Over the last 10 years, Northampton is just one of five teams in the district Class 6A bracket to qualify for districts every year. They are in the elite company with Emmaus, Liberty, Parkland and Stroudsburg.

With eight games left on their regular schedule, the Konkrete Kids had a 6-6 mark. Judging by their previous performances this season, the Kids should be an odds-on favorite to make it 11 straight years.

But head coach Mick Sugra has been taking a cautious approach.

“We just don’t want to be the team that squeaks into it,” referred Sugra to the district playoffs. “We have been leaving too many runners on base. It seems to be that the guys are overthinking the situation too much instead of responding.

“We have a few guys who have been carrying us lately. Everybody on the team has to want it. Everybody has to step up.”

The Kids notched their sixth win of the year recently behind junior Vincent Santostefano, who recorded 12 strikeouts over 6.2 innings in a 4-0 shutout over Allen. Junior Matt Merced recorded the final out to pick up a save. Santostefano had a 1-2 record with a 4.0 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 15.2 innings.

Senior Nate DeRoja and Hunter Carrow each had two hits apiece for the Kids.

Carrow had one of two hits in the Nazareth game in which he pitched 5.2 innings and struck out six with three walks. He began the week with a 2-2, 1.71 mark. He had 22 strikeouts in 20 innings.

At the plate, Carrow paced the team with a .444 average, 12 total hits, and nine RBIs. Senior Mike Melosky had a .333 clip.

“Carrow carried us in a win over Stroudsburg, and he pitched a great game in a 1-0 loss to Nazareth,” said Sugra. He has been doing it all year for us.”

Carrow had one of two hits in the Nazareth game in which he pitched 5.2 innings and struck out six with three walks. However, the Kids struck out 15 times as a team.

“That’s an example on how we have to get better,” added Sugra. “It is about improving our game situations.”

Over the closing weeks, Sugra remains confident his team can find a degree of consistency.

“We’ve been looking for that all year,” he said. “We just can’t get a run together. Everybody needs to pick up the pace because we only have a few weeks left.”