SVC SOFTBALL Grimaldi's two-hitter sparks Cardinals' win

The junior pitcher paired with Mara Palombaro to help top Warren Harding.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Good pitching and timely hitting sometimes can cover up defensive breakdowns.
Such was the case with the Cardinal Mooney High softball team Friday against Warren Harding in a Steel Valley Conference game at Volney Rogers.
Despite making six errors, the Cardinals were bailed out by junior Stefanie Grimaldi's pitching and freshman Mara Palombaro's hitting and base-running.
Grimaldi pitched a two-hitter with nine strikeouts, and was tough in the clutch, while Palombaro had a triple, two singles, an RBI and two runs scored, as Mooney held off the Raiders for a 3-2 win.
Grimaldi tough in clutch
Mooney (9-1) scored one run in the second and two runs in the third, and then gave up two unearned runs to Harding in the sixth aided by three errors. But Grimaldi snuffed the uprising in the sixth with two straight outs, and then retired Harding in order in the seventh to preserve the win.
"I had good concentration today. I had my head into the game, I had a clear mind," said Grimaldi (4-1). "I tried to stay ahead in the count and throw as many of my good, solid pitches [as possible]. I was able to do that today.
"It was a decent performance, but not my best. I haven't given my best yet. There is room for improvement," she said.
Coach Mark Rinehart of Mooney said Grimaldi turned in one of her best performances this year.
"It's her highest strikeout count, [but] we didn't help her in the infield," said Rinehart. "She was ahead [in the count] on all nine [strikeouts]. She knows that's when she's at her best. She tries to get the advantage on the batters. She tries to get ahead on the count [and] mix up her off-speeds."
Five freshmen on team
Rinehart lauded Palombaro, a left fielder, pointing out that she is among five freshmen on the team, three of them starters.
"Our freshmen have been an asset," he said.
Bedsides Palombaro, the other freshman starters are DiAndra Dibacco and Colleen Courtney, the latter a pitcher with a 3-0 record.
Although Mooney's defense faltered at times, it also turned in outstanding plays.
"The left side of our infield is solid. They were all together last year," said Rinehart.
Harding misses chances
Harding (3-2, 1-2 SVC) coach Mark Canzonetta said his team failed to capitalize on scoring chances.
"We didn't get hits when the runners were in scoring position," said Canzonetta, who also blamed defensive breakdowns.
Harding got its two hits in the fifth inning on two-out, back-to-back singles by Lindsay Spain and Lindsey Provitt, but Grimaldi posted her third strikeout of the inning to end the threat.
Then in the sixth, after Harding scored twice aided by three errors, Grimaldi retired the final two batters of the inning to check the rally and preserve Mooney's lead.
"It was a good pitching match-up," said Canzonetta. Grimaldi bested Eva Sexton (3-2), who struck out three and walked one.
Mooney scored its first run in the second when Grimaldi's groundout brought home Palombaro, who opened the inning with a single.
The Cardinals added two more runs in the third. Kaitlyn Bernat opened with a bunt single, was sacrificed to second by Stephanie Zizzo and then scored on a bad throw to third base. Two batters later, Gina Brunetti singled, stole second and scored what turned out to be the deciding run on Palombaro's triple.
kovach@vindy.com