Lady Cards sweep

It took the St. Paul softball team just six innings to get the job done Thursday.

The funny thing is, the Lady Cardinals got two games out of those six innings. St. Paul (5-3, 2-0 in TAPPS District 4-2A) picked up a pair of 15-run rule wins over Temple Holy Trinity, 22-0, 15-0, in the district openers for both teams Thursday at the Shiner Starplex.

In the two games, the Lady Cardinals scored 37 runs on 21 hits, 20 walks and two hits batsmen. St. Paul scored at least three runs in each inning as well.

In the first game, the Lady Cardinals scored three runs in the first two innings each to build a 6-0 lead before closing out the game with nine runs in the bottom of the third. Kali Kocian led St. Paul at the plate as she went 2-for-2 with a walk and three RBIs.

Bethany Pokluda also went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double and an RBI.

The Lady Cardinals scored their runs in the first game off of six hits, nine walks, a hit batsman and two errors.

St. Paul played the “visitor” in the second game as it batted first, but the result was the same if not better. The Lady Cardinals scored eight runs in the first inning, 10 in the second and four in the third to put away Holy Trinity quickly once again.

Ten different players on the St. Paul roster recorded hits in the second game as the Lady Cardinals scored their runs off 15 hits, 12 walks and a hit batsman. Katelynn Leist (3-for-3, hit batsman, 2 RBIs) and Morgan Hull (3-for-4, 5 RBIs) led the way for St. Paul offensively.

The Lady Cardinals also had solid production from Kocian (2-for-3, walk, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs), Bethany Pokluda (2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs), Mary Adamek (1-for-2, 2 walks, double, RBI) and Emily Pokluda (1-for-1, 3 walks, RBI). Abby Irvin and Emily Pokluda pitched the first and second games, respectively.

St. Paul hosts Navarro at 5 p.m. Wednesday, and competes in the San Marcos Tournament Thursday- through- Saturday. The Lady Cardinals resume TAPPS 4-2A play March 20 when they host St. Gerard at 6 p.m.