BRANDYWINE HUNDRED — Padua pitching tossed six perfect innings, and the Pandas spread out their offense throughout the game in an 8-2 softball win over Ursuline on April 10 at Brandywood Fields.
Before the bats got started, the Pandas flashed the leather. Ursuline’s leadoff batter, Bailey Maloney (Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish) smacked a fly ball to center, but Leigh Chesworth (Assumption BVM Parish, Pa.) took a few steps back and to her right, reached up and made the catch. Alexandra Dawson ended the inning with a diving catch in left.
Padua’s leadoff hitter, Eliana Hill, reached on an infield single, stole second and third, and scored on a Chesworth groundout. The Pandas added two more in the second. Sophia Evans (Holy Family Parish) singled to right to open the inning and stole second, and, following a strikeout, Kendall Reilly (St. Anthony of Padua Parish) singled. Errors allowed both of them to score.
They doubled their lead in the fourth. Kaia Bennett was safe on an error with one out. Hill singled, and Siena Evans had an infield single to load the bases. Chesworth hit a ground ball, and courtesy runner Rose Casey (St. Mary Magdalen Parish) and Hill scored on a bad throw. Lily DiMarco (St. John the Beloved Parish) knocked in Evans on a groundout.
In the field, Bennett was perfect through four innings in the circle. She struck out three and had help all around the diamond.
Hill came in to pitch in the fifth, and after the first batter grounded out, Ursuline got its first runner when Anna Harris singled to right field. Another single and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with Raiders. Maddie Brandt singled to left to drive Harris home to make it 6-1. Padua got a force out at home on the next batter, but Maloney knocked in the Raiders’ second run with a single.
Shay Chesworth came in to pitch for Padua in the sixth, and she threw two more perfect innings. She struck out three and got a popup to third to end the game.
Hill finished with three hits and three runs scored for the Pandas, while Evans had two hits, and Leigh Chesworth and DiMarco each had two RBI. Padua (5-2) is at Concord on April 14 at 3:30 p.m.
Maloney struck out 10 for the Raiders. Ursuline (3-1) is scheduled to play Brandywine on Friday at 3:45 p.m. at Midway Softball Complex, but the weather doesn’t look to be cooperating.
Photos by Mike Lang.
