ORWIGSBURG - Will someone please pass the Pepci, the acid reflux is starting to wear on the Tamaqua softball fans.

Friday evening at Patton Softball Field, the Blue Raiders weren't making life in the fast lane easier. But, when they had to come up with the right antidote, they whipped up the right receipt for success.Riding the superb pitching performance of sophomore Jada Schellhammer and the tough clutch hitting by Miranda Chinchar and Jane Kupchinsky, the Raiders downed a determined Pottsville team in the Schuylkill League wild card tiebreaker game, 2-1. The victory sends Tamaqua (17-4) into the first round of the Schuylkill League playoffs on Monday evening at Blue Mountain.It also gave Tamaqua the dubious distinction of trying to figure out how to handle one of the top teams in the state, Minersville. Up until just before the six o'clock hour yesterday, the Raiders weren't thinking Minersville, but trying to figure a way to score a run.Thrice before the top of the eighth inning, Tamaqua kept coming up on the empty needle. You see, the Raiders left the bases empty and were pressing at times to get a key hit.However, Chinchar finally solved the riddle, beating out a roller to first with two away in the inning, as Jen Fredrickson scurried home from third. The inning ended on the same sequence when courtesy runner Maxine Beers was tagged out at home."I just wanted to put the ball in play somewhere," said Chinchar. "We missed a number of opportunities … yeah it was frustrating (not being to score a run)."Schellhammer finished with eight strikeouts and walked only one batter. She gave up six hits, two to third-hole hitter Madison Garland."You can't let things get to you, you've got to just stay composed," said Schellhammer. "I tried not to think about anything, just react and see what happens."Tamaqua had 11 hits. Besides Chinchar and Schellhammer, Courtney Hoffman, Brooke Zellner, Taylor Donnon, Kaitlyn Stauffenberg and Kupchinsky each added singles.The winning rally started when Fredrickson reached on Pottsville's only error. Kupchinsky, who may have been the unsung hero, bunted her teammate up to second, before head coach Jillian Barron called on Stauffenberg to pinch hit, and she promptly singled. Hoffman was then plunked in the helmet loading the bases.However, it seemed like the same old tune when an infield pop out gave the Tide a little fresh air for the second out. That set the stage for Chinchar's winning RBI."Yes, it is frustrating," said Barron. "We're preaching not to quit … to play from the first pitch to the last pitch. I think now it is starting to show what they're capable of doing."It showed in the top of the second, when the Raiders scratched out the game's first run. Cailyn Joseph walked before Schellhammer and Donnon singled, which loaded the bases. A fielder's choice groundout cut down a run at the plate, but Kupchinsky bounced to second allowing the game's first run to score."My job in that situation is to put the ball in play," said Kupchinsky. "It doesn't matter how you get the runner home, just as long as we can score."Pottsville wasn't scoring much against Schellhammer, though it did have opportunities.Moran beat out an infield hit to open the home first, and moved to second on Porter's sacrifice bunt. An error allowed Garland to reach base, but Schellhammer would work through the adversity with nary a run scored.It was ditto in the third, when a pair of errors had the Tide teetering on the edge once again. But three spectacular plays killed off the threat, thanks to Hoffman on a pop up in shallow left field, a pop out to first baseman Chinchar against the fence, and a running catch by left fielder Fredrickson in foul territory.The Tide tied the game in the fifth on an RBI double with two outs from Garland.POSTSEASON SET ... The divisional champs in the SIAL were set earlier. Division III champ Marian plays D-I champ Pine Grove in the second game of a doubleheader Monday.MAKING MOVES ... Pottsville brought in Moran in the sixth after Porter started. Porter had thrown 74 pitches, 47 for strikes. Schellhammer finished with 101 (77 strikes).Tamaqua 010 000 01 - 2 11 3Pottsville 000 010 00 - 1 6 1Shellhammer and Zellner; Porter, Moran (6) and Marx. W - Shellhammer L - Moran.