Northern Valley is limping into the Lehigh Valley Legion playoffs this week after losing five straight games. The Chargers have been outscored 36-15 in those losses and are now 7-9 as they head into the postseason. Northern Valley opens the double-elimination tournament against Salisbury (8-7), which downed the Chargers 6-5 during the recent slide.

In that game, Salisbury fired right back at Northern Valley after the Chargers got a run in the top of the first. Salisbury took an early 3-1 lead and led 6-3 going into the final inning until Northern put on a late rally that finished short of where they needed it to be.

Trey Sterling led off with a base hit but was erased on a fielder’s choice. Andrew Diehl, who had hit into the fielder’s choice, stole second and would score the game’s first run when Bob Croneberger singled to center to bring home Diehl, making it a 1-0 score. The Falcons scored three runs in the bottom of the inning and then stretched their lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth against starter Tyler Fenstermaker.

The Chargers went back to work with the bats in the top of the fifth. Cole Hausman opened the inning with a double and one out later, Nicklaus Buskirk reached on an error and Hausman was able to move up to third base on the play.

Jake Fagan followed with a single to right, driving in courtesy runner Ben Vaka from third and when Fagan went for second, Buskirk raced home and cut the Salisbury lead to 4-3. Pitcher Tom Lovelidge was able to get the final two outs of the inning and prevent any further damage.

Evan Druckenmiller came on in relief of Fenstermaker and loaded the bases on walks but also recorded two outs on strikeouts. Druckenmiller recorded the final out but not until after a passed ball allowed Caleb Gonzalez to score, pushing Salisbury’s advantage to 5-3 and Salisbury added another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 6-3.

Northern Valley was up for a challenge and Druckenmiller led off the seventh with a hard gounder to second that was misplayed, allowing Druckenmiller to reach.

A fielder’s choice by Buskirk erased Druckenmiller but a single by Fagan put runners on first and second with one out. Down to the game’s final out, Sterling doubled to center to bring in Fagan and make it 6-5, but Lovelidge was able to strike out Vaka to end the game.

Fenstermaker took the loss, pitching four innings before handing the game over to Druckenmiller, who threw two innings and allowed two runs, both of which were unearned. Salisbury’s Tom Lovelidge threw a complete game for Salisbury.

South Parkland (12-3-1) finished as the regular season champion and has a guaranteed spot in the regional tournament, which begins July 15 at Boyertown High School.

The second qualifier from the Lehigh Valley Legion will be determined by the playoff tournament and if South Parkland wins the tournament, then the tournament’s runner-up will go to regionals as the second team from the Lehigh Valley.