BETHLEHEM - Following his teams’ 3-1 upset win over top-seeded Bethlehem Liberty in the semifinals of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference tournament on Tuesday, an emotionally exhausted Pleasant Valley coach TJ Murphy threw out a three-word question to anyone who doubted that the Bears could defeat the powerhouse Hurricanes.

“Why not us?”

That question has certainly been answered after the Bears propelled themselves into today’s championship game against Emmaus.

PV’s victory was commandeered from the mound. Zach Walters pitched a complete game gem, allowing just one unearned run in the home seventh. He scattered nine hits, walked three and struck out one. His defense turned two double plays, none bigger than a one-out, bases loaded twin killing started by shortstop Nathan Loch, who stepped on second for a force and fired to first baseman Jack Smale to end the home sixth.

What made Walters’ masterpiece even more impressive is that the 18-2 Hurricanes had scored 50 runs in their previous five games.

“My team was all behind me,” said Walters, who was ahead in the count throughout most of the game. “The first pitch strike is huge. It takes away some of their confidence.”

Walters, who goes by the nickname, “Big Country,” threw his entire repertoire of two seam fastballs, curveballs, sliders, and change-ups to keep Liberty’s hard hitters off balance. The Hurricanes’ two-through-five hitters were a combined 3-for-13 against the big right-hander.

The only hitter he couldn’t solve was leadoff batter Brayden D’Amico, who went 4-for-4, with two of the bunt variety.

“Zach was amazing,” said Murphy. “He has the heart of a lion when he steps across the lines.”

The Bears (14-4) scored a run in the top of the first. Loch reached on an infield error. After a fly out, Brandon Ratti slammed a booming double into the left-center field gap scoring Loch from first.

Nursing a 1-0 lead into the top of the fourth, Smale led off the inning with a double to left center. Andrew Meitzler lined a single to center to score a run. Jake Gethen hit into a force out, but a throwing error plated the Bears’ third run.

Murphy twice had his bullpen humming, but despite Liberty mounting a rally in the seventh with two singles from its first three hitters, he never made a visit to the mound.

“I just felt it in my gut to stick with Zach,” he said.

Speaking to his team before the game about facing the one-loss Hurricanes who had defeated the Bears 5-3 earlier this month, Murphy took any extra pressure that a big game usually brings upon an underdog.

“They put their baseball shoes on just like us,” he said. “We were playing with house money, and we were expected to lose.”

Now, the fourth-seeded Bears, who had won EPC’s Mountain Division for the first time since 2010, will face Emmaus at Nazareth in the EPC championship game.

ANOTHER NICKNAME?

... Walters may not be the only Bears’ player tagged with a nickname. A large contingency of students from Pleasant Valley attended the game, and just after Jack Smale belted his double to lead off the fourth, an appreciative fan was heard shouting, “Jack the Ripper!”

COLLISION CENTER

... In the third inning, Bears’ shortstop Dom Payan sustained a leg injury when he collided with second baseman Nathan Loch and had to leave the game. There was another collision an inning later in about the same area between short right-center field between the Hurricanes’ right fielder and their second baseman.

Pleasant Valley 100 200 0 - 3 4 1

Liberty 000 000 1 - 1 9 2

Walters and Meitzler; Frey, O’Neill (7) and Ludwick. W - Walters. L - Frey.