OREFIELD — Lehighton head baseball coach J.C. Dietz said before Thursday’s game that he was going to leave with a smile on his face no matter the result.

Even in defeat, he kept his word.

The Indians returned to Parkland High School three days after their seminal victory over Northwestern for the Colonial League championship.

The final obstacle in their way was reigning champion Southern Lehigh, a team widely regarded as the golden standard in the league.

The eighth-seeded Tribe gave it their best, but the Spartans, seeded second, proved to be too much and captured their second consecutive Colonial League title with a 7-0 victory.

“There’s no shame when the team you play is just better than you,” Dietz said. “We had to play the perfect game. When it was 3-0, we were there, but we struggle with hitting, and it was our issue once again today.

“You’re not going to win a game when you don’t score any runs. Credit to Southern Lehigh, and hopefully our kids take something from this.”

Lehighton appeared to be on the cusp of taking an early lead in the second with a runner on third. However, with Aiden Solt at the plate, Solehi’s Adam Fritts made an athletic play at first base to find pitcher Chase Woodring covering for a close play to get out of the inning.

The Spartans responded in the bottom half with a three-run outburst that overwhelmed the Indians’ defense for a 3-0 lead. Three singles, three stolen bases, two bunts, an error, and a sacrifice fly showcased the fundamentally-sound style of baseball Solehi is known to possess.

“We’re a small-ball kind of team, but we can swing it pretty well one through nine,” said Spartan head coach Todd Miller. “They all know their roles, and it’s just a collective effort. That’s what makes these guys special.”

Cole Dietz recovered on the mound for the Indians with back-to-back scoreless frames. Unfortunately, he didn’t receive any offensive help as Woodring and the Southern Lehigh defense were too much of an obstacle to overcome.

Woodring only needed 74 pitches to get through a full seven frames, allowing no walks and just two infield hits — both by Jayse Lawrence — while striking out seven.

After tacking on another run in the fifth, the Spartans strung together four hits for another three-run rally in the sixth, essentially putting a dagger in Lehighton’s chance.

While not as lopsided as the 15-0 score the first time Solehi defeated the Tribe this season, nine members of the Spartans finished with hits in the championship, including a 3-for-4 outing from Jeremy Yeakel-Mendez.

Coach Miller gave credit to Lehighton for being there, but ultimately knew that his ballclub needed to treat them like any other team.

“You see a lot of teams that you beat up earlier in the year, and (now) they’re different; that’s why they’re in the playoffs,” he said. “On our practice plan every day, there’s a quote. All my quotes focus around ‘We do our job; we don’t worry about what their job is, and we’re going to impose our will on you and see how you go.’”

The Indians now move to the district playoffs, having made more strides this season than anyone anticipated with the number of starting sophomores the team has used.

Coach Dietz sees this game as an opportunity to be grateful for being there, as well as motivation to strive for another level of success.

“Before the game started, I told my kids ‘Whether I put the gold or silver medal around your neck, smile and be happy for what we have accomplished with this tremendous run that we went on in a season that’s not even over yet,’” he said.

“The experience these kids get in an atmosphere like this against a team like that playing as tenth graders is only going to help you in the future. I told them to remember how this feels because some coaches and players play their whole life without making a championship; that’s the reality of the situation here. I want them to know what this feels like and take extra reps and put some extra work in the offseason.”

ANOTHER CHAPTER ... Lehighton will make the short trip to Jim Thorpe as the two rivals go head-to-head in the District 11 Class 4A quarterfinals. The winner gets Saucon Valley in the semifinals. Despite the Olympians finishing higher in the district standings and winning their final game of the season against their biggest rival, the Indians managed to qualify for the Colonial League playoffs via a tie-breaker, giving the Tribe the opportunity to reach the league final.

Lehighton 000 000 0 - 0 2 1

Southern Lehigh 030 013 x - 7 13 0

Dietz and Goida; Woodring and Pryzuski. W - Woodring. L - Dietz.

Records: Lehighton (11-12); Southern Lehigh (18-5).