On Northwestern Lehigh game days you can find Isabella Teprovich patrolling first base for the Northwestern Lehigh Lady Tigers. She is the one with a big smile because she is genuinely enjoying the fruits of both her patience and her labor.

As a freshman, Teprovich made the team, but had to bide her time and saw little playing time. The 2020 season was wiped out by COVID, and she came back last year as a junior to play in 19 games and hit .364 for Northwestern Lehigh.

This season is a different story. Teprovich – known to her teammates as Izzy – is now the starting first baseman for the Tigers and is making the most of her opportunity. Through the first seven games of the season, the senior player hit .353 and was tied for the team lead in home runs with two and had driven in nine runs.

“She is doing a nice job making the most of an opportunity,” said coach Josh Zimmerman. “She is establishing herself at the plate and at first base and she is getting more comfortable every day.”

Defensively, Teprovich has not committed an error at first base and has shown that she can flash some leather to keep opponents off the base paths. In a recent game against Salisbury, Teprovich displayed her skills with both her bat and her glove. She hit a home run and made a dazzling play at first base when it appeared that the Falcons’ Sam Peffer was going to get extra bases on a line drive down the first base line.

“I actually did see it right off the bat and I had it all the way, so I had time to react and make the play,” said Teprovich after the win.

Defense is not an afterthought for Teprovich, who takes pride in making big plays.

“I like playing first base because you are involved in the game a lot and so I put in work there and just try to be as good as I can be defensively,” she said.

As for the team, the Lady Tigers (8-1 overall, 7-1 Colonial) dropped an 8-7 decision at Southern Lehigh (7-1, 4-0) Monday only to come back on Tuesday and down Tamaqua (0-5, 0-2 Schuylkill League). In the win over the Raiders, the seniors had a big day. Morgan Farthing and Quinn Conrey both punched their fifth home run of the season and catcher Olivia Stofflet went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI.

Farthing recently collected the 100th hit of her high school career in a 13-1 win over Catasauqua (2-2, 1-2). The senior shortstop collected two hits in the game.

Farthing and junior Marissa Christman have been pounding opponents lately. In the win over the Rough Riders, Christman collected three hits and drove in two runs. The two players both had three hits and two RBIs against Palmerton with Farthing picking up a triple and Christman continuing her extra bases trend with two more doubles to help beat the Blue Bombers.

On the mound, Zimmerman is looking to keep ace Brynn Balliet fresh for later in the season and is mixing in sophomore Peyton Neumoyer along the way. Balliet, a senior, has a 3.42 ERA and Neumoyer stands at 4.54 with her ERA, having pitched in four games.

“Having both pitch for us gives us a good mix and will keep Brynn fresher for late in the year,” said Zimmerman. “Also, getting some experience for Peyton will help us down the road.”

The Lady Tigers are off until Wednesday when they play at Wilson (3-2, 2-2) and then have home games against Saucon Valley (0-4, 0-4) and Palmerton (5-3, 3-3).