Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

At St. Anthony’s Park up on the hill in Dunmore, it is never an easy place to play softball.

The wind was doing its thing all afternoon, with a cold breeze cutting through the field as the temperature sat in the low 50s. Every now and then, the sun tried to peek through the clouds, but it still had that kind of weather where you knew players were going to have to grind through it.

And that fit this game perfectly.

Holy Cross, dressed in its white and pink uniforms, came in doing what Holy Cross does best — playing winning softball. You expect nothing less from that program. The Lady Crusaders know how to hit, know how to defend, and know how to carry themselves like one of the most respected programs in the area. Last season, they captured the District 2 Class A championship, and under head coach Joe Ross, the standard stays high.

Ross knows how to lead and build a winning culture. His players follow him and listen, not because they have to, but because they want to. That matters in sports. Honestly, that matters anywhere.

But on this day at St. Anthony’s Field, it was time for what some call a battle of the holy wars.

Holy Cross squared off with Holy Redeemer, another respected softball program with a history of its own, including a 2015 Class 2A state championship.

This is how the holy war unfolded.

The game started off slow.

In the top of the first, Holy Cross pitcher Ava Schmidt and the Crusaders’ defense went right to work. The Lady Royals were retired in order and never reached base.

Holy Cross broke through in the bottom of the first. Ava Schmidt, wearing No. 99, worked a walk. Jules Galella struck out, but Schmidt later came around to score on a passed ball to give the Lady Crusaders a 1-0 lead. Peyton Graboske then ripped a double, continuing to put pressure on the defense, before Holy Redeemer got out of the inning.

In the top of the second, the Lady Royals went three up, three down again.

In the bottom half, Holy Cross kept pressing. McKinley Griffiths singled on a hard-hit ball to left, and Emily Fitzpatrick followed with a single to center. Kierra Bauman grounded out, and Ava Schmidt flied out, but the Crusaders were continuing to make solid contact and build momentum.

The top of the third brought more of the same for Holy Redeemer. The Royals still could not get anything going. No base runners. No hits. Holy Cross had them locked in.

Then came the bottom of the third, when the Crusaders’ bats truly came alive.

Lila Kolcharno reached on a single, and Jules Galella followed by putting the ball in play and reaching on a fielder’s choice, with Kolcharno forced out at second. Peyton Graboske, who would end up having a big day at the plate, lined a single to center. After Claire Herling popped out to third, McKinley Griffiths delivered a fly-ball double to center that brought home Galella and courtesy runner Kirstyn Zigray, stretching the lead to 3-0.

“At the plate, I was seeing the ball pretty well. The pitcher was throwing pretty low and inside, so I adjusted my body to be able to hit from where she was pitching. My teammates told me she had a quick windup and a slower release, so I really focused on when she released the ball instead of her windup. I think our patience at the plate really helped things get started. We waited for one good pitch that we could drive, and I think that’s what helped my teammates and me at the plate,” said Holy Cross freshman McKinley Griffiths.

“McKinley has been an amazing addition to our team this year. On defense, she covers a lot of ground in the outfield, and on offense, she is a hard out. From what I’ve seen so far, it’s pretty obvious that she puts 100% effort into everything she does,” said catcher Peyton Graboske.

Then Maya DeSantis brought even more life to the Holy Cross dugout, launching a home run over center field to make it 5-0. Just like that, the Crusaders had taken full control.

“Yes, we started to get better at-bats the second time through the order. We started to get better at-bats. We have a tendency to overanalyze, which causes us to press offensively. Our mindset needs to be controlled aggression. We have to recognize hitters’ counts and attack the ball,” said Holy Cross head coach Joe Ross.

He added, “Once we get some positive results, we can be a very good offensive team. Our lineup has depth with a combination of speed and power. When we run the bases hard, we apply more pressure on the defense.”

Holy Redeemer finally showed some life in the top of the fourth.

Zoe Pecuch drew a walk, and Katie Genovese also reached on a walk. Isabella Boylan popped out to second, but Ava Thomas put the ball in play and reached on an error by the third baseman. That allowed both Pecuch and Genovese to score, cutting the deficit to 5-2. Covington Lehman followed with a line-drive single to right, but Holy Cross got the next two outs and limited the damage.

If there was any thought of a Royals comeback, the Crusaders erased it quickly in the bottom of the fourth.

Kierra Bauman struck out to begin the inning, but then the floodgates opened. Ava Schmidt was hit by a pitch, and Lila Kolcharno followed with a line-drive single to center that brought Schmidt home for a 6-2 lead. Peyton Graboske stayed hot and doubled on a line drive, scoring Kolcharno to make it 7-2.

“Today, I was working on my bat path and making sure I wasn’t coming around the ball. I adjusted after my first at-bat, and my swing improved after that,” said Peyton Graboske.

Claire Herling then walked, and Galella later scored on a passed ball for an 8-2 lead. Griffiths walked. Maya DeSantis walked. Herling stole home. Fitzpatrick walked. Bauman singled on a ground ball to short, scoring Griffiths for 10-2. Schmidt walked, bringing home DeSantis for 11-2. Kolcharno singled again, scoring Fitzpatrick for 12-2. Galella walked, and Bauman scored to make it 13-2. Graboske walked, another run came in, and M. Roberts was hit by a pitch, bringing home Kolcharno for a 15-2 advantage.

“McKinley has quickly adjusted to playing varsity softball. She swings the bat very well and has power. Her instincts as a baserunner are next level. She runs hard and has a very high softball IQ. Defensively, she is excellent. She has an opportunity to be an elite player as she gains more confidence and experience,” said head coach Joe Ross.

It was a relentless inning. Holy Cross did not just take control — they buried the game with it.

In the top of the fifth, Holy Redeemer tried to keep fighting. Hailey Pius struck out, Clare Grandzol singled, and Zoe Pecuch followed with a single to right. Katie Genovese grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Booth popped out to end it.

“On the mound, I was focusing on throwing strikes and getting ahead of the batter. My rise ball was working pretty well, and I had a lot of control with my fastball. I was able to control the pace of the game by getting ahead early and getting quick outs so we could go into the dugout and hit,” said Holy Cross pitcher Ava Schmidt.

She added, “It’s very important for me to get on base and put pressure on the defense on the basepaths. That pressure builds confidence and energy that I take with me when I pitch. My approach at the plate today was trying to be patient and wait for my pitch. I had a good eye today and got on base to eventually score some runs.”

And with that, the holy war belonged to Holy Cross.

“A win like this is important this early because it’s a chance for us to grow and develop habits as a group. It helps the team grow stronger and helps the communication get louder,” said McKinley Griffiths.

On a chilly, windy afternoon in Dunmore, the Lady Crusaders looked every bit like one of the area’s top teams, using dominant pitching, timely hitting, and a huge fourth inning to roll past Holy Redeemer, 15-2. The final numbers backed up everything the game itself showed. Holy Cross piled up 15 runs on 12 hits, drew eight walks, and kept constant pressure on the bases with its aggressive approach. Maya DeSantis helped set the tone with a 2-for-2 day, two runs scored, two RBIs, and a home run to center. Lila Kolcharno stayed locked in from start to finish, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. McKinley Griffiths added two hits, two runs scored, a double, and two RBIs, while Peyton Graboske finished with two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Ava Schmidt controlled the pace from the circle and on the basepaths, scoring twice, drawing two walks, and helping Holy Cross stay in command from the opening inning. For Holy Redeemer, Zoe Pecuch battled her way on base, going 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored, while Clare Grandzol and Covington Lehman each added a hit. The Royals showed their best push in the fourth when Pecuch and Katie Genovese worked walks and Ava Thomas helped bring home two runs, but Holy Cross answered with overwhelming force.

In the end, this was not just another win for the Lady Crusaders. It was a statement. On a field where the wind can rattle you, the cold can wear on you, and momentum can shift fast, Holy Cross never blinked. They played like a team with purpose, depth, and the kind of championship edge that turns big games into loud reminders of exactly who they are.

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