The Emmaus High School girls wrestling team split a pair of dual matches last week, one in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and one against a nonconference opponent.

Last Tuesday, the Green Hornets fell just short in a conference dual, losing 39-36 on the road at East Stroudsburg South. Two nights later they bounced back with a 45-20 victory in nonconference action at home against Southern Lehigh.

In a back-and-forth, exciting match with the Cavaliers, ESS won just one more bout than Emmaus.

The Cavaliers earned five pins to the Hornets’ three, with six points going for a pin. Emmaus then received three forfeits to just one for ESS.

The Cavaliers took a commanding 27-0 lead with five straight wins to open the match.

Sarah Luisi got Emmaus on the scoreboard with a pin at 130 pounds. After back-to-back ESS victories, the Hornets comeback attempt began as they won the last five bouts, including two straight pins by Haily Laible and Olivya Kroope, and three consecutive forfeits.

In the victory over the Spartans, Emmaus fell behind from the start as Southern Lehigh won a close decision, 7-6 at 190.

But Katherine Soto-Acuna won by forfeit at 235 and then Shadeilyz Castro-Ruiz earned a 10-6 decision at 100 to put the Hornets in front 9-3, a lead they kept until the end. Danielle Rivera recorded a pin at 112 and Luisi picked up a pin at 130, and then the last four bouts were all forfeits in favor of Emmaus.

Emmaus will finish out the calendar year this weekend at the Bedlam for the Belt Invitational at Muhlenberg College on Sunday and Monday.