Dialog reporter
CLAYMONT – Archmere jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings, then fought off a St. Mark’s comeback attempt in a 10-7 nonconference softball win April 7 in Claymont. Annie Penrod led the way offensively for the Auks, swatting two triples and knocking in four runs.
Penrod knocked her first three-bagger in the bottom of the first, and she scored on a single by Mackenzie Popp. She moved around the bases as St. Mark’s got two outs, but Madi Wallace brought Popp home with a single and the early 2-0 lead.
Archmere went right back to work in their half of the second. Two singles and an error loaded the bases, and Penrod unloaded them with her second triple. That scored Meghan Bohannon, Maggie Brown and Sophie Friedman. Penrod scored again on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jocelyn Phillips.
St. Mark’s answered with a pair in the third, but the Auks restored the six-run lead in the bottom half of the frame. Paige Thomas gave the Spartans a boost in the fourth, drilling a leadoff home run over the left-field wall. The visitors were just getting started. With runners on second and third with one out, Naomi Azcona brought Maria Mendez home with an infield single, and a sacrifice fly scored Cassiona Rath. It was 8-5 Archmere after three and a half innings. Each team was able to tack on a pair of runs before the game ended.
Penrod finished with three hits and a walk in four plate appearances, and she drove in four runs. Wallace also had three hits and two runs scored for Archmere, which improved to 2-3. The Auks have little rest, as they visit Delcastle on Saturday for a 2 p.m. start.
For St. Mark’s, Thomas and Azcona had multiple hits. The Spartans (3-3) meet Padua on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Midway Softball Complex.
