The softball showdown between Northampton and Parkland lived up to its billing as the top two teams in the area needed 9 innings to reach a resolution. The Trojans won the game 2-1 when Shana Guilandolo led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run just inside the left field foul pole.

While Parkland’s Katie Zaun may have sewn up the EPC MVP with her 16 strikeout, no walk 4-hitter, the K-Kids’ Kaitlyn Renson did not shrink in the moment as she surrendered only 3 hits and 1 earned run to go with her 9 strikeouts and two walks.

Head coach Kristy Henritzy described the emotions after the game.

“It’s just tough when you lose a really good ballgame like that,” she said. “2-1 against them. She (Renson) stepped up and did a great job. We played great defense behind her. We had one error. They had one error. We out hit them. It just didn’t go our way today.”

Parkland opened the scoring in the bottom of the third when their leadoff hitter reached on an infield error. She was sacrificed to second base by the next hitter. After Renson struck out the next batter for the second out, Maddie Konapelsky laced a 2-2 pitch to center for a double to drive in the run.

In the top of the sixth, Rilee Ehrlacher ripped a 1-out double to give the Kids their first opportunity to tie the game. During the next at bat, she got caught in a rundown between second and third ending the threat.

Taylor Kranzley led off the top of the seventh with a single to left. She advanced to second when the first pitch to Kate Stuhldreher got past the Parkland catcher. Stulhdreher smacked the next pitch for a double, driving in Kranzley and knotting the game at one. Zaun struck out the next three batters to leave the game tied 1-1 going to the bottom of the seventh.

Renson retired the Trojans in order to send the game to extra innings. Neither team managed to get a baserunner on in the eighth, nor did the K-Kids have one in the top of the ninth.

With the win, Parkland clinched the top seed in the EPC tournament.

The K-Kids bounced back with a vengeance in walloping Central Catholic 16-0 in 3 innings on Friday. Devyn Demchak belted a 3-run homer in the first inning. Lindsey Nemeth hit a walk-off, 2-run homer in the third. Kaira Zamadics gave up no hits and struck out 7 to pick up the win.

In the final contest of the regular season, Northampton recorded its eighth Mercy Rule win by beating Dieruff 19-0 in 3 innings. Jessie Hunt homered and Kaela Edelman threw three perfect innings, striking out 8 of the 9 batters she faced.

The Kids will host an EPC quarterfinal playoff game today. As of this writing, the pairings and seedings had not been released. With a win, Northampton will advance to the semifinals on Monday. Their likely opponent will be Whitehall. The Zephyrs finished the regular season 18-2 and on a 15-game winning streak. Their only losses were to Parkland.