After coming up just short in its season opener, the Gilmour Academy softball team rebounded in a big way, winning their final three games to close their opening week on the diamond.
Gilmour's season-opening week included four road games. The Lancers lost an extra-inning heartbreaker to Padua Franciscan High School in their season opener, coming up on the wrong side of an 11-10 affair. However, Gilmour responded well, knocking off West Geauga High School two days later (8-5) before sweeping a doubleheader against Chagrin Falls High School this past weekend courtesy of a pair of run-rule victories (10-0, 19-1).
All three opponents that Gilmour faced in their opening week are Division II squads, positioned one level higher than Gilmour's Division III status.
In its opener against Padua, Gilmour did not trail in the first seven innings. However, the Bruins tied the game in the sixth inning before winning it on a bloop single with two outs in the eighth. Padua was playing its eighth game of the season while the Lancers were playing their first, and thus were competing for the first time in nearly two years.
Alaina Giampietro '22 went 2-for-4 with three runs, two RBI and a steal and was solid defensively in center field in the season opener. Megan Mlinaric '22 went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and two walks to start her season on a nice note offensively.
In their second game at West Geauga, the Lancers again put up a crooked number in the first inning to take an early lead. This time Gilmour held on for the win in a game that was called in the top of the sixth inning due to rain.
Clare Peterson '23 picked up the win in her varsity pitching debut as she struck out two in four innings of work. Mlinaric earned the save after pitching the final inning. She came through in a clutch spot as she struck out two batters against the heart of the Wolverine lineup to shut down the hosts' comeback attempt.
Giampietro led the offense against West G by going 2-for-3 with Gilmour's first home run of the season. Chiara Bilant '23 also went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Gilmour outhit West Geauga by a notable 13-5 margin.
After getting into the win column against the Wolverines, Gilmour notched a sweep in its first of three scheduled doubleheaders this season.
The Lancers scored eight runs in the second inning of the opener against Chagrin and would tack on a pair in the fifth to finish off the win. Bilant roped a pair of doubles to the gap while Peterson also went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI. Emma Pickering '23 had an excellent game defensively at third base and added a hit.
Mlinaric earned her first win of the season in the circle by spinning a two-hit shutout with five strikeouts and no walks.
Gilmour scored in the first inning for the third time in four games this season when it posted 10 runs in the opening frame of the second game of the doubleheader. The Lancers were never threatened as they cruised to the doubleheader sweep, allowing 21 Lancers to see significant action on the day.
Lily Prebul '24 earned the win in her varsity debut, giving up just one hit and an unearned run while striking out nine batters in the second game of the doubleheader.
Emmy Klika '21 put on a show offensively. She went 4-for-5 with a double and two home runs, including a grand slam. She finished with seven RBI and four runs scored in the game.
Brinn MacLellan '21 went 2-for-3 with a triple, three runs and an RBI. Other key hits came from Sophia Cira '21, Sammi Fedeli '22, Brynn Baskin '23, Madison Minotas '24 and Prebul.
After going 3-1 in its opening week of play, Gilmour moved up to No. 9 in the News Herald Top of the Crop rankings of the area's best teams.
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