Last Wednesday, the Northampton and Whitehall softball teams met on the field for the first time since the Kids’ 5-4 walk-off win in the District XI 6A championship game in May 2021. Through 4 innings, it appeared that another nailbiter was in the offing, but Northampton plated 4 runs in both the 5th and 6th innings to come away with a 12-2 Mercy Rule win.

Kate Yadush got the Zephyrs off to a promising start in the first inning with a 2-out solo homer over the centerfield fence.

Northampton worked some 2-out magic of their own in the bottom half of the inning as Kaira Zamadics ripped a 3-2 pitch for a double and came home to tie the game on a Devyn Demchak single to left.

Demchak added a 3-run homer over the leftfield fence in the bottom of the third to stake the Kids to a 4-1 lead. Taylor Kranzley and Zamadics scored in front of Demchak.

Madison Lasko led off the top of the fourth for Whitehall with a home run to cut the advantage to 4-2.

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when things started to unravel for the Zephyrs. Singles by Kranzley and Zamadics, plus a walk to Demchak, loaded the bases with no one out. Alexa Chromey hit a grounder creating a play at the plate. Kranzley scored and in the ensuing action the ball rolled away allowing Zamadics to hustle home. An intentional walk loaded the bases again and Hannah Makovsky delivered a double to score two more runs to make the score 8-2.

All 5 Kids’ batter reached base in the bottom of the sixth. Chromey and Angela Fisher delivered RBI singles and Makovsky collected her third and fourth RBIs of the game on a single to plate the final two runs.

In the circle, Zamadics pitched all six innings for Northampton, giving up 6 hits, striking out 7 and walking none. Kassy Aquino went 4 innings and started the fifth for Whitehall. She surrendered 8 hits and one walk while striking out three.

Understandably, the coaches’ reactions to the game were polar opposites.

Kids’ coach Kristy Henritzy exclaimed, “I feel great. Today I was really happy with who stepped in and who stepped up. They just continued to come in and get the job done. Kaira had no walks today, that was a goal for us. Those types of things matter.”

Zephyrs’ skipper Jeff Vivian expressed concern.

“The lack of fight we had as a team,” he said. “They’re a good team, we knew they were a good team. They have a lot of talent on their side. I think we can match it, but I think today they growled, they showed their teeth and we backed down a little bit. Being a Philly guy, that doesn’t sit well with me.”

Both teams have big games in the week ahead.

The Zephyrs (8-2, 6-2 EPC) travel to Freedom Thursday to play the defending EPC champions. The Patriots’ pitching is suspect this year, but their offense looks potent. Expect a slugfest. Whitehall then takes on Parkland for the first time this year. The Trojans are 6-3 this year with a 12-2 loss to the K-Kids and a 2-0 extra inning loss to Emmaus.

Northampton (8-0, 7-0 EPC) hosts Bethlehem Catholic on Friday in a clash between the last two undefeated EPC teams. That contest has already been postponed three times due to rain, so even if the forecast looks promising, bring an umbrella. On Tuesday, Emmaus comes to town for a rematch between the best two pitchers for the first half of the season, the Kids’ Kaira Zamadics and the Hornets’ Danika Barthol. Northampton won the first game between the teams 2-0 on a 2-run Zamadics homer in the sixth inning.