The winning pitcher for the Mount, senior Mary Fuchs, about to let one go. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

With balmy temperatures and a filmy veil of white clouds and a gentle breeze moderating the brightness of the sun, it's sort of a shame that last Thursday's softball game at Merion Mercy Academy didn't last longer.

The batters of visiting Mount St. Joseph didn't allow that, though, pounding out 15 runs in the first three innings to bring the mercy rule now used in the PIAA into effect.

The traditional standard called for a contest to be ended if one team had a 10-run lead after five innings of play, but there were still enough games getting out of hand very early to cause the rule to be changed. The Magic only needed to score once in the third inning to satisfy the new requirement after they accumulated five runs their first time up and heaped on nine more in the second stanza.

Mount St. Joe's actually had fewer hits (11) than runs in the game, but benefitted from five walks and four Merion errors.

The Mount, whose only league loss so far came against defending champ Villa Maria, improved to 7-1 within the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies and 7-2 overall. Senior pitcher Mary Fuchs, who's headed to Ursinus College, registered three strike-outs and only saw 10 Golden Bears come up to the plate during the truncated contest. Merion, which hasn't been able to get in any scheduled non-league games this spring, came away with a mark of 2-8 in the ACAA.

The Mount graduated seven seniors from last year's AACA runner-up team, including four-year varsity pitcher Kailey Karabin. This year, there are four other seniors in addition to Fuchs. Shortstop Angela Gervasi will also be heading to Ursinus, where she'll play soccer. Right fielder Ava Jancarski and first baseman Sophia Little will both attend Temple University, and centerfielder Julie Burns will play softball at Delaware Valley University, where her older sister Jesse is a freshman on the Aggies' team.

Last Thursday at Merion, the productive Mount offense actually started off with a ground-out at the top of the first, then junior left fielder Lila Moore got to second when Merion made a throwing error on her bunt. Freshman second baseman Paige Parisi singled to shallow center and Burns drew a walk, loading the bases.

When Fuchs laid down a bunt, another errant throw by the Golden Bears (over the first baseman's head) landed her on second while two runs scored and Burns reached third. Following a pop-up for the second out, the Mount's sophomore third baseman, Katie Muhl, singled over short to bring in a third run.

Muhl stole a base to give the Magic runners on second and third, setting up a two-run double to left center by Jancarski. A strike-out got Merion out of the top of the inning, but the hosts trailed 5-0 and went down in order in the home half.

To launch the second stanza, Gervasi singled down the left field line, and she went around to third when Moore put a grounder in play and a Merion infielder threw the ball back to the pitcher, thinking it was a foul ball. Gervasi went to third on that play, and after Moore stole second, both runners came home on a double to left center by Parisi.

More aggressive baserunning by the Magic and a walk drawn by Burns gave them runners on second and third once more, but on a fielder's choice ball batted up by Fuchs, Merion was able to make the tag at the plate for the first out of the inning. Little then walked on to load the bases.

Next, Muhl's pop-up was dropped and a run scored to make it 8-0, but on the same play some indecisiveness on the base paths resulted in Merion tagging out a Mount runner at third.

Back-to-back walks served up to Jancarski and catcher Olivia Nace (the other freshman starting for the Mount) first loaded the bases and then pushed the Magic's ninth run across the plate. Gervasi, coming up to bat for a second time in the inning, delivered a grand slam for the visitors, with her blast sailing past the left fielder.

A solo homer deep to center by Moore put the visitors up 14-0, one step shy of the mercy-rule threshold. The Magic got a runner back on base through Parisi's single to left, then Merion escaped by gloving a fly in right field.

Unable to make their mark on the scoreboard in the bottom half, Merion made a pitching change for the start of the third frame, replacing starter Kirsten Krouse (1K, 5BB, 8H) with Brooke Loonstyn (1K, 0BB, 3H).

The new Golden Bears hurler was greeted with Mount singles by Fuchs and Little, but on an awkward double-steal attempt the hosts nabbed Little trying to retreat to first.

The Magic's 15th run then scored when Muhl blooped a hit down the line in shallow right field. Jancarski slapped a single through the left side for the visitors' final hit of the day, then Merion retired the side with a strike-out and a fly.

The Golden Bears still had to bat in the third before the contest could conclude, and after MSJ's Gervasi pocketed a pop-up at short for the first out, a pair of put-outs by second baseman Parisi ended the affair.