Penta Strong
Junior steps up for teammates with memorable Senior Night performance
CHESAPEAKE CITY — Bohemia Manor junior Mariah Penta still had her hometown of Chesapeake City buzzing days after a Monday performance that saw the junior pick her team up and not let the four seniors take a loss on Senior Night.
Penta pitched six scoreless innings and was 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs including two home runs in a 8-7 comeback win over Havre De Grace in what would be the final regular season home game and perhaps the final game on the Chesapeake City Little League fields that this group grew up playing together on for seniors Hayden Rash, Anna Wilson, Emily Heath and Mary Valle.
“I was just trying to do it for my team,” Penta said. “It was senior night. I pitched but the team had my back the entire time.”
The performance left her coach speechless at times.
“I have no words for Mariah Penta,” Bohemia Manor coach Trish Francisco said. “She is Mariah Penta. She does what I ask her to do. Matter of fact I told her ‘hey, your dad is out there. Hit the ball to him.’ and she did it. I think she has a bright future ahead of her and she has one more year to go.”
Bohemia Manor junior Mariah Pentan comes around third base after hitting her second of two home runs and she had the game-winning RBI hit in a 8-7 win over Havre De Grace.
It may not have been her senior night, but Penta comes from a long line of great Bohemia Manor pitchers and gamechangers. She was not letting this opportunity pass her by.
“In the beginning of the game I had the drop curve,” Penta said. “I am not a pitcher. I took it up to help my team. I just worked with Anna (Wilson) and whatever happened, happened.”
What happened on Monday night was magic. Yet, it is not anything uncommon for a Penta to be phenomenal inside the circle for the Lady Eagles softball program.
Her older sister, Maddie Penta, is a former all-state pitcher at Bo Manor and now stars for the Auburn Lady Tigers softball team of the Southeastern Conference.
Penta said that the encouragement and energy Heath brought to the team when Havre De Grace put up seven runs in the second inning was a huge factor in willing the team to the win as well.
“She was like ‘We are not losing on my senior night!’,” Penta said. “That got everyone up in the dugout and we did it.”
Now as the team prepares to begin the
MPSSAA Class 1A playoffs, this team has confidence and momentum in spades.
“We are all athletic girls,” Penta said. “And I definitely think we can make a big run.”
Bohemia Manor met Perryville in the first-round of the softball regional playoffs. The game was not final as of press time. The winner of the game travels to No. 1-seed Patterson Mill on Monday, May 16.