Good pitching. Timely hitting. Smart baserunning. Solid Defense.

Palmerton flashed all of those qualities in its 13-3 softball victory over Parkland on Thursday.

Good pitching. The game didn’t go too well early on for Bombers’ pitcher Hailey George, who worked out of a jam in the top of the first. Gabby Morrison led off for Parkland with a pop fly single to right field. Libby Pinham walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. George then induced a flyout and two strikeouts to leave the runners stranded.

After the Bombers plated four runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Trojans scored three in their half of the second without the benefit of a base hit. Gianna Hudick was hit by a pitch. Holly Chase and Allie Flynt worked out walks. With one out and the bases loaded, Hudick and Chase scored on wild pitches. Pinham scored on an error.

After the second inning, George allowed no more runs. For the game, she gave up three runs on just two hits. She walked four, but none after the second and struck out 13.

“Hailey made a slight adjustment after the second inning,” said Palmerton coach Robert Hock. “She slowed down her mechanics and did not rush anymore.”

Timely hitting. The Bombers scored four runs in the bottom of the first. With one out, Tessa Sander reached on an error and Kyla Trumbore singled to center. With two outs and two on, Samantha Wolfe reached on another infield error. Sander raced home on a wild pitch. Grace Schneider’s clutch single to right drove in a run, and the third infield error of the inning drove in the fourth to give Palmerton a 4-0 lead before Parkland scored three in the top of the second inning.

Smart baserunning. Bombers’ baserunners took advantage of plenty of wild pitches and stole four bases. Solid defense. Palmerton made only one error. The infield made all the plays and the outfield caught all the fly balls, some of which were long running catches.

The home team added a fifth run in the bottom of the third inning. With one gone, Schneider ripped a double to left center. She moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.

In the home half of the fourth inning, the Bombers increased their lead to 7-3. George was hit by a pitch. With one out, Sander singled to right. Trumbore doubled down the left field line for two RBIs.

“We work at having plate discipline,” said Hock, “and learning the strike zone, and especially with two strikes, they have to protect the corners.”

While Parkland failed to mount anything close to a threat for the rest of the game, Palmerton took its scoring to the mercy rule level with a six-run sixth inning. Hailey Barry opened the frame with a base hit up the middle. With one out, Trumbore, Wolfe, and Schneider all walked. Mackenzie Ferber then tripled to deep left to clear the loaded bases and bring the score to 11-3. Morgan Wayda singled to left to drive in Ferber. George walked, and Barry singled in the final run of the game.

“We played really well in all areas,” said Hock. “We still have some of the mental parts of the game to get better at, but right now our record can’t be any better so what else is there to say?

Besides Barry’s three RBI’s, hitting stars for the Bombers included Trumbore and Schneider, who each collected two hits.

FREEZEBALL ... The blustery winds with temps in the 40’s had pitchers struggling to grip the softball. Altogether there were nine walks, five wild pitches, and four batters were hit by pitches.

NUMBERS DON’T MATTER ... Palmerton’s victory was even more impressive than one might think. Parkland High School houses nearly 3,300 students while Palmerton’s enrollment is just over 500.

UP NEXT ... The Bombers travel to Stroudsburg on Saturday for an 11 a.m. game in a matchup of two unbeaten teams.

Parkland 030 000 - 3 2 4

Palmerton 401 206 - 13 7 1

Fritzinger, Dawson (5) and Brawn; George and Trumbore. W - George. L - Fritzinger.

Records: Parkland (2-4); Palmerton (6-0).