The Trinity softball team captured its third consecutive regional championship Saturday with a 9-2 win over Nazareth.
Back-to-back home runs by Monica Albano and Franki LeDoux in both the semifinal against St Joseph, 15-2, and the final helped to ignite the Blazers’ offense.
Leadoff hitter Laura Eichenold did what every leadoff hitter is supposed to do: She got on base every time in both games. In the final, Eichenold had two triples, two singles, and one RBI.
“My adrenalin was going and my bench was talking, and I just got really excited,” said Eichenold, who wasn’t the only player with a hot bat.
Albano (.650) went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and three RBIs. She hit her first blast in the top of the fourth to put the Blazers (22-8) on the board 1-0. Albano’s second homer was part of a five-run, two-out rally in the fifth that gave Trinity a comfortable 6-2 lead.
Albano’s second homer in the fifth gave the next batter, LeDoux, the impetus to follow suit. LeDoux promptly hit her second home run in the regional series.
When asked about following her teammate Albano in the home run category, LeDoux laughed, “I have to try and keep up with her.”
The Nazareth Roadrunners (15-15) scored both of their runs in the fourth, but not before senior Allison Mazurek made a diving catch in left field for the first out. Mazurek had three hits and two RBIs in regional play.
Vivi Castellanos made an acrobatic catch off a line drive to end the third inning. Center fielder Annie Logisz also showed off her defense. Logisz caught four well hit balls to dash any hope of Nazareth making a comeback.
A light rain started to fall in the bottom of the fifth inning, but winning pitcher Emma-Leigh Strock (16-6) hung in there to complete the game.
“The ball was slippery, but I had my team behind me the whole time. They are awesome,” said Strock, who finished with five strikeouts.
The Blazers stopped the St Joseph Chargers in their tracks 15-2 in five innings in the semi-final earlier in the week. They scored five runs in the first inning.
Trinity faces off with OPRF (30-6) today in the Lyons Township Sectional semifinal (4 p.m.).