The Upper Darby Royals are taking a road trip to face off against the Marple Newtown Fightin' Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Upper Darby has struggled recently with seven losses in a row, while Marple Newtown will arrive with seven straight wins.
Last Wednesday, Upper Darby came up short against Springfield and fell 7-2.
Sarah Gentile spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up 12 Ks. Those hits were her first of the season.
On the hitting side, Upper Darby saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Aubrey Patterson, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Marple Newtown ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Garnet Valley 10-8.
Marple Newtown also got a great performance from Ally Snyder as she struck out seven batters over 6.1 innings while giving up five earned runs off ten hits (and only one walk). Snyder has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Marple Newtown let Grace Corner and Catie Thomas run wild. Corner scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3, while Thomas went 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Those three hits gave Corner a new career-high. Siena Adams was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.
Marple Newtown's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Upper Darby, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Upper Darby has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Marple Newtown struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Upper Darby suffered a grim 12-4 defeat to Marple Newtown when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Royals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
