North Schuylkill seemed to have Tamaqua's number late last year.

The Spartans softball team earned shutout victories in both the Schuylkill League Division I wild card game and the first round of the District 11 Class AA playoffs.But in their first meeting this season, the Raiders flipped the script on their rivals, pounding out eight hits en route to an easy victory in the league opener.Tuesday, Tamaqua proved it could do it again, this time claiming a 6-3 triumph in come-from-behind fashion to sweep the regular season series."This means a lot, especially since we have one (Division I) loss to Pottsville," Tamaqua head coach Jillian Barron said of her team's 3-0 loss to the Tide. "This was one we couldn't let get by us. We had to play tough to work on our goal of getting into the Schuylkill League playoffs. We don't want to be in that wild card game we want to make it on our own."So this was a big one. We had a hectic week last week playing five games, and we had our first two losses. But our girls bounced back and I'm glad they came out ready to go today."Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, the Raiders (9-2, 6-1) also showed the ability to rally with the game on the line.After Carly Sassaman and Taylor Fritz drew back-to-back one-out walks, sophomore Caitlyn Joseph made North Schuylkill starter Christi Hutira pay by smashing the ball over the right centerfield fence for what proved to be the decisive three-run homer."I'm super proud of her," Barron said of Joseph. "She's been just shy a few times this year and we've been just waiting for her to get that first one under her belt, and I felt like this game was going to be her game."For Joseph, who also had a sacrifice fly in the second inning to score Fritz, simply doing her job and staying calm were all she was concerned about."I definitely wasn't thinking about hitting a home run. I just knew that I needed to get on somehow," she said. "And if you're tense at the plate, it's usually not going to work out in your favor. So you just have to relax and do what you can."While timely hitting certainly played a key role in Tamaqua's win, a solid pitching performance from starter Bailey Pedersen and a nearly flawless defense behind her proved to be just as vital.Pedersen went the distance, striking out six and allowing only one walk while working out of several jams over the course of seven innings in the circle."You can't underestimate them. They get it done every time they have to get it done," said North Schuylkill head coach Dominick Grasso. "And she (Pedersen) had us off guard all game."In the first inning we hit the ball, but she had us off balance and they made plays for her, and that's all you can ask for. They're a very good team."North Schuylkill (7-3, 4-2) got on the board in the opening frame with a leadoff homer from Tiff Lapotsky, who finished 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored.But the Spartans simply weren't able to capitalize on their scoring opportunities the rest of the way, leaving seven runners on base, including two in the seventh inning.Brianna Wittig, who went 2-for-2 for the Lady Raiders, scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning for the final tally.No. Schuylkill 102 000 0 - 3 9 3Tamaqua 020 310 X - 6 4 1Hutira and Peleschak; Pedersen and Sassaman. W - Pedersen. L - Hutira. HR: NS - Lapotsky (1st, none on); T - Joseph (4th, two on).