If the two previous 9-inning games between the Whitehall and Emmaus softball teams were not enough proof that the two teams were evenly matched, their quarterfinal EPC matchup provided further validation. The Hornets scored a pair of 2-out runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 4-3 lead and held on to that score until the game’s conclusion to advance to the EPC semifinals against Parkland.

Head coach Jeff Vivian summed up the result.

“Gotta give them credit,” he said,” they had a couple of balls fall where ours didn’t and that’s going to turn a game. The biggest disappointment was that we had a couple of runners on base and watched a couple of strikes where, if we have a productive out, this is a different game.”

The game started well enough for Whitehall as Emma Bonshak was hit by a pitch, advanced third on a pair of passed balls and came home on a Kate Yadush groundout to short. Two batters later, Kassy Aquino’s single to left drove in Mya Frana who was running for Maddie Lasko after a walk.

Emmaus got one run back in the bottom of the first, but the Zephyrs went up 3-1 in the top of the second when Bonshak drove in Aubrey Steiner from second with a 2-out single.

A pair of Whitehall errors gave the Hornets a run in the bottom of the third to make the score 3-2. A 2-out triple by Rachel Sherman in the bottom of the fourth drove in the tying run and Samantha Lily pushed Sherman across with the eventual winning run with a single.

The Zephyrs had some chances to add to their run total, but just came up short. Sherman took an extra base hit away from Mackenzie Laub with a running, backhanded catch in left that would have driven in Hannah Bundra.

Steiner led off the sixth inning with a triple to right field and was stranded there.

Lasko drew a 2-out walk and Aquino followed with a base hit, but Whitehall could not plate the tying run in the seventh inning.

Aquino went in the distance in the circle giving up 5 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 3.

The district quarterfinals start next Thursday where the EPC West claimed the top four seeds in the 6A class. The Zephs will host Stroudsburg. The Lady Mounties finished the regular season by winning 9 consecutive games, but were eliminated by Bethlehem Catholic in the EPC quarterfinals 2-0.

In their final 14 games, Stroudsburg was 12-2 with the 2 losses a 2-0 game against Northampton and a 5-4 contest against Parkland, so they are not to be taken lightly.

Vivian explained the Zephyrs approach to the two-week interval between games, “The first thing we have to do is get healthy. Give the team some time to decompress. There’s some viral stuff going around that has people sick and out of the lineup.”

The EPC announced its 2022 All-Star teams this past week. Sophomore Kate Yadush was named to the first team at third base. Junior Kassy Aquino made the second team as the designated player. Northampton’s Taylor Kranzley was recognized as the EPC’s Most Valuable Player.