They scan the roster — out of the 17 players currently donning a Cardinals’ uniform, only four played for the program prior to the COVID-19 shutdown.

Seniors Sam Holden and Marissa Landers anchor the field, while a twin bill of juniors, Alaina Francis and Alaina Scavina, comprise the four veterans for Cardinal Mooney.

It hasn’t taken Mooney long to return to its winning ways, with a pair of wins to open the season — the latest a 34-2 win over Chaney at the Field of Dreams complex in Boardman.

“It (the shutdown) had a huge impact because the kids that would have gotten playing time behind the starters last year, we didn’t get to see any of that so we didn’t get that development,” Rinehart said. “We get to have 10 summer practices legally, we didn’t even get to have those.

Staff photo / Robert Hayes -- Mooney senior Sam Holden takes a secondary lead off first base against Chaney. She went 4-for-4 with 5 RBI and a school-record six runs scored.

“So, what you really have, it amounts to two sets to two sets of freshmen classes in here, like a double freshman class.”

Holden, a Westminster College commit, broke a school record Tuesday evening, scoring six runs, while going 4-4 with five RBIs, including a three-run shot during the top of the fourth inning.

“The biggest difficulty going into this season was that there’s a lot of new players this year.” Holden said following the win. “We have four girls that have played before and the rest are pretty much all newbies.

“You have to just be a leader all the time, just telling them where to go, just all the time your head has to be on a swivel.”

Also launching a three-run shot over the outfield wall was Scavina, who started the contest for Mooney and recorded four strikeouts over the six batters she saw before being pulled in the third for freshman Sophia Diorio.

Many players participated in travel ball last summer, but it also wasn’t the same experience for a player like Scavina.

“High school ball is very different from travel ball, just with the team and how much time you spend together,” she said “So having a year off and not getting to develop yourself with your team, it’s just crazy, it’s weird being out here again.”

Likewise, Chaney (0-1) coach Jessica Gavin and the Cowboys find themselves recovering from the fallout of the Spring sports shutdown last year. In 2019, Chaney fielded their first softball team in ten years, now they’re looking to rebuild once again.

“We were gaining some momentum, had a lot of girls coming out for the team last year, then COVID hit, so this year is a little bit of struggle getting the same numbers that we had last year,” Gavin said.

A few players who are looking to make some noise for Chaney are Janashia Robinson (senior, catcher), Cy’Renity Bowman (junior, shortstop), Kailey May (junior, pitcher), Ahleeah Abdullah (sophomore, 1B), Mariah Sharp (sophomore, 3B).

Senior Cambi Peoples-Roland and sophomore Samara Rivera each scored a run for Chaney in the loss.

Meanwhile, Mooney (2-0) sophomore Marissa Bowman and Francis each tallied four RBI a piece, while freshman Sydney Howland and Parker Sheehan recorded three hits.

Adding onto that with two hits a piece was junior Grace Raymer, freshman Delaney Savaet and Krislyn Winford.

Including a win over Bloomfield, the Cardinals are feeling good with their offensive production, especially out of their underclassmen.

“It gives us a lot of momentum considering that coming in, we thought that with all these inexperienced girls it was going to be tough,” Scavina said. “But, getting out and getting them to get this experience is a lot for them.”

When it all comes down to it, Mooney’s softball has a certain way of doing things.

Rinehart knows that he can lean on his four veterans this spring.

“Every time we come to practice, every time we come to a game, we see our young kids and all of us becoming a typical Mooney softball team, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said.