Spring Sports

WHITEHALL – Northwestern coach Kelly Bleam called them "golden opportunities."

Bleam was referring to several first half scoring chances that her Tigers had in the District 11 semifinals against Whitehall on Tuesday night.

Unfortunately for Northwestern, none of those golden opportunities were turned into goals.

That proved to be a recipe for disaster.

While the Tigers struggled to find the back of the net, Whitehall grabbed a first half lead and methodically controlled play after intermission to post a 3-0 victory.

Clutch hits win baseball games.

North Schuylkill came up with big hits Tuesday and Northwestern didn't in a 5-3 extra inning district playoff loss to the Spartans.

A seventh-inning home run by Brandon McCloskey tied the game at 3-3. The senior returned to the plate to hit a one-out triple in the ninth and score the game-winning run, capping a 4-for-4 day by the team's eighth hitter in the batting order.

Lehighton head coach Brian Polaha knew that Anthony Farole was "dialed in for a strong at-bat."

With the game tied, the winning run in scoring position and a full count against him, Farole responded in the best way possible by driving the game-winning hit down the third base line that scored Billy Angst and allowed the Indians to play ball another day.

BETHLEHEM – The Pleasant Valley baseball team had Liberty right where it wanted it after two innings of play on Tuesday.

Then again, maybe it was the Hurricanes that had the Bears directly in their crosshairs.

Trailing by two heading into the bottom of the third, Liberty's bats exploded for eight runs on five hits and delivered a knockout blow to Pleasant Valley's upset chances. The third-seeded 'Canes recorded at least one run and two hits in each inning of play en route to a 16-6 victory over the 11th-seeded Bears in the District 11 AAAA quarterfinals.