The venue may have changed but the winners’ names were very familiar as Robbie McCarthy and Catriona Casey claimed the All-Ireland Senior Softball Singles titles yesterday, writes Paul Fitzpatrick.
In the first Senior Singles finals played in the new 60x30 show court at Croke Park, both McCarthy and Casey rose to the occasion with flawless performances.
In beating Martin Mulkerrins 21-11, 21-6, McCarthy secured his 10th Senior Softball Singles crown, which sees him draw level in the roll of honour with Eoin Kennedy.
Casey, meanwhile, claimed the Ladies Senior Singles crown for a sixth time, making her officially the most successful female softball player in the 31-year history of the championship.
Casey ran out a 21-4, 21-5 victor over first-time finalist Cuileann Bourke from Mayo. Bourke, from the Belcarra club, started brightly but Casey’s craft and experience proved too much as the Ballydesmond star controlled the tempo of the game, pinning Bourke back at times and displaying her usual outstanding shot selection.
McCarthy has been in brilliant form this season and carried on where he left off in the semi-final against Gavin Buggy.
Mulkerrins led 3-2 in game one but McCarthy, displaying his full arsenal of shots, put together a run of 10 unanswered points. He stretched his lead out to 14-4, Mulkerrins pulled it back to 8-14 but McCarthy was never really in danger and pulled away to win 21-11.
In the second, the Mullingar man raced into a 15-0 lead in the second game with a stunning display. Mulkerrins’s shots were off on the day but McCarthy showed his class to punish him unrelentingly as he closed it out 21-4.
In the ladies Minor Singles, Wexford’s Jodie Keeling continued her excellent run of form as she completed the double for the season.
The St Joseph’s player repeated her victory over Tipperary’s Hannah Grace from the 4-Wall final, this time winning 21-2, 21-5 with a commanding display.
Keeling looked totally at ease in the larger court from the off and dominated proceedings against the talented Lahorna lady. Keeling’s power and natural underhand strokes proved crucial as she took control from early on en route to an impressive win.
Armagh’s Fiachra Ó Dhúill beat Cork’s Tomás O’Connor in the Men’s Minor Singles semi-final, 21-14, 21-13.