Every coach waits for it: The big inning.

If the big inning comes, he takes a sigh of relief.

Jim Thorpe gave coach Joe Marykwas that sigh of relief when the Olympians plated seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to put away Northern Lehigh 15-4 in a non-league game Friday.

Thorpe (7-6) scored 10 runs in the last two innings against the pesky Bulldogs (0-12).

Ahead 8-3 going into the top of the seventh, Marykwas freely pinch hit for many of his starters with three sophomores. Ian Hinkles led off with his first varsity hit. Richie Strack singled to right and Tanner Yurchak, batting for the first time as a varsity player, loaded the bases with a sharp single to left.

A walk and a hit batsman scored two runs, a fielder’s choice, an RBI single by Michael Codigan-Dougherty, two more bases on balls and another RBI single by Hinkles, and the Olympians put up a seven spot.

The winless Bulldogs hung tough for five innings. Starting pitcher Tyler Fenstermaker kept the big JT hitters off stride in the early innings. He also slashed an RBI single to left in the home half of the first.

After DJ Richebacher’s run-scoring triple in the third, the Bulldogs bounced back in their home half with a single by Nick Buskirk and a booming triple to left center by Chase Misera.

“We’ve had injuries, and Tyler was actually our third choice to pitch today,” said NL Coach Greg King. “He kept us in the game, but we didn’t get him enough run support.

“We look at improvement each game, especially with our fundamentals. Considering we’ve been mercy-ruled several times, this was a much better effort.”

Marykwas was pleased with his team’s overall contributions to their victory.

“We got production from almost everyone today,” he said. “We had a total team effort.”

The Olympians, who have won two in a row, were paced with two hits apiece by Jared Joyce, Jared Marykwas, and Codigan-Dougherty and Hinkles.

Chase Misera and Fenstermaker drove in runs for the Bulldogs.

SLICK PICKS

... JT’s left-handed fireballer, James Lordi returned to the mound after missing several games to an injury. In the NL fourth inning, he showed off his moves to first base by picking off two Bulldog runners.

DOUBLE DOINK

...Thorpe’s Eddie Weaver was the victim of being hit by two baseballs in the seventh inning. First, he was hit by a pitch and then he was struck by a batted ball in an attempt to get to second base.

Jim Thorpe 201 203 7 - 15 17 3

No. Lehigh 102 000 0 - 4 5 1

Hurley, Lordi (4), Joyce (6) and Wimmer, Hinkles (7); Fenstermaker, C. Misera (6). Tosh (7) and Housman. W -Hurley. L- Fenstermaker.