Mount St. Joseph Academy’s softball team traveled to Gwynedd Mercy Academy on April 20 to face a Monarchs squad that had been struggling. Gwynedd wouldn’t go down without a fight, though, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The visiting Magic prevailed in the end, scoring twice in the top of the seventh and then getting the Monarchs out in order in the bottom half for a 5-3 victory. The outcome gave the Mounties a record of 6-2 overall and 2-0 within the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies, while Gwynedd slipped to 1-9, 0-4.

Starting pitcher Kerrigan Maerten, a freshman out of Wissahickon Middle School, went the distance for the win, finishing with five strike-outs while yielding four hits and five walks.

Two other freshmen, both from St. Genevieve’s School in Flourtown, started for the Magic. Grace Abbott was stationed in right field and Lucy Seiferth played third base, replacing injured senior Kaitlyn Cockerham. Cockerham is one of the Mount team captains this season, along with centerfielder Emily Markowitz and pitcher Daria Yohe.

In addition to Markowitz and the three freshmen, the starters for the Gwynedd game were senior first baseman Madison Press, junior catcher Anna Rose Marshall, and sophomores Ann Baker (designated player), Emmalyn Blattner (left field), Cat Gillespie (shortstop), and Darby Marquette (second base).

With one out in the first inning, Marquette drew a walk and then stole second. Press tapped the ball down the first base line, and as the ball rolled slowly in the thick grass, Press reached first base safely while Marquette moved over to third.

A passed ball allowed Marquette to score while Press reached third base; then Markowitz singled down the left field line, scoring a second run for the Magic. The inning ended with the visitors leading 2-0 after the Monarchs left a runner stranded on third base.

Starting off the top of the second with a single out of the infield by Abbott, the Mount later loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a hit batter and a walk. Nobody made it home, though, as Gwynedd gloved a pop-up for the third out. The tally was still 2-0 at the end of the inning.

The Mount’s Markowski, who will continue her softball career at Catholic University, started the third inning with a bang, belting a solo home run to right field. Three straight outs followed, but since the Monarchs remained scoreless in the bottom of the third, the Magic had a 3-0 advantage.

For the start of the fourth frame, Gwynedd senior starter Alexis Mulato was replaced in the pitching circle by a hard-throwing freshman, Isabella Pistilli. In the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, she limited the Magic to a total of 11 batters, giving up one walk and one hit while striking out eight Mounties and having the other one ground out.

Meanwhile, the Monarchs got their offense going in the bottom of the fifth. Lead-off hitter Payton Krapf, a junior, was struck by a pitch, and she moved around to third base when the Magic made an error on a ball put in play by senior Madelyn Lorenzo.

A sacrifice ground-out by senior Natalie Kelley scored the first run of game for the hosts while moving Lorenzo to third. Next, freshman Madeline Santana also sacrificed herself with a ground-out, pushing home another run. Pistelli, the pitcher, doubled to right field, but a fly ball to center then ended the inning.

Nevertheless, Gwynedd was now just one run behind, 3-2, and the visitors were unable to reinforce their slim lead at the top of the sixth. The home half began with a base hit by senior Emma Lomker, who went to second as the following batter grounded out. Junior Caroline Lewis put the ball in play to the left side of the infield, and the Mount’s Gillespie convincingly faked a throw to first and then tagged Lomker in the baseline between second and third.

Lewis stole second, and then Krapf sent a hit into right field. An errant throw to the plate let Lewis score, and although the Mounties secured the third out just after that, the contest was now tied, 3-3.

As the Mounties tried to retake the lead in the top of the seventh they started out with a fly-out, but then Marquette drew a walk. She moved around to third base on a single down the right field line by Press, who then stole second. Gwynedd picked up the second out with a strike-out, and then the Magic’s pitcher, Maerten, gave the team a big boost with her bat. She drove the ball through the left side of the infield, scoring both baserunners. Another strike-out retired the side, but the visitors were back in front, 5-3.

Maerten began the bottom half with a strike-out, and then the next batter hit a little dribbler down the first-base line. The first baseman, Press, came down the line to scoop up the ball and then tossed to second baseman Marquette for the out. These two then reversed that sequence as another ground-out ended the game.