The Emmaus softball team certainly isn't making it easy on itself or coach John Eyer. The early part of the season was filled with comeback wins, with the Lady Hornets (8-7, 10-8) finding ways to pull out games in the late innings.

Not always a great strategy, but they opened with a 7-0 record, so it seemed to be working. Since that auspicious start, Emmaus has gone just 3-8, which has gotten them a spot in the District 11 Tournament, but has left them on the outside looking in for the EPC playoffs.

Five teams, including Emmaus, could all finish with nine conference wins including Whitehall (9-6), Bethlehem Catholic (9-5), Stroudsburg (9-7) and Pocono Mountain East (9-7) - but Emmaus has lost to Bethlehem Catholic once and Whitehall twice, which would give those two teams the advantage in a tiebreaker.

The time off between the end of the regular season, which comes Friday at Central Bucks South, and the start of the district playoffs might do Emmaus some good.

The schedule got a little hectic toward the end of the season and a little down time would give Emmaus a chance to refresh its pitching staff a little and perhaps gain a renewed focus for the postseason.

"I don't know if it was the schedule or what it was that has caught up with us, but the girls haven't quit," said coach John Eyer after his team's loss to Parkland in both ends of a double-header. "We bounced back from a couple losses earlier and now we have to do it again."

Parkland picked up a 5-1 win in the afternoon game at Pate's Park and then outslugged Emmaus 6-5 in the nightcap. Laura Rau pitched the first game of the double-header and had some first inning problems before settling in and pitching effectively the rest of the way.

In the second game, Ciara Wippel tied the game with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning, but Parkland was able to grab a run in the bottom of the inning and then hang on for the 6-5 win.

Uncharacteristically, the pitching has struggled during the current six-game losing skid, allowing 54 runs over those six games.

"I think we just picked up a couple bad habits along the way," said Eyer. "I still believe these girls have a lot of good softball in them and you never know what can happen down the road."

This year's senior game was ruined by Whitehall, who downed Emmaus 12-0 last Friday. The team honored seniors Faith Montgomery, Morgan Patterson, Sydney Wertheimer and Laura Rau prior to the game, which was their final home game at Pate's Park, the team's home field.

District 11 playoffs begin with first round games on May 19. The seedings will be announced after the conclusion of conference playoffs, which will be played next week.