Softball Recap: Monarch Takes a Loss

Monarch extended their losing streak to three on Friday, dropping them down to 1-4. They lost 10-4 to the Westminster Academy Lions. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Knights of the 12-4 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in February of 2025.

Monarch saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brooke Mercurio, who went 1-for-4 with one RBI.

As for Westminster Academy, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record up to 3-2. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games.

On Westminster Academy's side, Myah Miller made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 13 over 6.2 innings pitched. Miller has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs.

In other batting news, Westminster Academy got a massive performance out of Gianna Rivero, who went 4-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Those four hits gave Rivero a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Riley Rutherford, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

Coming up, Monarch is packing up and heading out on the road for their first away game of the season: they will challenge South Broward at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. As for Westminster Academy, they will look to defend their home field on Monday against Western at 4:00 p.m. The Wildcats' pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so the Lions' hitters will have their work cut out for them.