CLAYMONT – Padua’s bats were hotter than the spring sun on the afternoon of April 30, as the Pandas rolled to a 20-0 win in five innings in nonconference softball at Archmere. The Pandas started the onslaught early, and they put it away with a 12-run fourth inning.
Katie Twardowski opened the game with a walk, followed by an infield single from Hannah Solge. They advanced on a groundout, and Alex Musial scored both with a single down the left-field line. Musial moved to second on another ground ball, and she scored when Sara Moore doubled to left.
The Pandas added four runs to their lead in the second. Zoey Jones walked to start the frame, moved to second on a wild pitch and came home on an Auks error. Solge’s second single of the day scored Sarah Williams to make the score 5-0. Musial added two more runs batted in with a double over the bag at third before the inning was over.
Twardowski tripled home a run in the third, but heads-up defense by the Auks mitigated the damage. Before Twardowski’s at bat, the Pandas had runners at the corners with nobody out. Williams smacked a line drive to third base, where the Auks Maddie Wallace snared the ball and stepped on third in one motion for the unassisted double play. Padua batted around once more in the fourth, scoring 12 before it came to an end.
Hailey Brooks was effective in the circle for the Pandas. She worked out of trouble in the first, as Annie Penrod and Mackenzie Popp hit back-to-back singles to open the inning, putting runners at first and third. A double play helped her out of that small jam. Popp added another hit in the fourth, doubling off the fence in center field with two outs.
Final statistics were not available on Tuesday night. It was the Pandas’ third straight shutout win as they improved to 7-6. Padua will host St. Elizabeth on Thursday at 3:45 p.m. at the Midway Softball Complex.
The Auks (4-9) remain home for their next game, which is also on Thursday at 3:45 p.m. against Wilmington Charter.
