Holy Cross Cruises Past Dunmore Behind Ava Schmidt’s 15-Strikeout Shutout
By: SportzWire | Sportzwire | April 22, 2025 | Photo courtesy Holy Cross
Holy Cross used a dominant performance in the circle and timely hitting to shut out Dunmore 6-0 on Tuesday afternoon at home. Ava Schmidt was nearly untouchable, tossing a complete-game three-hit shutout while striking out 15 batters and walking none. The win marks another statement outing for the Crusaders, who played error-free defense behind their ace.
The tone was set early when Holy Cross plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Claire Helring opened the scoring with an RBI single before Jules Galella followed with one of her two hits on the day, also driving in a run. The big blast came off the bat of Megan Hassaj, who crushed a two-run home run to left field to make it 4-0.
In the third inning, Holy Cross added another run thanks to aggressive base running, with Mia Galella stealing home. An RBI single by C Mendicino in the sixth capped off the scoring.
The Crusaders finished with 10 hits as a team. Lila Kolcharno (2-for-4, RBI) and Jules Galella (2-for-3, RBI, 2 SB) led the offensive charge, while Hassaj went 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and a homer. Galella also stole two bases and scored once. The team finished with four stolen bases in total and executed fundamentally sound defense with no errors.
On the other side, Dunmore couldn’t get much going at the plate. Jackie Brown, Rachel Walsh, and Kylee Farr each managed one hit for the Bucks, who were limited to three total. Brown was busy defensively, recording a team-high seven chances without an error. Dunmore starter Paige Ancherani was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on six hits over two innings. Rachel Walsh threw four innings in relief, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out seven.
Top Performers:
Ava Schmidt (Holy Cross): 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 15 K, 0 BB
Megan Hassaj (Holy Cross): 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
Jules Galella (Holy Cross): 2-for-3, RBI, 2 SB, R
Lila Kolcharno (Holy Cross): 2-for-4, RBI
Jackie Brown (Dunmore): 1-for-3, 7 chances in the field
Final Score: Holy Cross 6, Dunmore 0
