The seniors on Northwestern Lehigh’s roster have been through the Colonial League playoffs every season of their varsity careers, so they know the routine.

Salisbury, meanwhile, does not have a senior on its roster, and the Falcons had not reached the league playoffs since 2018, making the experience a new one for much of the team.

It was the top-seeded Tigers who held off the Falcons 3-2 in a Colonial League quarterfinal matchup Friday.

Any early nerves quickly gave way to strong pitching on both sides. Northwestern’s Lizzie Diehl retired Salisbury in order in the first inning, while Salisbury’s Jenna Swoyer matched her by setting down the Tigers’ first three hitters.

The game’s first baserunner came in the top of the second inning when Julie Carney led off with a single to right field for the eighth-seeded Falcons. Salisbury added another runner on a walk but was unable to capitalize.

Northwestern broke through in the bottom of the inning. Abby Dunstan was hit by a pitch on the ankle for the Tigers’ first baserunner, then quickly stole second base. One out later, Sam Boyer launched a fly ball to center field that carried over the fence for a two-run homer and a 2-0 Northwestern lead.

“We were excited to get the postseason started and get out here to play,” Boyer said. “We came in with a good attitude, and we definitely didn’t underestimate them because they’ve had a great season.”

Both pitchers continued to settle in before Northwestern, the tournament’s top seed, threatened again in the fourth inning. Singles by Lilly Kinnon and Diehl were followed by a fielder’s choice that moved runners to second and third. Ella Bressi then hit a hard line drive back to Swoyer that popped out of the pitcher’s glove, allowing Kinnon to score and extend the Tigers’ lead to 3-0. Swoyer responded by inducing a fly out to center field to end the inning.

“We knew we had to stay competitive and not sleep on them or anything,” Kinnon said. “To get those hits and score the run was really important to me so I could help my team and help put us ahead.”

Salisbury broke through in the top of the sixth inning and pulled within a run. Sophia Gunning worked a walk after laying off a full-count pitch just off the plate, and Gianna Olds followed with a single to right field. Bressi attempted to throw out Gunning at third base, but the throw skipped away after hitting the sliding runner. Olds advanced to second on the throw and both runners moved up another base when the ball went out of play, trimming Northwestern’s lead to 3-1.

Diehl wasn’t fazed, striking out the next two hitters and appearing ready to escape the inning without further damage. But Swoyer helped her own cause by drilling a double to center field that scored another run and cut Northwestern’s lead to 3-2. Diehl then recorded the final out to preserve the one-run advantage.

“Lizzie was sort of second to Emma Freeman when I got here, and we stuck with that,” Northwestern coach Kate Farber said. “This year, though, we had Lizzie pitching more often, and she really responded.

“She does a great job at second base, and we can also put Emma there, too. They have both handled it really well, and I think it gives us another look for teams to worry about.”

Northwestern’s offense is known for being relentless and often responds quickly in situations like that. This time, however, Swoyer retired the Tigers in order in the bottom of the sixth, recording two strikeouts and a fly out.

Diehl was determined to finish off the win. She opened the seventh inning with an infield pop-up before striking out the next two batters to finish with 11 strikeouts on the night.

The strikeouts pushed Diehl past the 100-career strikeout mark, an impressive accomplishment considering Freeman has been Northwestern’s primary pitcher and logged most of the innings over the past three seasons. This year, Diehl has taken on a larger role in the pitching rotation than at any point earlier in her varsity career.

“Emma’s been our main pitcher, so it wasn’t necessarily a milestone I thought I would reach. She is amazing, so it’s exciting that I could get this in my senior year,” Diehl said of reaching 100 strikeouts. “This was definitely a good day.”

KEEPING THE SIGN MAKERS BUSY ... Northwestern has had plenty to celebrate over the past month. Along with clinching spots in both the Colonial League and District 11 playoffs, Abby Dunstan became the program’s all-time hits leader, coach Kate Farber earned her 100th career victory, and now Diehl has reached the 100-strikeout milestone. After the game, the Tigers’ middle school team also surprised the varsity players by decorating the dugout with congratulatory banners.

THE NEXT RUNG ON THE LADDER … Northwestern will face Southern Lehigh in a Colonial League semifinal Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Patriots Park. The opener will feature Notre Dame-Green Pond against Palmerton at 4:30 p.m. The winners will meet Thursday for the Colonial League title.

Salisbury 000 002 0 - 2 4 1

Northwestern 020 100 x - 3 7 1

Swoyer and Neitz; L. Diehl and Dunstan. W - Diehl. L - Swoyer.

Records: Salisbury (11-10); Northwestern (18-3).