Cardinal opened Saturday’s doubleheader at Garrettsville Garfield with an 8-5 win. It was the third win in four games for the Huskies.
“It's a lot of fun,” said Cardinal senior Haley Adams of the recent success. “I'm really proud of how hard the girls are working to get better and it's paying off by winning those tight games like today. We play Kirtland on Monday. We know they are a good team, but I have confidence. We still have to limit some errors, but today was a step in the right direction.”
The Huskies, who pounded out 19 hits in the game, got off to a hot start.
Megan Baril, who was 3-for-5, led off the game with the first of her two doubles and moved to third on Allissa Nevison’s single. Delaney Leichtman then reached on an infield single and Dawn Scribben walked to score Baril.
Adams then singled home Nevison and Scribben later stole home to make it 3-0.
Garfield got two back in the bottom of the first but the Huskies settled in and took a 6-2 lead in the fifth.
Leichtman, who was 3-for-5, started things off with a single. Scribben drew her second walk and Adams singled to load the bases. Leichtman stole home and Adams and Anne Rupinski, who singled, both scored on Madysin Ciminello’s double.
Cardinal added two more in the sixth on base hits by Nevison, Scribben, Rupinski and Ciminello.
Ciminello picked up her third pitching victory of the season. She allowed five earned runs on 12 hits and struck out two.
Baril, Nevison, Leichtman and Adams all had three hits for the Huskies, who improved to 4-4 overall after the win.
Leichtman now has eight hits in her last 16 at bats after starting the season with just two hits in her first three games.
“I think what has really helped me out is that I finally found my bat,” she said. “The better I do the more confident I become, not only in myself but in my teammates as well. The girls never fail to make me smile while I'm at bat or in the field. Coach also tells me to just have fun when I get up to bat and that helps out a lot.”
The Huskies played the second game mostly with a junior varsity lineup and fell, 17-0.
Cardinal hosts Kirtland on Monday.
