In baseball, the early 20th century was known as the “dead ball era.” Home runs and batting averages in Major League Baseball fell, and teams ushered in a new style of play known as “small ball.”

It relied on fundamentals like bunting and stealing to manufacture runs.

Today, home runs fly out of ballparks and while averages aren’t where they were at some points in baseball history, they’re better than they were in the dead ball era.

The use of small ball is more limited, but it does still exist. Northern Valley, whose offense has struggled, used that practice Thursday night in a Lehigh Valley Legion elimination game against Lower Macungie and came away with a 3-0 win to continue advancing in the double elimination tournament.

The Chargers used three sacrifice bunts to lead directly to an insurance run late in the game. Already holding a 2-0 lead, Coy Daubert walked to open the top of the sixth inning and Nolan Fitzgerald looked to bunt him over. The throw to first went into foul territory down the first base line and Daubert was able to come around and score what would be the game’s final run.

“In close games, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do and we played well, didn’t give them any extra outs, no walks, no extra base runners or anything and it was huge for us today,” said leadoff hitter Nick Buskirk, who finished with two hits and a run scored.

The offense was aided by five errors committed by Lower Macungie’s defense that led to two other unearned runs in the top of the third.

Buskirk hit a grounder to third that scooted between the legs of Drayce Schmidt and into left field. A fielder’s choice moved Buskirk to second, and Parker Schaffer then singled to right and another error allowed Buskirk to score the game’s first run. Schaffer went to second on the error, and then moved to third on a wild pitch before coming home on Cole Dynda’s ground ball to short that made it 2-0.

“I was just looking to stay loose and hit the fastball to get on base and then let the other guys do their job. I always count on these other guys to come through,” said Buskirk.

Braedon Dougherty also had two hits for Northern Valley, whose offense produced seven hits and struck out just four times.

In addition to small ball, Northern Valley’s pitching has kept them in games.

Aidan Freeman was able to keep his pitch count low as he maneuvered his way through the Mustangs lineup. Freeman completed the game with 94 pitches, and allowed just two hits and a walk to record the shutout that bounced Lower Macungie from the tournament. Freeman struck out nine batters in the outing.

“I wanted to just pound strikes and make them hit the ball to keep my pitch count as low as possible, and I was able to execute that plan,” said Freeman. “I was able to spot my two-seamer to the outside, and my curveball was pretty good at times for me as well.”

After going 6-5-1 in the regular season, things are starting to come together in the tournament for Northern Valley. The Chargers picked up an opening round win over Whitehall-Coplay, before losing a 2-1 walk-off game against South Parkland, who finished the regular season 12-2.

“Good things happen when you just put the ball in play,” said Fitzgerald. “Even though we lost to South Parkland, I think it helped our confidence a little to play them so tough. We’re really looking forward to getting another shot at them.”

The Chargers get that shot Friday night at Parkland High School when they will face the Trojans in an elimination game with the winner going on to face North Parkland, who is 2-0 in the tournament. The winner of Friday night’s game will have to beat the Buffaloes twice to take the tournament championship, which is scheduled for Monday — and Tuesday, if necessary — at Parkland High School.

ROAD WARRIORS … No matter what happens Friday night, Northern Valley will have had just one of its playoff games at home, which was the opening round win against Whitehall-Coplay. Should it reach Monday’s championship, three of its other four games would have been at Parkland High School. Its win over Lower Macungie was played at Church Lane Field in Trexlertown.

Northern Valley 002 001 0 - 3 7 1

Lower Macungie 000 000 0 - 0 2 5

Freeman and B. Buskirk; Horwath, Sparango (7) and Haas. W - Freeman. L - Horwath.