For The Dialog
MILLTOWN – Visiting Archmere scored seven times in the top of the first inning against the St Mark’s Spartans on April 13, but the game was just getting started. The Spartans would score 12 times and come back for a 12-10 triumph in a wacky Friday the 13th game.
The Auks sent 11 batters to the plate in the first inning and picked up runs batted in from Mady McDougal, Kayla Murray, Meghan Bohannon, Mackenzie Popp and Sophie Friedman, who contributed a two-run single, to grab that 7-0 lead. The Spartans scored four in the second inning as pitcher Cassie Rath tripled in two runs, and they added the fourth run on a double steal.
Rath settled down on the mound for the Spartans, allowing only one hit in innings two thru five. The Spartans got a quick two runs with no outs in the bottom of the fifth as Grace Frati hit a two-run bomb over the right-center field wall to cut it to 7-6. Rath tied it with a run-scoring single, and St. Mark’s took the lead on a fielder’s choice.
The Auks cut it to 9-8 on an RBI single by Annie Penrod, but the Spartans added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on hits by Maria Mendez, Rath and Emily Gildea. Those runs were important as the Auks plated two more in the seventh. Popp knocked in a run on a groundout, and Murray, who had doubled, scored on an error to cut it to 12-10. Friedman popped out to Rath to end the game.
The Spartans improved to 4-1 and travel to William Penn on Saturday for an 11:30 a.m. game. The Auks dropped to 2-4 and will host Cape Henlopen on Saturday at noon.
