The Blue Storm softball team defeated visiting Friends Select (Philadelphia) 12-6 May 18 to advance to the second round of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament.

Just last Saturday these two teams split a doubleheader (played in Jenkintown, PA), and in the days that followed, Mercersburg was seeded 7th for the PAISAA tournament while Friends Select drew the #10 seed, setting up the quick rematch. In the state tournament contest, the first three innings flew by quickly as neither team collected a hit and the game was still scoreless entering the fourth. The Blue Storm erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth highlighted by RBI singles from Larkin Fletcher '26, Stevie Keck '26, and Kam Jenkins '26. The Falcon bats heated up late in the game as they scored three in the sixth, but Mercersburg tacked on five more runs in the bottom of the sixth and then held off another three-run rally in the top of the seventh to come away with the 12-6 win. The game ended fairly dramatically as Friends Select had two runners on with one out when a hard hit ball was fielded cleanly by third baseman Keck, who stepped on the bag and whipped the ball across the diamond to first baseman Alli Caretti '26 for the game-ending double play.

Jenkins was the only repeat hitter for Mercersburg, who were actually outhit by Friends Select 7-5.  But the Storm were able to come up with 10 walks while winning pitcher Quin Caretti '24 only surrendered three walks to the Falcons.

Mercersburg (11-10) moves on to play #2 seeded Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, PA) in a road contest on Friday, May 19 at 4 pm.