Back in late April, the first softball game between Mount St. Joseph Academy and Villa Maria Academy was hardly a pitchers’ duel; the Mount Magic won 19-14. In their May 13 rematch at Villa, the Magic’s offense was active once again, but their defense was steadfast, allowing them to secure an 11-1 mercy-rule victory in five innings.

Heading into the contest, both teams had the same record within the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies, and the outcome gave the Mounties a mark of 5-3 (12-7 overall), while the Hurricanes slipped to 4-4. Mount St. Joe was now alone in second place in the league, behind Merion Mercy Academy.

Freshman Kerri Maerten started the game in the pitching circle and threw three innings, yielding one walk, three hits, and one run. Senior Daria Yohe, arriving late after taking advanced-placement exams, entered the game in the fourth inning and finished with two strikeouts, no walks, and one hit.

With one out in the top of the first inning, senior Madison Press singled down the first base line to become the Mount’s first baserunner. She moved to second when her classmate Emily Markowski drew a walk, but then she was forced out at third as senior Kaitlyn Cockerham reached first on a fielder’s choice.

Junior Caoilfhionn Timony singled up the middle to score a run, and then freshman Teagan Howlett tapped a little infield single to load the bases. Maerten then waited out a walk to push home a second run for the Magic.

A Villa player who singled in the bottom of the first was left on base. Then the Mounties started the second inning with freshman Lucy Seiferth getting to first on an error. She went around to third base when junior Cat Gillespie doubled to the foot of the fence in right centerfield.

A ball driven by Press glanced off the glove of the first baseman, and Seiferth scored while Gillespie went to third. Gillespie stole home, then on a ball put in play by Markowski, another Hurricanes’ error let another runner score, giving the visitors a 5-0 lead.

The Magic kept piling up the points with a five-run third inning. It began with Maerten doubling to centerfield; then sophomore Darby Marquette hit the ball to the left side of the infield and outran the shortstop’s throw to first. After the next batter struck out and the Mounties on first and third stayed put, both baserunners scored on Gillespie’s double to right center.

Villa Maria then changed pitchers, but the new hurler was greeted by RBI singles to right field and then left field by Press and Markowski. From first base, Markowski stole second and then went to third when Cockerham grounded out. She scored on a hit to shallow centerfield by Timony, and the Magic now led 10-0.

The Hurricanes picked up their lone run of the afternoon in the bottom of the third inning. A Mount error and then a single by Sydney Roberts gave the hosts two baserunners. They stayed in place as the next batter hit a pop-up for an out. They stole ahead to second and third on a passed ball.

On a fly to right field by the relief pitcher, Ella Laskowski, the Magic relayed the ball to home but couldn’t get the tag at the plate on the runner from third base. A ground-out then retired the side, but Villa was on the board, and the score remained 10-1 when neither team scored in the fourth frame.

The Magic needed at least one run at the top of the fifth to put the mercy rule back into effect.

First, Villa’s leisurely response to a hit down the first base line by Press allowed the senior to reach second base. She would score on a single by Markowski to right field, where the fielder bobbled the ball briefly and could not make a timely throw to home plate. Three straight outs followed, but the Magic had the 10-run lead they’d need to end the game if they could contain the Hurricanes in the bottom of the fifth.

Villa made an auspicious start with a single to right field by Alexis Bruno, who then reached second when Roberts grounded out to Cockerham, the Mount third baseman. Cockerham had another put-out when the ’Canes’ Anna Pilato hit a grounder her way, but the hosts now had a runner on third base. That became a moot point when the next batter hit a fly ball to right field that was caught by the Magic’s Marquette, ending the game.