The Northern Valley Senior Connie Mack baseball team competed in the Lehigh Valley League playoffs last week and took second place to Southern Lehigh in a one-run title game that the top-seeded Spartans pulled out 2-1 on their home field Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers went 15-2 in the regular season and were the No. 3 seed for the playoff tournament. With the league tournament in the books, the team is back in action at Limeport Stadium this week as the Lehigh Valley’s top six teams compete against the best teams from the Bux-Mont League for the state Connie Mack title.

Here’s a look at NV’s playoff run.

Saturday, July 20

Northern Valley-Southern Lehigh

Offense often hasn’t been hard to come by for Southern Lehigh this season.

The Spartans averaged over 12 runs per game this season.

But Craig Sutyak’s club has shown its capable of putting up wins without lighting up the scoreboard.

Southern Lehigh came through in clutch situations to capture the league title with a 2-1 win over Northern Valley on Saturday.

One day after securing a two-out, walk-off win in the semis, the Spartans were up for the challenge against the Chargers, making the most of timely hitting, potent pitching and dynamic defense.

“I think it’s good going forward, going to states, for the team to play in two tight ballgames in a row,” said Sutyak. “To come back from a 4-0 deficit in the first inning of yesterday’s game (against Nazareth) and to win it 5-4 in the last at-bat. And then to come out here and win a 2-1 baseball game, we’ve been built on hitting the baseball really well, and I think we average something around 10.5 (hits) per game. To win a 2-1 game shows a lot of character of our kids, our pitching staff, our catcher, and the boys playing in the field behind them.”

Southern Lehigh (19-1), which had scored at least 10 runs in 13 of its 19 games entering Saturday, got just two hits against Northern Valley. But they couldn’t have come in bigger moments.

After Ismael Magallanes reached on a two-out error in the bottom of the third inning, Luke Kawczenski delivered a double to left field on an 0-2 count to plate the Spartans’ leadoff hitter and make it 1-0.

A pair of walks to Lucas Sutyak and Jaden Holland sandwiched around a strikeout gave Southern Lehigh a pair of base runners in the bottom of the fourth inning. Darien Cela didn’t waste any time cashing in on the opportunity, scoring Sutyak to give the Spartans a 2-0 advantage.

No stranger to comebacks, Northern Valley (17-3) – which wiped out a five-run deficit with an 8-6 win over South Parkland in the other semifinal on Friday – pulled a run back in the top of the fifth inning when Watson Church singled to center field to score Jayden Christman, who walked, to make it a one-run game.

But Matt Hoffman worked out of a bases-loaded jam, getting a line out to second basemen Jake Burtt to end the inning. The second out of the inning came when Southern Lehigh catcher Cela delivered a strike to shortstop Ismael Magallanes to catch a Northern Valley running trying to steal a base.

In the top of the sixth, Cole Dynda lined a ball to deep center field that appeared to have a chance of going over the fence or at least ending up in extra bases, but it resulted in a long — and loud — single. Landen Cougle came up next and was hit by a pitch. After Hoffman got a pop up for the second out, Coy Daubert walked to load the bases.

Hoffman, in what would be his last inning of work, got out of trouble with a fielder’s choice at second base to keep the 2-1 lead intact.

“We just didn’t get enough,” said Northern Valley mentor Erich Klein. “We had a couple chances. We tried some stuff. It just didn’t work.”

The Chargers put together one more push with one out in the top of the seventh when Landon Rosado reached on an error and Church walked. Cannon Fitch came through with a single, but Southern Lehigh got the second out of the inning when the runner went past the third base bag and then was tug out trying get back on a bang-bang play.

Church advanced to third and Fitch to second on a passed ball, but the Spartans got the final out when third baseman Jeremy Yeakel-Mendez fielded a ground ball and fired to first baseman Sutyak to get Kaden Moyer on another close play.

“These kids are resilient,” said Klein. “They’ll take it in stride, think about it for one day and then move on to the next one.”

Church battled on the mound for Northern Valley, throwing 84 pitches with three strikeouts and just one earned run. He allowed just two hits and walked four.

The Chargers finished with eight hits and no strikeouts in the game. Fitch (2-for-4) and Brayden Buskirk (2-for-3) each had a double. Church also finished with a pair of hits and a walk.

In his 24th season coaching summer baseball — and 17th with the Northern Valley program — Klein knows how hard it is just to reach the championship game.

“This is only the second time,” Klein said of reaching the final. “We’ve been the bridesmaid twice. It’s only been two times. It’s an accomplishment. There are 20 teams in the league, and it’s tougher than everyone thinks.”

Northern Valley will open state tournament play Thursday against Hatboro-Horsham at 5 p.m.

Friday, July 19

No. Valley-So. Parkland

Erich Klein’s voice bellowed across the field.

“Keep digging!”

The message was received as loud as it was delivered.

Klein watched his Northern Valley squad erase a five-run deficit to claim an 8-6 victory over South Parkland in the Lehigh Valley Senior Connie Mack semifinals on Friday.

“I’m very lucky that I have players that don’t want to quit,” said Klein. “Every kid here. From the kids on the bench to the kids on the field. I have Watson Church, Brayden Buskirk, Cannon Fitch, they’ve been playing with me since eighth grade, and they wanted to come back for one more year. They love playing together.

“And you saw tonight, it’s never over till it’s over. Effort is free, and I have a great group of kids that just wouldn’t quit. They’re great kids with great parents behind them, too.”

Klein’s passionate plea to his team came after Fitch delivered a two-out game-tying single in the top of the fourth inning to erase what was a 6-1 deficit.

“If anyone’s name is called, we all can just step up and make plays and get some hits,” said Fitch.

That mentality was present in the top of the sixth, as Coy Daubert led off with a single and moved into scoring position on a bunt by Jayden Christman. Buskirk followed with a go-ahead double to left field to score Daubert and give Northern Valley (17-2) its first lead since the top of the second inning.

The Chargers added an insurance run when Church reached on an error with two outs, and courtesy runner Christopher Vargas came around to score to make it 8-6.

“We’ve always been a fighting team,” said Church, who walked and scored a run. “No matter what, we always battle back to try to find ways to pull out a win somehow.”

South Parkland (16-3) threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning when Riley Zimmerman opened the frame with a single. But Christman got Andrew Bowser to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, with shortstop Cole Dynda making the turn to second baseman Daubert who fired to first baseman Parker Schaffer to turn two.

Benjamin Taylor reached on a single, and Carter Wanamaker got on via an error, moving Taylor to third base.

But Christman got a groundout to end the threat and keep the 8-6 lead intact.

Christman allowed just two hits in three innings of relief and earned the win. A 1-2-3 seventh inning sent the Chargers to the championship game.

After Northern Valley took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on an RBI single by Schaffer to score Vargas, South Parkland scored six runs in the bottom of the inning.

But the Chargers chipped away, scoring two runs in the top of the third on RBI hits from Kaden Moyer and Landen Cougle to make it 6-3.

A pair of leadoff walks from Christman and Daubert started the rally in the top of the fourth. Landon Rosado reached on an error with one out that allowed Christman to score.

Buskirk scored from third on a balk call with two outs to make it a one-run game and move Rosado to third.

Fitch didn’t flinch when he had the chance to tie it, lining a ball to center for a base hit.

“We just try to find a pitch to hit and put the bat on the ball,” said Buskirk.

It’s worked often for Northern Valley this season, which will now play for a Senior Connie Mack title.

“It’s just good to make it this far, because we haven’t made it this far in 15 years,” said Buskirk. “This is our last season of Connie Mack, so it’s a good feeling.”

Fitch went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Buskirk added a pair of hits, scored twice and had an RBI. Zimmerman finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for South Parkland, while Delong added a pair of hits and scored once.

Thursday, July 18

Hellertown-Northern Valley

Baseball is a funny game.

In the blink of an eye, the Northern Valley Connie Mack baseball club went from being in control to being out of control.

While on a slippery slope after seizing an early three-run lead on Wednesday, the Chargers made a few miscues and found themselves in a hole.

But they found a way to beat back Hellertown 10-6 Thursday evening in a game that was suspended Wednesday in the top of the third inning and finished last night. Northern Valley advances to meet South Parkland today at 5:30 p.m.

The win sends the No 3-seed to the semifinal round, but it looked very precarious after Hellertown used a two-out rally in the top of the fifth to score five unearned runs.

“This is my 24th summer coaching baseball, with no kids on the team, I love it,” said Northern Valley manager Erich Klien. “These kids did everything that we teach them to do. We got great pitching, we got (patience) from our hitters when we needed it.”

The Chargers started Thursday’s game with a 4-1 lead, but a decisive fifth inning say Hellertown go ahead 6-4 only to see Northern Valley score six runs in the bottom of the frame.

The Chargers coaxed four walks and got timely hitting in the big fifth inning. Landon Rosado drove in two runs in the rally with a bases-loaded single.

Watson Church had an infield single and the door-buster hit came from Cannon Fitch and drove in the final runs of the uprising.

“We got a great group of kids, a bunch of tenth graders that got cut by (their) high school team,” Klein explained. “They never quit, we had a bunch of last-inning comeback wins.”

Hellertown caught a huge break to take a brief lead it half of the fifth.

It started with a one-out walk to Mac Gilman and a single from Josiah Kuhns off relief pitcher Kayden Moyer.

Moyer, who looked totally on top of his game and in command, got a fly out, but a routine fly ball was dropped and the doors opened for Hellertown. The visitors took advantage and scored five unearned runs to take a 6-4 lead.

That set the stage for the Chargers, who got timely hitting to rally and secure the win and a berth in today’s semifinal round.

“We always make a goal (to) make our playoffs and qualify for states, which we just did (with this win),” Klein said.

Northern Valley fell behind 1-0 on Wednesday when Hellertown scored in the top of the first. Gilman stroked a single to open the game and came around to score when Joe Dries doubled.

The Chargers tied it in the home first when Fitch singled, stole second and raced home on Cole Dynda’s single for a 1-1 score.

The Chargers scored three in the second inning, parlaying a Brayden Buskirk single with a Rosado bunt single. An error allowed Buskirk to score for a 2-1 lead. Fitch picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly and Dynda singled in the third run of the inning for a 4-1 lead.

Rain then suspended the game to finish up yesterday at Northwestern Lehigh’s high school field.

The Chargers used four different pitchers, but Klein said he has plenty of arms for the next game with South Parkland. Moyer picked up the win after working some early troubles but never wavering.

The winners clubbed out 10 hits with Rosado, Dynda, Church and Fitch getting two hits apiece. Buskirk and Jayden Christman each had singles. Dries had Hellertown’s only extra-base hit, a double.