The winning pitcher for Norwood last Monday, eighth-grader Kayleigh Howard, winds up for a pitch at Penn Charter. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

It was a blustery, chilly day that made it feel like the calendar had been flipped back a month, but softball players from Norwood Fontbonne Academy and host Penn Charter took to the diamond last Monday for a middle school contest.

After the first inning ended with a 1-1 tally, the visiting NFA Bears pulled away to lead 10-1 by the middle of the third frame. Two home runs helped the Quakers post three runs in the bottom of the third, and the final score of 10-4 was in the books.

Norwood, under the leadership of first-year coaches Alison Henning and Linda Sobeck, evened up its record at 1-1 with the non-league win, while Penn Charter came away with a 1-2 mark.

Leading off the top of the first, NFA’s Francesca Rodgers singled between third and short and then moved around to third base when a wild pitch was compounded by a throwing error. An RBI hit to right field by Ainsley Howard then got the Bears on the board.

After getting a base hit in the bottom of the first, PC’s Alyssa Loffer found herself on second base with two outs later on. She scored the tying run for the Quakers on a hit to the left side of the infield by Macie Bergmann, then a third strikeout for Norwood pitcher Kayleigh Howard ended the inning.

Kiera Thorell singled up the middle to start the visitors off at the top of the second. One of the next three NFA batters struck out, but Eva Rodgers and Zoey Gambone each drew a walk to load the bases. Another base on balls, this one issued to Frankie Rodgers, pushed home a run that moved Norwood in front for good.

An error on a ball hit by Ainsley Howard made it a 3-1 game while leaving the bases full, and a fourth run scored on a sacrifice grounder by Sam Rofsky. Kayleigh Howard then drove in two more runs with a ground-rule double down the line in left field. The inning ended with a 6-1 score after Penn Charter’s Arielle Willis was hit by a pitch but then was left on base.

Penn Charter seventh-grader Macie Bergmann drove a two-run homer well over the fence in center field in the Norwood game. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

For the start of the third inning, PC starting pitcher Ashlee Bucksar was relieved by Loffer. Norwood had a batter groundout, and also had Thorell, Maya Ilgenfritz and Gambone draw walks to load the bases. The Quakers got a forceout at third on a ball put in play by Frankie Rodgers, but a run scored on the play.

The bases were loaded once more thanks to a single through the left side of the infield by Ainsley Howard, then the Bears acquired three more runs due to walks drawn by Rofsky, Kayleigh Howard and Evelyn Ebersole.

Charter’s first two batters in the bottom of the third struck out and flied out, then the Quakers began to fight back. They picked up their second run of the afternoon when Loffer hit a solo homer over the fence in left center.

Jenna Fattore got to first base when she was hit by a pitch, then she went along for the ride when Bergmann bashed a home run to straightaway center that traveled well beyond the fence. The Quakers got a runner back on base again when Bucksar was hit by a pitch, then the next batter grounded out to end the inning.

Due to time-limit rules, the game was due to come to an end after the fourth inning. The conclusion came quickly, with six straight outs by the two teams wrapping up the encounter.