The Northwestern Lehigh softball team worked like a machine to beat Archbishop Ryan 12-2 in the PIAA quarterfinals at Spring-Ford High School last week.

The Tiger offense was top notch, the revamped defense worked perfectly and the pitching was excellent as Northwestern sent 32 hitters to the plate in just five innings, while holding Archbishop Ryan to one hit over the five innings that the game lasted before being ended by the 10-run rule.

In the fourth inning alone, Northwestern scored six runs on five hits and used three Ragdolls errors along the way to put the game away and open a 9-2 lead.

One inning later, a single, walk, and a double plated a run and a groundout brought home another run to make it 11-2. With a runner on second and one out, Abby Dunstan picked up her third hit and fifth RBI of the game to end the game on the 10-run rule.

“It seemed like everything we put the bat on in the middle part of the game fell in somewhere and we were able to push across a bunch of runs,” said coach Josh Zimmerman.

Meanwhile, pitcher Emma Freeman kept the Archbishop Ryan side of the score book relatively unused.

The only flaw came in the first inning after she retired the first two hitters and then issued a walk to opposing pitcher Mya Diorio. Sabrina Pastino followed with a home run to center field to put the Ragdolls up 2-0. Pastino batted over .600 this season and was the team’s co-MVP along with third baseman Janine Swift.

“I know that our bats are always hot and no matter what they do when we’re in the field, we’re just going to come in and going to hit and that’s what we did,” said Freeman about giving up the early lead.

Rylee McGinley opened the bottom of the first with a double to center and scored on a single by Izzy Akelaitis, cutting the Archbishop Ryan lead to 2-1. An inning later, the Tigers threatened but were kept off the board by Archbishop Ryan’s Moira Maw.

In the third inning Marissa Christman singled with two outs and Dunstan followed with a home run to center to put Northwestern up 3-2.

In the circle, Freeman hit a batter with one out in the second and was perfect through the rest of the game, retiring 11 in a row and finishing the day with just one hit and one walk allowed and three strikeouts.

The fourth started with a single by Josie Wehr and Shelby Mitman hit into a fielder’s choice but the return throw to first to get the double play went wide allowing Mitman to go to second. A mental error by Archbishop Ryan put Quinn Conrey on with a fielder’s choice and McGinley dropped a perfect bunt for a hit to load the bases.

Sage Toman singled and Akelaitis reached on an error and one out later, Dunstan delivered the big blow with a double to left to bring in two runs. Freeman followed with a double to drive home Dunstan and make it 9-2.

“I knew she (Maw) was a good pitcher, but she wasn’t throwing anything I hadn’t seen before and I kept the same mentality that I have had throughout the season, that I just want to get a base hit and I want it to be hard,” said Dunstan, who had three hits, scored twice and drove in five runs in the game.

Northwestern used some trickery in the fifth to put the game away.

McGinley singled with one out and went to second when the line drive she hit was misplayed in center. She then went to third on a wild pitch.

Toman walked and after reaching first quickly turned and headed to second to draw a throw. As the ball headed for second, McGinley raced home with a stolen base and Toman slid safely into second. Akelaitis’ double brought in Toman and Dunstan ended the game with her RBI single.

Wanting to put his best defensive lineup on the field, Zimmerman moved Toman out from behind the plate and put her in left field. Shelby Mitman went to first base and Dunstan was behind the plate. Dunstan has caught before and is familiar with catching Freeman.

The move worked as the Lady Tigers made several big defensive plays in the game.