last hitter in the lineup, is aggressive at the plate and confident in themselves when they are out there playing, and I think that really showed in our performance today.”

Avery Brister had a big day, collecting three hits, scoring three runs, and driving in two RBIs.

Adrianna Condrad had two hits and three RBIs, while striking out eight batters and allowing just four hits in four innings.

Avery Venesky had three hits, scored two runs, and drove in two RBIs.

And then, almost as if the sky had been warning everyone all afternoon, the game hit its breaking point.

By the bottom of the sixth, St. Anthony’s Field had gone dark. Not cloudy-dark. Not gloomy-dark. Really dark. With no lights, there was no way to keep going. What had already been a strange, weather-filled afternoon turned into a suspended game, delayed and postponed before it could be finished.

So for now, Holy Cross’s undefeated record remains untouched.

At least temporarily.

For a day, a few days, or maybe even longer, it still hangs there.

But when—or if—this game resumes, Abington Heights will step back onto that field with the same edge, the same fire, and a 10-3 grip on a game that already felt like it was slipping away from Holy Cross long before the final out could be recorded.

Because this one didn’t end.

It paused.

Frozen in a moment where momentum had already chosen its side.

The sky went dark… but the story didn’t.

And when or if game resumes—whenever that may be—so will the tension, the noise, the pressure of a game that never got its ending.

Holy Cross is still undefeated.

But it doesn’t feel untouched.

Not anymore.

Because waiting on the other side… is an Abington Heights team that already proved something on that field.

Now they just have to finish it.

 

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