Penn Charter completed a softball-season sweep of Inter-Ac League rival Academy of Notre Dame last Thursday, logging a six-inning mercy-rule victory on the road.

The 13-2 win raised the Quakers' record to 4-2 within the league and 8-4 overall, while the Irish declined to 0-6, 1-9.

PC senior starter Lauren Gedraitis pitched four innings with two strike-outs, six walks, and two hits, and freshman Lea Tyer finished out the game.

Charles Warren has returned for his third season as Penn Charter's head coach, and he returns 13 players from the 2024 varsity roster: seniors Lauren Gedraitis, Ryan Hatty, and Arielle Willis, juniors Madelyn Bergmann, Avery Goodheart, Cailyn O'Brien, Nora Presad, Jordan Simon and Madison Wray, and sophomores Regan Bailey, Ellie McKernan, Elaina Nicolucci, and Hudson Torrisi.

Willis will attend the University of Pennsylvania, while Gedraitis and Hatty will play softball at West Chester University and Niagara University, respectively.

Junior Lily Lokoff and sophomores Bailey Handler, Jade Ostroff, and Vivienne Prunty-Kolsky have moved up onto the Penn Charter varsity this year, and there are three freshmen on the squad, Nora Kugelmass, Ava "Ace" Lightsey, and Leah Tyer.

At Notre Dame last Thursday, it took awhile for the Quakers to really get their offense in gear, and they only posted one run their first time up. McKernan led it off with a walk, stole second, then went to third on a ground-out to the right side by Wray. She scored when Bergmann grounded out to the shortstop, but then Hatty, who doubled to center field, was left on base.

The Irish took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning, benefitting from a pair of walks and a Penn Charter error.

The Quakers were much more convincing, swinging the sticks at the top of the second, although things didn't look promising early on as a hit by Prasad was followed by two outs. Willis waited out a walk, and then the two PC baserunners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch.

As the top of the order came around again, McKernan drove in two runs with a double to right center field, then scored on a hit by Wray to straightaway center. After Bergmann walked, Hatty hammered a three-run homer over the fence in right center. Charter now led 7-2.

Gedraitis, who was just coming off a shoulder injury, gave up two walks in the bottom of the second. A little later, with bases loaded and two outs, she redeemed herself through a strike-out that retired the side.

The Quakers added one run at the top of the third, when hits by Prasad and Willis set the stage for an RBI single by McKernan.

Hatty singled to start off the fourth inning, then she came the rest of the way around on a home run to center field by Gedraitis. Prasad singled, then gradually made her way to third base as Notre Dame secured outs against the next two PC batters. Willis put the ball in play to shallow right field, and while the outfielder got the edge of her glove on the ball, she could not hold it as Prasad came home.

In the bottom of the inning the Irish loaded the bases again, but once more they could not score. The Quakers led 11-2 after four frames, needing one more run to put the mercy rule into effect after Notre Dame batted in the bottom of the fifth.

This didn't happen, as Coach Warren used the opportunity to get more of his younger players into the game. It was still 11-2 going into the sixth round, and the visitors didn't start out well, with two outs in the air.

After this, patience paid off for McKernan and Wray, as both drew walks to station runners on first and second. Bergmann sent an RBI single to right field, then Hatty hit the ball on the ground through the right side to make it 13-2.

A PC error and a single gave the Irish a pair of baserunners as the bottom of the sixth inning began. Their fortunes waned as the visitors gloved a pop-up and then a fly, and a line drive out in the infield ended the game.