On Friday, October 27, members of the Catholic Law community gathered for the Fifth Annual Cardinal Classic Softball Tournament. While students, faculty, and staff players took to the Catholic University Softball Field, Ed Lafayette '10 and Professor Veryl Miles served as home plate umpires. Chloe Czapla (1L), Alex Van Cleef (2L), Samantha Winter (2L), Christopher Schwarz (3L), and Judith Crews (4E) announced the play-by-play action on the field, and Yusuf Khan (3L), President, Student Bar Association, threw out the first pitch.
The first round of the tournament pitted 1Ls against 2Ls, with the first-year division claiming the initial win. The second game had the 3Ls facing off against the Evening Division team. After the 3Ls secured the second-round win, they played the 1Ls to determine which student team would make it to the championship game. The 1L team emerged victorious, earning their spot as challengers to the three-time champions, the faculty/staff team.
Prior to the start of the championship, Alexa Rivas (1L) sang the National Anthem and Professor Kevin Walsh played the accordion to lead everyone in a rendition of “Take me out to the Ball Game.” After a competitive (and somewhat contested) game, the 1Ls took the win over the faculty/staff team, marking their spot in Cardinal Classic history as the first-ever 1L team to win the title.
Following the game Judith Crews (4E), presented the Cardinal Classic trophy to Katherine Gamelin Crowley, Associate Dean for Administration & Chief of Staff, announcing that the student body voted to rename the tournament as the Katherine G. Crowley Cardinal Classic in honor of all the support that Associate Dean Crowley provides the students at Catholic Law. Following the surprise announcement, Crowley presented the renamed trophy to the 1L team. The tournament presented MVP honors to two players selected by the student body in attendance. Matthew Gage was named 1L MVP and Len Davidson, Systems Librarian, was named faculty/staff MVP.
Click here to view photos from the 2023 Katherine G. Crowley Cardinal Classic on Catholic Law's Facebook page.
