District 10 softball: McDowell completes sweep of Cathedral Prep, keeps region hopes alive
They all look the same in the record book.
McDowell’s two softball victories over Cathedral Prep, however, unfolded quite differently.
Thursday saw the Trojans (9-8) complete a season sweep of rival Prep (12-6) by beating the Ramblers, 13-2, in five rain-soaked innings. Quite different from McDowell’s 1-0 victory over Prep April 16.
Small-school action: How these District 10 baseball, softball teams seized first place in Erie County regions
Izzy Nageli drove in three runs while Gracie Miller and Alex Smith each drove in two, backing up a seven-strikeout pitching performance by Gabby DeLuca.
“I don’t think any of us are going to have a voice tomorrow,” said Nageli, a junior catcher. “It was great seeing everyone support each other and being able to play. Even though it was raining, we were able to keep our energy up throughout the game and it obviously showed.”
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Breaking out the bats
Round one between Prep and McDowell featured a combined six hits and 24 strikeouts. Thursday presented the same pitching matchup but far from equal results.
Five different Trojans recorded a hit and Prep issued 10 walks. The Ramblers also committed five errors, helping McDowell post a six-run third inning before scoring four runs each in the fourth and fifth.
“We were all up, all locked in and all wanted to win,” said Smith, a sophomore outfielder. “Hit after hit, the energy keeps going up.”
Smith and Nageli each had two hits.
Stayin’ alive
McDowell’s victory kept Prep from clinching at least a share of this year’s Region 5 championship.
The Ramblers entered Thursday alone in first place, leading Meadville by half a game and McDowell by two. With one conference game remaining for each of the three, McDowell (8-3) will need help if it’s to share the Region 5 title with Prep (9-2) and Meadville (9-2).
Standings: District 10 PA softball standings
Meadville swept McDowell, Prep swept Meadville and, now, McDowell swept Prep. McDowell’s loss to Conneaut has the Trojans on the outside looking in.
“It’s all about our attitude,” Nageli said. “It’s clear if we want to be there or not, and when we want to be there, we show it. I think if we can continue with how we played today and finish the season strong like that, we’ll be in good hands.”
Contact Jeff Uveino at juveino@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: McDowell softball sweeps Cathedral Prep, stays alive in Region 5
