Logan Gooley ‘24
Staff Writer
While most Holy Cross students lived it up in Punta Cana over Spring Break, the Crusader softball team headed out west to Missoula to play in the Montana Softball Classic. Coming into the tournament with a 2-6 record, the Crusaders looked to make some noise when facing off against both Montana University and Northern Illinois University (NIU).
Holy Cross split the first day of the tournament with Montana, with both games going into the 8th inning. Sophomore Ali Sniegocki stole the show in the first game, batting 3-5 with the game-winning RBI single in the top of the 8th. The Crusader Shohei Ohtani, Megan Yurchick, finished the game batting 2-4, as well as three strikeouts with only one hit allowed in three innings.
On the second day of the Montana Softball Classic, it was the underclassmen who shined. The Crusaders split the day, hoisting a 5-3 win over NIU but falling to Montana again in their second game, this time by a score of 7-12. In the NIU game, Sophomore Jenna Alesandrelli had an impressive outing, batting 2-for-3 with a home run for insurance in the bottom of the sixth. In the Montana loss, Sophomore Anna Brait batted 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a home run. Despite trailing 7-1 early, Brait’s home run along with Ali Sniegocki’s fielder’s choice RBI and Senior Morgan Jensen’s double brought the Crusaders within 1 entering the bottom of the 5th. However, Montana’s batters matched Holy Cross’ hot inning, putting up five of their own runs to seal the deal.
On the final day of the tournament, the Crusaders lost their only game of the day to NIU, falling 4-5 on a walk-off bunt in the 6th. Despite the loss, Holy Cross started the game hot, with Senior Megan Yurchick firing a two-RBI single up the middle and Freshman Ava Gambichler adding the same to make the score 4-0 after the end of the second inning.
Finishing the tournament 2-3, Holy Cross’ softball team has a lot to like heading back to the East Coast to face off in a double-header against the Brown Bears on March 13. The team moves to 5-9 overall, having gone 5-3 in their last 8 games. With seniors Megan Yurchick and Claire McCann leading the team in batting average and hits as well as exciting underclassmen such as Ava Gambichler and Ali Sniegocki, the Crusaders appear to be on the up this season as they approach near Patriot League play.
Copy edited by Lilly Baumfeld ’27
Featured Image Courtesy of Holy Cross Softball Instagram
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