Northwestern’s baseball team truly found how it is always darkest before the dawn.

Their “dark” was a storm Wednesday that developed into a “dawn” victory Thursday.

The third-seeded Tigers (14-9) had a 5-1 deficit to sixth-seeded Wilson (9-12) temporarily halted in their home fifth only to be transformed into a 7-5 victory in a District 11 Class 4A quarterfinal playoff game.

The Tigers watched their fate and momentum change with two timely swings.

Devin Rex blasted a grand slam in the fifth that tied the game, and Ethan Konyak laced a game-winning, two-run single an inning later that kept the Tigers alive in their quest to defend their district title.

Heading into Thursday, Northwestern skipper Brian Polaha had a good feeling about his club in spite of the previous day’s events.

“The storm was a blessing,” reflected Polaha. “We suffered in all three phases of the game (Wednesday) with two hits, seven walks, and a couple of errors.

“It wasn’t reflective of what we could do.”

His team delivered a gut-wrenching, knockout punch, making the most of their six hits.

“Our guys are pretty business-like with their approach,” added Polaha. “We got to them early today and knocked around (Shaun) Danielson, their top guy. Rex had the big hit for us. He got all of it, whacking a line drive over the fence.

“We had two big swings and came up with six runs. You can see that it took a lot out of them.”

Wilson broke a 1-1 tie with a four-run fourth before the Warriors were limited to one hit the rest of the way by Cannon Fitch, who pitched the final two innings.

Rex saw his hit not only as a milestone, but also a game-changer.

“I feel like this was definitely the biggest hit so far in my career,” stressed Rex. “As soon as I tied it, the momentum completely swung our way. Our guys were hyped, and we started playing better baseball.”

Rex knew his team was more immersed in their task ahead Thursday.

“We were really focused today compared to yesterday,” added Rex. “We knew we had to really battle back hard to get this win.

“I feel like we are going to get back on how we can play offensively.”

Konyak shared his teammate’s feelings, and kept his hit in its proper perspective.

“Devin’s hit was massive, and it really gave us the momentum,” said Konyak, who had three hits. “On my single, I was just trying to stay simple and put a good swing on the ball.”

Despite their early setback, Konyak and his teammates never lost their confidence.

“We had a good feeling coming in because everyone stayed positive and locked in,” said Konyak. “(Wednesday) didn’t go the way we wanted. Coming out today and responding like we did showed a lot about our team.”

Polaha noted how the victory can be a springboard, especially since the Tigers scored four runs in their previous three games, the latter being a 2-0 loss to Lehighton in a Colonial League semifinal. They also produced five runs in their last five losses.

Polaha is confident his club can get back on track toward another district title.

“We have been struggling to score runs, and we kept the train moving today,” said Polaha. “This was a new day from yesterday, and we came in with a new psyche.

“If we get our bats going, we can be a dangerous team. We believe we can be there in the end.”

TIGER PAWS ... The Tigers will meet second-seeded North Schuylkill (13-6) Sunday in the semifinals at a site to be determined. Konyak scored their first run on an error. Polaha credited Fitch for his two-inning stint after Jesse Neupauer and Griffin Unrath both struggled through a combined five innings. Fitch stole two bases and Konyak, Evan Fatzinger, and Jake Carson each swiped one. Northwestern shut out Saucon Valley 2-0 in last year’s semifinal round before it beat Tamaqua, 11-6, in the championship game. The Tigers then lost to Pope John Paul II, 15-3, in an opening round state game.

Wilson 100 400 0 - 5 5 0

Northwestern 001 042 x - 7 6 2

Deemer, Danielson (5), Fredericks (6) and Meck; Neupauer, Unrath (4), Fitch (6) and Fatzinger. W - Fitch. L - Fredericks. HR - Rex (5th, three on).

Records: Wilson (9-12) Northwestern (14-9).