Northampton head baseball coach Mick Sugra has his team in the district hunt, but the veteran coach also would like to see his squad in the East Penn Conference (EPC) tournament.

According to Sugra, this week can be a determining factor if the Konkrete Kids can crack one of the eight spots necessary for the EPC big dance.

“It is a critical week if we want to get into the EPC tournament,” stressed Sugra. “Right now, we are looking in from the ninth spot.

“Freedom, Parkland, and Whitehall are quality opponents ahead of us right now for the tournament.”

The Kids inched a bit closer Monday when they downed Freedom, 6-3, Monday.

In that game, Northampton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Sam Erschen smacked a two-run double, and Austin Sommers rapped an RBI single.

The Kids upped their lead to 5-0 when Logan Higgins had a two-single.

Brady Simock picked up the win for the Kids, as he gave up seven hits and three runs over four innings, striking out two and walking one. Erschen came on in relief and allowed just one hit over the final three innings.

Erschen had two hits and an RBI, Mason Haupt had a pair of hits and a run scored, and Isaiah Alicea had two hits and an RBI to pace the Kids’ 11-hit attack.

With the win, the Kids upped their record to 12-5 overall.

For the season, Haupt is hitting .444 with 28 hits, 19 runs scored. Higgins is at .301 with 15 RBIs. Also, Gavin Pychinka is hitting .420 with three home runs and 18 RBIS, Austin Sommers is hitting .314 with 18 RBIs, Bill Stuhldreher is hitting .349 with 13 RBIs, and Simock is hitting .400.

Haupt is 3-0, Simock is 2-2, Higgins is 2-0, and Andrew Berger is 3-1.

Sugra simply knows what’s ahead.

“We have to win some baseball games if we want to qualify for EPCs,” he added. “We control our own destiny this week, along with another league game against Allen Monday.”