Angela DiBeneditto is living proof that one person can make a difference.
The John Carroll senior pitcher hit a solo home run in the first inning and allowed no runs, two hits and struck out four in a complete-game 4-0 victory Monday over visiting Mercy.
With the win, the Patriots advanced to today?s Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference semifinals, where they will play at two-time defending champion Archbishop Spalding. For John Carroll to reach the IAAM finals, it will likely need a similar effort by DiBeneditto, who often gets overlooked in the conference in favor of pitchers like Spalding?s Stephanie Weigman and Institute of Notre Dame?s Colleen Matthes.
“With a pitcher like Angela, we feel like we can beat anybody,” John Carroll coach Sherry Hudson said.
DiBeneditto is 9-6 with a 0.89 ERA, 177 strikeouts and 14 walks on the season. She has allowed 14 earned runs in 109 innings pitches. In her last two regular season games, DiBeneditto out-dueled Matthes when she stuck out 19 in a 2-1 win over IND. She followed that with an eight-strikeout performance in a 1-0 win over top-seeded Seton Keough.
Going into today?s game at Spalding, DiBeneditto had her batting average around .500 to go along with her team-high 14 RBI. DiBeneditto and junior catcher Nicole Lowenstein (.472, 13 RBI) account for 27 of John Carroll?s 50 RBI on the season. The Patriots have no batter other than those two hitting better than .231.
“We don?t hit as well and don?t have as many wins as some of the other teams, but in my mind, there is no better pitcher in this league than Angela,” said Lowenstein, who calls all of her pitches.
DiBeneditto received a number of Division I scholarship offers but decided to go to Holy Family University, a Division II Catholic school near Philadelphia. There, she plans tostudy nursing.
In the meantime, DiBeneditto plans on taking to the mound today with the hopes of silencing Spalding?s balanced lineup that includes four players set to play at Division I colleges in the fall.
“It?s been stressful at times this year because we?ve lost a number of 2-1 and 1-0 games,” DiBeneditto said. “But, I think we?re starting to hit a little better, and our chemistry is at an all-time high after beating Seton Keough and IND. We play like that against Spalding and we?ll have a chance.”
