Two weeks ago, Northern Valley head coach Erich Klein was at his wit’s end.

After suffering back-to-back losses, the longtime mentor couldn’t help but question himself.

Since that time, though, everything has changed - and for the better.

The positive vibe continued Wednesday night at Franklin Township’s Christman Field, as the Chargers pushed across three runs in the ninth inning to gain a 7-4 victory and advance to Friday’s semifinal round of the Lehigh Valley Connie Mack League playoffs.

“We’re really growing,” said Klein, whose club will face undefeated Northwest Bethlehem in the semis. “After the Emmaus game (a 10-6 loss on June 30), I talked the whole way home to myself saying, ‘What am I doing wrong? Why can’t I motivate these kids?’

“But something’s working now. I’m sure it’s all of us coming together.”

Everything came together for Northern Valley in the top of the ninth after losing two late leads against a resilient Franklin Township squad.

Jackson VanNorman reached base on an error to open the frame, and was sacrificed to second by Nick Buskirk. After a wild pitch, Sam Mauro worked a walk and then stole second. Erik Mather slapped a single to left to plate the go-ahead run, which was followed by RBI singles off the bats of Wesley George and Bobby Chroneberger.

George, who finished the contest with three hits and four RBIs, knew his team could come back after the letdown of giving up a 3-2 advantage in the sixth and a 4-3 lead in the seventh.

“I’m extremely happy that we won, and we’re able to move on,” said George. “It was nerve-racking after we lost the lead and they tied it. But I was absolutely confident that we could get the job done.

“I was pleased (with my day at the plate). I was sitting fastballs all the time. I just wanted to hit them to the outfield.”

Ironically, George’s most important contribution may have come defensively - when he prevented a ball from going to the outfield.

Franklin grabbed a 1-0 lead in the home second when Carter Birnbaum singled home Cameron Gable. Hits by Josh Steigerwalt and Dawson Keiser loaded the bases with one out, and the host club was threatening to blow the game open early. But Aiden Rarick’s line shot was snared by George at short, and he turned it into an inning-ending double play.

“That was a big play at the time,” said FT skipper Ron Steigerwalt. “That was a great play, and probably anybody would have been doubled off there. That took us out of the inning.

“We had runners in scoring position a few times, but didn’t get that key hit. But that happens.”

Following the twin killing, the Chargers did get key hits at the right time. Mather tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the third, and George followed with a two-run hit to make it 3-1.

Franklin used a run-scoring hit by Adam Bastone in the fifth to cut the deficit in half, and a wild pitch in the sixth allowed Michael Yeakel to race home with the tying run.

Northern Valley regained the lead in the top of the seventh on another two-out hit by George, but Franklin came right back in the home half. Bastone again delivered, as his single scored pinch-runner Johnny Light to make it 4-4.

“They didn’t give up the whole game,” said Steigerwalt. “They gave everything they had; they just came up a little short.”

“It’s survive and advance, that’s all you’ve got to do,” said Klein. “Play for today. I’ve said it since the first game; play every game like it’s an elimination game. Leave it all on the field. Don’t go home with any regret.

“That’s how I was brought up ... I try to bring that to our team, and hopefully it works. So far, it’s working.”

NOTHING EXTRA ... The two teams combined for 19 hits, with all of them being singles. After George, Mather and VanNorman each had two for Northern Valley. Franklin received several hits from both Bastone and Josh Steigerwalt.

STILL ALIVE ... Franklin Township, despite the loss, will more than likely reach the state playoffs, which begin next week.

N. Valley 003 000 103 - 7 9 6

Franklin Twp. 010 011 100 - 4 10 3

Chroneberger, Moyer (5) and Russo; Keiser, Steigerwalt (4), Gable (6), A. Rarick (9) and Yeakel. W - Moyer. L - Gable.