(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next day’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from May 21, 2004).

By Jason Boris

jboris@tnonline.com

ALLENTOWN - Most people look up and admire the stars. A Champion climbs the mountain and becomes one!

Friday night at Pates Park in Allentown, the Northwestern softball team climbed to new heights and captured its first-ever Colonial League Championship with a 3-1 victory over Notre Dame.

“When we got here today, there just seemed to be an overwhelming feeling that something good was going to happen,” stated Northwestern head coach Jen Horner. “We all felt it and we kept talking about it and it was just a total team effort out there tonight.”

Before the game began, Northwestern players Heather Hartman, Erin Wehr and Amanda McGimpsey were lauded as First-Team Colonial League All-Stars. However, at the end of the night, that number seemingly swelled to 17.

“These girls are all all-stars in my book,” said Horner. “We had three players selected to the first team, but everybody on this team has played a pivotal role in our successes this season.”

The Tigers set the early tone when their first two runners of the game reached base. Jen Belknap led off with a hard-hit infield single and Lindsey White reached on a throwing error that advanced Belknap to third. Two pitches later, Belknap crossed the plate when Crusaders pitcher Maria DeBonis uncorked a wild pitch to give Northwestern a 1-0 lead.

In the ensuing frame, DeBonis let another pitch get away from her which put Heather Hartman on second base with nobody out. After Erin Hess sacrifice bunted Hartman to third, Carolyn Beitler grounded into a fielder’s choice that allowed Hartman to come home.

Already ahead 2-0, the Tigers padded their lead in the third inning. With runners on first and second with one out, Amanda McGimpsey singled to left field, but thanks to a Notre Dame fielding error on the play, Lindsey White scored from second to make it 3-0.

“It’s all about execution,” said Notre Dame coach Amy Rogers. “Offensively and defensively you have to do the little things, and we lacked that tonight. They got the key hits at the key times and when we had chances, we either left runners on base or we made a mental miscue.”

The Crusaders finally managed to get on the board in the fifth. With two outs, Maria DeBonis got a hold of a Kim Klusaritz offering and blasted a triple to deep left field. However, what seemed to be a reccuring theme as the night progressed, DeBonis was left stranded when Klusaritz got Brooke Fry to ground out.

In the sixth, Notre Dame once again stranded a runner at third, when Klusaritz ended the inning by striking out Jen Bickert.

“Kim might not have the high strikeout numbers that Notre Dame’s pitchers have, but she pitches around batters better than anyone I’ve ever coached,” said Horner.

“I had a horrible warm-up today, but as my catcher Trisha (Erney) always says, that usually means I’m going to have a pretty good game,” stated Klusaritz. “I felt really confident up there, and when they got base-runners on, I just tried to stay composed because I know I have a solid defense behind me.”

The Tigers (19-3) will now prepare for next week’s District 11 Tournament.

They say a diamond is a girl’s best friend ... but for Jen Horner and her Northwestern Tigers, the only one they need is the one with the dirt in the middle of it.

Northwestern 111 000 0 - 3 5 2

Notre Dame 000 010 0 - 1 6 3

Klusaritz and Erney; DeBonis, A. Glaser (4) and Bickert. WP - Klusaritz. LP - DeBonis.