Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

Sunday early evening , you could feel the chill in the Old Forge air.

A slight breeze moved across the field as fans surrounded the diamond — some wrapped in blue and yellow, others wearing the colors of Holy Cross. It felt like one of those late-season Lackawanna League nights where every pitch mattered a little more, every swing carried extra weight, and every inning felt like it could tell us something about what may be coming in the District 2 Class A playoffs.

Old Forge came in riding momentum, winners of two straight, including a huge win last Friday, April 24, over Mid Valley — a game Ava Arnold ended in dramatic fashion with a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Lady Blue Devils a 6-4 victory.

Holy Cross entered with an 11-2 record and a four-game winning streak of its own. Their last loss came back on April 13 against Mid Valley, 7-6. So coming into this one, it had the feel of a possible postseason preview — two of the best Class A teams in District 2, two programs that very well could see each other again with a championship on the line.

But on this night, under the cold Old Forge sky, it became the Ava Schmidt Show.

And her teammates made sure the spotlight had plenty of support behind it.

The game did not start smoothly for Schmidt. Leading off the top of the first inning as the first batter of the game, she was hit by a pitch in the helmet. It was a scary moment — the kind that makes everyone around the field pause for a second — but thankfully, her helmet did its job.

Still, Schmidt did not look happy.

You could see the intensity in her eyes. You could see the competitiveness begin to rise in her as she walked to first base. Her body language said everything. She looked frustrated, locked in, and extra motivated. In that moment, it felt like Holy Cross had just gained an edge.

Whatever that pitch stirred up, it seemed to light a fire.

From that point on, Schmidt turned frustration into fuel. At the plate, in the circle, and with her defense backing her up, she took control of the game. Her pitches came in heavy, sharp, and powerful — like fireballs crossing the plate — and Old Forge struggled to square anything up. The Lady Blue Devils could not find much grass. They could not build momentum. They could not break through.

And Schmidt did not just dominate from the circle. She made her presence felt at the plate, too, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, three RBIs, and a home run. Every time Holy Cross needed a spark, Schmidt seemed to be right in the middle of it.

Schmidt and the Holy Cross defense allowed just two hits on the night.

When Ava Schmidt gets locked in, she can become a different kind of force. And on Sunday evening, after taking that pitch to the helmet, she rose to the occasion in a big way. She mowed down Old Forge hitters one by one, finishing with 11 strikeouts, no runs allowed, and only two hits over five innings as Holy Cross mercy-ruled a very good Lady Blue Devils team.

Tonight belonged to Ava Schmidt and the Holy Cross Lady Crusaders.

And all it took was one pitch to wake up the fire. Here how things went down: 

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Top 1st- Holy Cross at Bat- A Schmidt is hit by pitch, Lila Kolcharno pops out to second baseman Fox. A Schmidt remains at 1st. One out. Jules Galella grounds out to third baseman Destefano. A Schmidt advances to 3rd. Ball 1, Strike 1 Looking, Ball 2, A Schmidt scores on wild pitch, Strike 2 Looking, Foul, In Play.

Peyton Graboske grounds out to third baseman Destefano. Three outs. 

Holy Cross 1 Old Forge 0

Bottom 1st- Old Forge Batting: 

Ariana Davitt strikes out swinging, one out. Ava Arnold strikes out swinging, two outs. Kate O’Hearn flies out to center fielder Griffiths. Three outs. 

Top 2: Holy Cross Batting: 

Claire HELRING flies out to left fielder Ava Arnold. One out. McKinley Griffiths grounds out to third baseman Juliette DeStefano. Two outs, Maya DeSantis grounds out to second baseman Mis Fox. Three outs.

Bottom 2: Old Forge Batting: 

Juliette Destefano strikes out swinging, A Schmidt pitching. One out. Joselyn Destefano singles on a hard ground ball to right fielder Peach Myers. Kamryn Notari strikes out swinging, Two outs. Destefano remains at 1st. Abgail Lenceski strikes out swinging, Three outs. 

Top 3: Holy Cross at Bat:  

Keira Bauman singles on a line drive to center fielder O’Hearn. Emily Fitzpatrick bunts out to catcher Rafalko. One out.Bauman advances to 2nd. Schmidt hits a hard ground ball and reaches on an error by shortstop Lenceski. Bauman advances to 2nd. Lila Kolcharno hits a ground ball and reaches on an error by third baseman Destefano. Bauman advances to 3rd. Schmidt advances to 2nd. Jules Galella doubles on a line drive to left fielder Ava Arnold. Bauman scores. A Schmidt scores. Kolcharno advances to 3rd.

Holy Cross 3 Old Forge 0

Peyton Graboske walks, Kolcharno remains at 3rd. Galella remains at 2nd. Helring walks. Kolcharno scores. Galella advances to 3rd. Graboske advances to 2nd.

Holy Cross 4 Old Forge 0

Griffiths singles on a line drive to pitcher Notari. Griffiths advances to 2nd on the throw. Galella scores. Graboske scores on the throw. Helring advances to 3rd.

“At the plate I focus on just trying to make contact. In games like this home runs are nice, but you just need base runners in scoring position to win. Being relaxed at the plate helps me a lot because when I get anxious I try to calm myself down and just go through basic mechanics.” Said McKinley Griffiths

Holy Cross 6 Old Forge 0

DeSantis strikes out looking, Two outs. Helring remains at 3rd. Griffiths remains at 2nd. Bauman singles on a line drive to right fielder Davitt. Helring scores. Griffiths scores.

Holy Cross 8 Old Forge 0

Fitzpatrick singles on a line drive to lett fielder Arnold. Bauman advances to 2nd. Schmidt homers on a line drive to center field. Bauman scores. Fitzpatrick scores.

Holy Cross 11 Old Forge 0

Kolcharno singles on a line drive to center fielder O’Hearn. Galella strikes out swinging. Three outs.

“I was basically focusing on whether Kamryn Notari was pitching the ball in, out, high, or low. I wanted to see the first pitch of each at bat so I can get used to the speed and try to get down my timing. “ Said Holy Cross Freshman Outfielder, McKinley Griffiths

McKinley added: During the third inning, I knew we needed to get things going. Just something to give us the momentum to put the game away. I was just looking to put the ball somewhere in play, hoping to score runs. “

She continued: “I think after the first inning when we scored, the dugout was very energetic and that’s definitely a huge help in these big games. When the dugout gets loud and excited, better things tend to happen. Once we started scoring more runs, the dugout got louder and louder.” 

Bottom 3: Old Forge at Bat: 

Marianelli strikes out looking, One out. Rafalko flies out to left fielder Helring. Two out. Davitt strikes out swinging, Three out.

Top 4: Holy Cross At Bat: Graboske homers on a fly ball to left field. 

“My approach at the plate today was to stay calm, trust my preparation, and not try to do too much. In those big, momentum-building innings, I focused on seeing the ball well and just doing my job for the team.” Said Holy Cross Catcher and Senior Peyton Graboske 

She continued: “The chemistry in the dugout right now is really strong. Everyone is supporting each other, staying positive, and feeding off each other’s energy. When we’re all locked in like that, it translates onto the field because we’re playing with confidence and having fun.”

Holy Cross 12 Old Forge 0

Helring walks, Griffiths grounds into fielder’s choice to shortstop Lenceski. Zigray out advancing to 2nd. One out. DeSantis singles on a line drive to right fielder Davitt. Griffiths advances to 3rd. Bauman grounds into fielder’s choice to third baseman Destefano. Griffiths out advancing to home. DeSantis advances to 2nd. Fitzpatrick pops out to third baseman Destefano. Three outs.

“I wanted to be patient at the plate and not chase any pitches. I think my discipline allowed me to reach base twice. “  Said Holy Crosses, Claire Helring 

Bottom 4: Old Forge Batting- 

Arnold pops out to shortstop Galella. One out. O’Hearn reaches on dropped 3rd strike (passed ball). Destetano singles on a ground ball to shortstop Galella. O’Hearn advances to 2nd. Destefano pops out to third baseman Bauman. O’Hearn remains at 2nd. Destefano remains at 1st. Two outs.  Torre DiMattia strikes out swinging, Three outs.

Top 5- Holy Cross batting- 

Schmidt doubles on a line drive to left fielder Arnold. Kolcharno flies out to center fielder O’Hearn. Schmidt remains at 2nd. One out. Galella grounds out to shortstop Lenceski. Schmidt advances to 3rd. Two outs. Graboske grounds out to third baseman Destefano. Three out. 

Bottom 5th: Old Forge Batting:

Lenceski grounds out to pitcher Schmidt. One out. Marianelli strikes out swinging, Two outs. Rafalko strikes out swinging, three outs.

Ball Game.

Holy Cross 12 Old Forge 0

Holy Cross didn’t just win this game — they controlled it from the first pitch to the final out, putting together one of their most complete performances of the season in a 12-0 victory. The Crusaders pounded out 10 hits and drove in 11 runs, showing both depth and timely hitting throughout the lineup. Kiera Bauman led the charge with a 2-for-3 day, scoring twice and driving in two, while Jules Galella delivered a big impact bat with 2 RBIs. Peyton Graboske added to the pressure with a run, RBI, and a home run, and Ava Schmidt helped her own cause with a dominant all-around performance, including a home run and a team-high 6 total bases. Up and down the order, players like McKinley Griffith, Lila Kolcharno, and Emily Fitzpatrick chipped in with hits and runs, turning this into a relentless offensive attack.

Holy Crosses, Peyton Graboske had her 100th career RBI today. 

“This milestone means so much to me because it reflects on all my hard-work throughout high school.  My dad has been a huge part of my journey, always supporting me, pushing me to be better, and helping me stay focused on my goals. My travel coaches and Coach Ross have also played a big role in developing my game, so I give a lot of credit to them for helping me reach this point.” Said Peyton Graboske 

In the circle, Ava Schmidt was simply overpowering. The right-hander tossed a complete-game shutout, going 5 innings, allowing just 2 hits, zero runs, and striking out 11 without issuing a single walk. She dictated the pace from the start, mixing locations and keeping Old Forge hitters off balance all afternoon. The defensive support behind her was clean and efficient, with Holy Cross committing zero errors, making sure nothing extra was given away. 

“We wanted to come into this game with a lot of energy, and I think that inning allowed us to stay confident and up in the dugout. We feed off each others energy, so when we were able to keep hitting, it allowed everyone to stay up. “ Said Claire Helring 

Claire added: “I am confident in myself as well as my teammates. They put me in the best possible situation when I’m at bat or in the field. I trust both my preparation and my teams when we find ourself in games like these because I know what we are all capable of.”

Ava Schmidt put on a kind of pitching performance that doesn’t just win games — it sets a tone heading deeper into the season.

“Today was an example of the many ways Ava can impact the game. She is a unique player. She has been throwing the ball really well, and has started to drive the ball with authority. The 1st inning demonstrated how she can turn the game with her speed and athleticism. “Holy Cross Head Coach, Joe Ross.

Old Forge, meanwhile, struggled to find any rhythm offensively against Schmidt’s dominance. They managed just 2 hits on the day, coming from Juliette Destefano and Joselyn Destefano, but couldn’t string anything together to mount a threat. The lineup combined for 11 strikeouts and didn’t draw a single walk, showing how tough the Crusaders’ pitching was to solve. In the field, Old Forge battled but committed 2 errors, which, combined with Holy Cross’s offensive pressure, made it difficult to slow the momentum. 

Despite the final score, there were flashes — including aggressive base running from Kate O’Hearn with a stolen base — but overall, this was a game where Holy Cross controlled every phase from start to finish.

“We are starting to mesh as a team. Old Forge is an excellent team with great pitching. To go on the road an play so efficiently. In the 3rd inning, we had some good at bats and are looking for pitches we can drive. We have to continue to focus on the little things and stay process-oriented.” Said Joe Ross.

He continued: “I’m very pleased with the shift in our approach to the game.  Right now, we are very relaxed and stay on an even keel. Our players trust themselves and trust each other to keep it simple.”

And maybe that was the biggest difference Sunday evening in Old Forge. Holy Cross looked calm, connected, and dangerous. The cold air sat over the diamond, the crowd stayed wrapped around the fence, and every time Old Forge tried to find a spark, Ava Schmidt took it away. From the moment she was hit by that first-inning pitch, something changed. She didn’t just stay in the game — she took it over. Every pitch after that felt heavier. Every swing from Old Forge felt rushed. Every strikeout added a little more silence to the Lady Blue Devils’ side and a little more life to the Holy Cross dugout.

Old Forge will still be a team nobody wants to see again when the District 2 Class A playoffs arrive. But on this chilly night, under the Old Forge sky, Holy Cross made a statement behind a pitcher who turned one scary moment into five innings of dominance. Schmidt didn’t just throw a shutout — she set the tone, drove the energy, and reminded everyone watching what kind of force she can be when the fire gets lit. Holy Cross didn’t just leave with a win. They left with momentum, belief, and the feeling that when Ava Schmidt is locked in and the Lady Crusaders are playing behind her, they are one of the most dangerous teams in District 2.

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