The Northwestern Lehigh softball team handed Palmerton its first loss of the season recently when the Tigers made the trip to Palmerton (4-1 Colonial, 6-1 overall) and came home with a 5-4 extra-inning win. The Tigers are now 7-1 overall and have a 5-0 record in Colonial League play.

Abby Dunstan singled for what the game-winning run in the top of the ninth to lock up the win for Northwestern.

The final inning opened with Rylee McGinley walking on four pitches before Sage Toman bunted her to second. One out later, Dunstan singled and McGinley used her speed to head for the plate with the winning run.

In the game, Emma Freeman went 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI.

In the top of the sixth, Northwestern put together a two out rally that started with a walk to Dunstan. Freeman followed her to the plate and tripled to center field to drive in Dunstan and tie the game at 1-1. Lizzy Diehl brought home Freeman with a double to give the Tigers their first lead of the game. Shelby Mitman reached on an infield single to put runners on first and third.

Sophomore Lily Kinnon then singled and both runners were able to score as the Tigers took a 4-1 lead, which held until the bottom of the seventh.

With one out in the seventh, Palmerton strung together two singles and a walk to load the bases.

A ground ball to short brought home one run and a single added another to make it a 4-3 game.

The tying run scored on an error, sending the game to extra innings.

Northwestern threatened in the eighth but came up empty before winning the game in the ninth.

In addition to her heroics at the plate, Freeman threw all nine innings and 150 pitches, recording 11 strikeouts and allowing just three walks.

With Freeman’s workload against Palmerton, Lizzie Diehl got the start against Bangor (1-4, 1-5) and struck out 12 batters, allowing just five hits in throwing a complete game for the Tigers.

Diehl also had three hits and drew a walk at the plate with an RBI and three runs scored in the win.

Dunstan stayed hot at the plate with four hits, including a home run, to go with two RBI and two runs scored, while Mitman equaled her four hits with four of her own and scored three times while driving in one run.

With Diehl vacating her normal spot at second base, sophomore Molly Schlofer got the start at second and delivered a two-run home run in the second as Northwestern scored four times in the inning to take a 5-0 lead. Schlofer also doubled in the game and drove in four runs as part of the 19-hit assault by the Tigers.

Northwestern plays league games against Palisades (3-1, 3-2) and Saucon Valley (1-3, 1-3) before a trip to Kutztown (2-3) for a nonleague game.