Confidence can be key.

The Palmerton softball team has it. And the Blue Bombers are flying high.

Coming off back-to-back statement wins in the Colonial League, Palmerton kept rolling with a 5-2 non-league victory over Pleasant Valley.

It was the Bombers fourth straight win, and another declaration that the team is hitting its stride heading into the second half of the season.

“It’s huge for them,” said Palmerton head coach Bob Hock. “I think they realize that they are as competitive as any team out there. We got off to a rough start, and I’m sure we, as a team, had some doubts. But now they see what they’re capable of, which is what we knew they were capable of.

“Now that they believe in themselves, it makes their tasks easier.”

Starting the season 0-2 could have easily created doubt. But the Bombers have rebounded, and came into Tuesday’s game against the Bears firing on all cylinders after knocking off Colonial League contenders Northern Lehigh and Salisbury in their last two contests.

That momentum carried over against the Bears, as Paige Shupp and Madison Wenig delivered the big blows with back-to-back two-out triples to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning to put Palmerton (8-4, 7-4) ahead 3-1.

“The team really worked together today,” said Shupp. “We made big plays when we really needed them, and the hits came right along. And it was just a really good game.”

The two-out rally started with a single from freshman Megan Green. With Paige Frantz running for Green, Shupp (3-for-4, double, three RBIs) laced a triple to score Frantz and give Palmerton its first lead of the game.

Wenig (2-for-2, two RBIs) followed and roped a triple with two strikes to score Shupp, and put the Bombers in control.

“Just to put your bat on the ball, and make it through for your team,” Wenig said of her approach. “It was just a really big game for us.”

Pleasant Valley (3-7) got a run back in the top of the sixth inning when Madison Rosenberg’s groundout scored Meara Hanyon, who led off the inning with a double, to make cut the deficit to 3-2.

But the inning could have been bigger for the Bears.

Tylor Wotal followed Hanyon with a sharp grounder back to Shupp. But Shupp snagged the ball, and alertly looked Hanyon back to third base before throwing out Wotal running to first to record the first out.

The inning ended on a diving stab by Palmerton second baseman Sadie Heiney that stranded Cam Caffrey, who reached on an error, at first base.

“She (Shupp) made a nice play on a ball hit up the middle, and that’s a run right there,” said Pleasant Valley head coach Steve Caffrey. “That’s a pivotal play. That’s a run that scores there, and it could be a game-changer.”

The Bombers tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Shupp drove in Madison Finley, who reached on a leadoff walk, and Frantz, who got on with an infield single, to make it 5-2. A perfect bunt from Sierra Behler moved Finley and Frantz to second and third before Shupp brought them in.

Pleasant Valley took an early lead when an RBI groundout from Nichole Hoch scored Lauren Steckel in the top of the third inning to put the Bears in front 1-0.

“Like I told all the girls, if we can learn from today, take this as a positive and go from here, we should be able to get better,” Caffrey said.

IN THE CIRCLE

… Shupp tossed six strong innings to earn the win, allowing just three hits while recording five strikeouts. Lexi Merkel had a 1-2-3 seventh inning with two strikeouts to close it out.

Pleasant Vy. 001 001 0 – 2 3 1

Palmerton 001 202 x – 5 9 2

Shupp, Merkel (7) and Green; Jennings and Steckel. W – Shupp. L – Jennings.