Softball Recap: Lower Merion Comes Up Short

Lower Merion had lost three straight on the road, but on Wednesday they dropped their record down to 7-13-1 to make it four. They lost 6-0 to the Upper Darby Royals. The Aces were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Royals earlier this season, when they won 4-3.

Lower Merion saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tess Oelkers, who went 1-for-3 with one triple.

As for Upper Darby, their victory bumped their record up to 4-13-1. The matchup marked their most dominant win of the season.

On Upper Darby's side, Sarah Gentile was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over six innings pitched. Gentile has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March.

Lower Merion and Upper Darby could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Pennsylvania Rankings. The Aces will square off against Garnet Valley at 3:45 p.m. on Monday with a big rank disadvantage (455 vs. 213). Meanwhile, Upper Darby (ranked 456th) will meet Conestoga (ranked 122nd) at 3:45 p.m. on Monday.