Cromlish pitched two innings on Tuesday as the Irish fell at National Trail 18-0 in a Division IV first-round postseason game in New Paris. Catholic Central finished its season 3-14.
“It’s been fun playing with the seniors for the last time,” Rikki-Lynn said. “It’s amazing to be out there.”
Cromlish has been the strength of the Irish program this season, said Catholic Central coach Marcie Gutierrez.
“It’s amazing the fight she has in her,” he said. “Her whole focus was that she was going to play no matter what.”
On Monday, Cromlish will receive her last radiation treatment. She’ll soon begin chemotherapy and is already planning to come back even stronger next season.
“Honestly, she probably shouldn’t have played this year,” said her father, Ricky Cromlish, a longtime coach inside the Springfield City School District. “It’s just her fight and her will to be with her team. Softball is her passion. She goes out and gives it her all until she gets tired.”
The diagnosis
As Rikki-Lynn was preparing for her junior season, she began having complications with what her family believed to be a urinary tract infection. On Dec. 17, she was diagnosed with Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue — specifically skeletal muscle tissue, such as the bladder or uterus.
She was admitted to Dayton Children’s Hospital and began treatment immediately. Her first question was a simple one, Ricky said: “Will I ever be able to play softball again?”
“We automatically said, ‘You’re going to play’,” Ricky said. “We had confidence. It was just her fight and will.”
As the news hit the softball community, many began sending well wishes. The hashtags #herfightisourfight and #rikkisriders were seen on Facebook as part of community fundraisers for the family, as well as cards and videos from travel teams across Ohio. A “Rally for Rikki’' event was also held during a Catholic Central basketball game last season.
“We have such a huge support circle,” Ricky said. “We have so many friends and family. It’s beyond amazing with the amount of people we have supporting her and our family as well.”
“It’s amazing,” Rikki-Lynn said.
Shawnee grad and family friend Seth Gray, who is currently playing for the Wichita Wind Surge of the Minnesota Twins organization, visited Rikki-Lynn in the hospital. He was able to orchestrate a phone call with University of Oregon softball’s Melyssa Lombardi, the coach of Rikki-Lynn’s favorite team.
“It was so incredibly inspiring,” Ricky said. “It put a smile on her face. At the end of the day, as long as there’s a smile on her face, that’s all that matters.”
The comeback
A month after being diagnosed, Rikki-Lynn was back in the practice facility at Catholic Central preparing for the season, even if she was only strong enough to work for 15 minutes at a time. The medicine she took as part of the recovery process also affected her nervous system, meaning she sometimes struggled to grip the ball, Ricky said.
“To be able to even throw the ball up to the plate, it’s so amazing,” Ricky said. “It’s her will trying to get it up there. Some people wouldn’t even have attempted it … Softball is her sanctuary.”
Initially, the Cromlish family expected treatment would lead to an invasive surgery to have the tumor removed. However, a few weeks before the season began, Rikki-Lynn was placed in partial remission after scans showed her tumor was shrinking.
The Irish initially expected Rikki-Lynn to be a part of the team, but not participate, Gutierrez said. As the season began, he wasn’t surprised to see her participating in whatever capacity she could.
“I wasn’t going to stop the kid,” Gutierrez said. “She’s been out there with a busted eye, a busted nose, bleeding and she still performs. I knew what kind of fight she has in her.”
She played in the first game against Cedarville on March 21. She took the hill, but threw just two pitches before she came out of the game. A few days later, she pitched in their second game of the season against Cedarville, going as long as she could before she got tired.
“I was telling myself, ‘I got it, I can do this’,” Rikki-Lynn said. “I had so many people out there telling me I could do it.”
On April 19, she earned a victory over Dayton Stivers, allowing just one hit in three innings pitched as the Irish beat the Tigers 18-6. She also got her first hit of the season, smashing a two-run single to left field.
“For me to see her out there, it was so fulfilling in my heart,” Ricky said. “It just made me so happy seeing her getting to do what she so passionately loves to do even though she’s not at full strength. I told her to make this story an inspiration to other girls who don’t think they can do stuff.”
The future
While she was able to play this season, throughout the recovery process, the Cromlish family has always focused on getting ready for next season throughout the recovery process.
“I’ve been saying that this is a minor setback for a major comeback her senior year,” Ricky said.
She will soon begin chemotherapy treatments to continue to shrink the tumor. Once that’s complete, Rikki-Lynn plans to begin strength training to get ready for next season.
“I’m going to start building my legs up so I can come out better than what I was before,” she said.
She’ll do whatever it takes to come back even stronger next spring, Gutierrez said.
“I have no doubt she’s going to be one of the best pitchers in the league,” he said. “She loves this game. This game is her heart.”
Rikki-Lynn’s Irish teammates know she won’t give up. After the game on Tuesday, Irish senior shortstop Malya Toliver gave her teammate a hug and left her with a message for next season.
“I just wanted to tell you guys I love you,” she said. “I’m going to miss you. You’ve got to come back next year strong. I know you will.”
“Stronger than ever,” Rikki-Lynn said.
About the Author