Ashley Sisco waited.

The Northwestern junior knew what she was looking for.

With the Tigers trailing, the bases full and Sisco down to her last strike, she delivered.

Sisco’s fifth-inning grand slam sparked Northwestern to an 11-5 Colonial League victory over Palmerton on Wednesday.

“The bases were loaded, of course, and we were down,” Sisco said. “The best feeling in the world is getting that grand slam. I was honestly looking for a single, but the fact that it turned out to be a grand slam was the best feeling in the world.”

Knowing she had to protect, Sisco’s patience paid dividends.

“I wasn’t going to give her any pitches that I know were bad,” Sisco said of her approach. “I wasn’t going to give her an extra strike that she didn’t deserve. The one that was right there, I just chose to hit it, and it was in my favor.”

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the fifth, Sisco’s blast broke the game open for the Tigers, who scored 10 runs over the final three innings.

“They’ve been in games where, you might be down for the majority of it, and you can still come back and make a game of it,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Zimmerman. “You’ve got girls like Sisco; she’s really starting to see the ball … she’s really starting to square the ball up really nice, and we’re starting to take advantage, being able to put the ball in play. And when you put the ball in play, good things happen.”

Northwestern starter Emily Akelaitis was solid in the circle and at the plate, striking out six while also adding a deep blast that resulted in an RBI triple in the third inning to cut Palmerton’s lead to 2-1.

“I think once Em (Akelaitis) came in and hit that triple, which would have been a homer probably in any other park, I’d really say that was a big turning point of the game,” said Zimmerman. “We were able to just keep stringing hits together there, some with two outs. And when you can do that, you gotta like your chances to come out with a W.”

After the triple by Emily Akelaitis made it a one-run game, Palmerton’s Kailah Altemose rocketed a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning to increase the Blue Bombers’ advantage to 3-1.

Following the four-run fifth, Northwestern increased its lead to 8-3 in the sixth when Molly Mitman added a two-run single.

Two-out singles from Payton Lesher and Yesmine Olewine in the bottom of the sixth inning cut Northwestern’s lead to 8-5.

But the Tigers tacked on three more runs in the top of the seventh before Emily Akelaitis retired the side in order in the bottom-half of the inning to end it.

“They were definitely a quality team, a very good hitting team, as was witnessed today,” said Palmerton head coach Bob Hock. “We had some good pitching on our side. But after they got a few looks at them, they just made adjustments and hit the ball well.

“And that’s what I told our girls, we just got beat by a good-hitting team today.”

BIG BATS ... Anna Akelaitis, Kayla Mitman and Sisco all had two hits for Northwestern. For Palmerton, Altemose had two hits and two runs scored. Paige Shupp also had two hits and drove in a run in the second inning.

UP NEXT

… Palmerton (4-3) plays Southern Lehigh (4-1) Friday at Pates Park in Allentown. Northwestern (5-2) will also be in action at Pates, taking on Saucon Valley Saturday.

Northwestern 001 043 3 – 11 10 2

Palmerton 110 102 0 – 5 8 4

E. Akelaitis and A. Akelaitis; Shupp, Merkel (5) and A. Frantz. W – E. Akelaitis. L – Shupp. HR: NW - Sisco (5th, three on). P – Altemose (4th, none on).