ALLENTOWN - To beat a team three times in one season, a lot of things have to go right.

On Saturday morning, Palmerton looked to be in position to pull off the feat against Catasauqua, leading 3-2 after five innings of their Colonial League wildcard contest at Pates Park.But, unlike the previous two meetings this year - a 1-0 loss on April 14 and a 5-0 setback on May 3 - it was the Rough Riders that got the breaks they needed late in the game.Aided by a big sixth inning, Catasauqua rallied for a 4-3 victory over Palmerton to advance to tomorrow's semifinals, where it will face No. 2 seed Bangor.For a group that didn't secure a spot in the six-team Colonial League tournament until last Wednesday with a win over Northwestern, the comeback showed just how far this team has come over the past few weeks."Earlier in the season, we weren't the team that we are now," said Catasauqua head coach Bob Thomas. "They worked hard and had faith in each other to get it done throughout the lineup. Whether you're the eighth hitter, the seventh batter…whatever it may be, they had faith in each other to get it done."We hope we instill in them that we have confidence they can get it done, and it showed today."That resolve was highlighted in the first at bat of the sixth inning, when Catty (12-8, 11-7) sophomore Shannon Gallaher sent Reese Dugan's full count offering over the left field fence to tie the score at 3-3.The rally continued when Alexis Ayache drew a walk, and Makenzie Bradley got on with a bunt single following Olivia Schlofer's strikeout.With Danielle Pluchinsky in as a courtesy runner for Ayache, Shiloh Sziy, batting seventh in the lineup, came to the plate and singled for her first hit of the game to score Pluchinsky to give the Roughies a 4-3 lead."I was really nervous because I struck out the first time and grounded out the second time," Sziy said of her first two at bats. "I just wanted to make good contact and try to get on base."Dugan got out of the inning when Emma Bellesfield was thrown out at first and Bradley was gunned down trying to score from third.Palmerton (13-6, 13-5) managed only two base runners over the final two innings against Catty reliever Alexia Reichl. Avery Neipert reached on a hit by pitch in the sixth for the Lady Bombers, and Janel Tracy got on with a walk in the seventh.But Reichl, who also finished 2-for-4 at the plate, proved to be too much in her two innings of work. The freshman recorded four strikeouts, including three in the seventh to close it out.While Palmerton had a hard time scoring late in the game, it was able to take advantage of a few Catty miscues early to get on the board.Kendra Pekurny, on as a courtesy runner for Lauren Campbell, who advanced to third on a ball misplayed in right field, scored in the second after avoiding a rundown situation to give Palmerton a 1-0 lead.After RBI singles by Reichl and Gallagher gave the Rough Riders a 2-1 advantage in the third, Pekurny scored again as a courtesy runner for Campbell in the fourth, this time on a Miranda Bellis infield single that tied the score at 2-2.The Lady Bombers took the lead in the fifth when Jordan Boyer scored on a Dugan groundout.Boyer finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.Despite the loss, Palmerton head coach Robert Hock was optimistic his team, many upperclassmen, will be ready once the District 11 tournament begins."This stings. This hurts a lot. They're a sad group right now," he said. "But they're still hungry and I know they want to leave with something. I think this will be an incentive for them to press the team to do even more out there with their leadership. I think this will benefit us even more going forward into districts."Catasauqua 002 002 0 - 4 7 5Palmerton 010 110 0 - 3 5 0Ayache, Reichl (6) and Bellesfield; Dugan and Campbell. W - Reichl. L - Dugan. HR: C - Gallagher (6th, none on).