LIMEPORT – Northern Valley was reminded Thursday night that the game shouldn’t always be taken for granted.

The sixth-seeded Chargers were set to wrap up an impressive, clean-played, opening-round Pennsylvania State Connie Mack playoff victory over fifth-seeded Harleysville like a bow around a Christmas in July package.

Starting pitcher Shaun O’Donnell weaved his way through six innings and had just enough bats and some solid plays in the field behind him.

Then came the bottom of the seventh ... and the Chargers’ apparent neatly tied victory became undone.

Harleysville rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh - the winning run scoring on a wild pitch - and stunned Northern Valley, 3-2, in the opening game of the 12-team double-elimination tournament at Limeport Stadium.

O’Donnell was removed in the bottom of the sixth after hitting 100-pitch mark - the maximum number allowed by Connie Mack rules.

Harleysville began the final stanza with three consecutive singles off reliever Bobby Croneberger, who was then replaced by Wesley George. The Harleysville cause was helped by a fielding error and a pair of wild pitches.

“O’Donnell pitched his heart out and left it all out there,” said Chargers’ head coach Erich Klein. “He unfortunately couldn’t go anymore because of the pitch limit. He threw as well as he could for six innings. The next guy came in and they had his number right away. It’s a tough situation to come into a close game.

“Our guys put the ball on the bat early, but we couldn’t score enough runs to put it away.”

Northern Lehigh jumped on Harleysville starter Jack Wright for a run in the first when George roped a double to right. Zach Russo reached on an error, and George scored on Josh Lichman’s single to right.

Russo began a brief rally that led to an insurance run in the third when he reached first on a third strike when Harleysville catcher Aidan Sweeney couldn’t find the ball. He moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored when Lichman followed with his second hit, as he smacked a single to center.

O’Donnell worked his way out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the second, and he later stymied a two-out, two-on situation in the fifth.

The lefthander struck out five, walked three, hit a batter, and allowed four hits over his six innings.

“I like to throw my fastball in the zone,” he said. “I’m a contact pitcher and I like them to hit the ball. I’m not really looking for K’s (strikeouts). I was just pounding the zone.

“I kept them at zero runs, and I was proud of that.”

O’Donnell admittedly was dejected, but he believed his team could put the defeat behind them.

“I’m not frustrated because this is a team sport,” he said. “We’re a solid team and we always come to play. Something like this can happen.”

WHO’S IN ... The 12-team tournament features six teams from the Lehigh Valley League and six teams from the Bux-Mont League.

WHAT’S NEXT? ... Northern Valley will meet the loser of Saturday’s Montgomery-Plymouth-Whitemarsh matchup Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. Montgomery defeated Allentown Central Catholic, 7-5, and Plymouth-Whitemarsh - the top seed from Bux-Mont - received an opening round bye.

10K ... Northern Valley batters struck out 10 times and left seven men on base. They left two men on base in the first, second, and fourth innings.

FIELDING GEMS ... Left fielder A.J. Diehl made a back-peddling, diving catch of a deep fly, while shortstop Wesley George fielded a ball deep in the hole to throw out a runner - those plays produced the final two outs of the third. Catcher Zach Russo threw out a baserunner on a perfect strike to second base in the fourth inning.

Northern Valley 101 000 0 - 2 6 2

Harleysville 000 000 3 - 3 7 2

O’Donnell, Croneberger (7), George (7) and Russo; Wright, Nace (7) and Sweeney. W- Nace. L - Croneberger.