After her team's first loss in six games yesterday, Tamaqua coach Jillian Barron said her players are "still learning" when it comes to playing Pottsville.

For most of the game, her Lady Raiders played the Crimson Tide as if her comment would be unnecessary.The two Schuylkill League powers were locked in a scoreless battle before a three run homer resulted in a 3-0 win for Pottsville to put them in an early season first place lead over Tamaqua in Division One of the league.Both team's pitchers were on their "A" game from the start. The Raiders' Bailey Pedersen allowed only an infield single and one walk through the first five innings while her counterpart, Sara Tobin gave up just two hits, facing two batters over the minimum over the same number of innings.Pottsville threatened in the third when a throwing error sent a runner into scoring position. Michaela Garland then ripped a line hard fly ball to right field where Tamaqua's Bailey Hartung made a nice running catch to end the inning.In the home fourth, Carly Sassaman singled to center and courtesy runner, Merranda Zettner promptly stole second, but Cailyn Joseph flied to right to end the inning."Sara Tobin is our trooper, our go to person and she has been for the last two years," said Crimson Tide coach, Chuck Rinaldo. "She really focused today and hit her spots all game long." Tobin would finish her shut out with two hits allowed, five strikeouts and no walks. She retired nine of the last ten Raider batters and the only one reaching base was on an error.Tamaqua nearly escaped the top of the sixth without a Pottsville run scored. With one out, Michaela Garland was again robbed by Hartung, this time on a diving catch just off the outfield grass. With two outs, however, Elise Horvath doubled over the left fielder's head. After an infield hit by Katie Deegan, Rachel Setlock belted a one -two pitch over the centerfield wall break up the scoreless duel."We work on two strike counts and expanding the strike zone by two inches," said Rinaldo. "Rachael was protecting the plate and she got a good pitch to hit."The Raiders did get a runner to second in the sixth on an error and a ground out, but Taylor Fritz's line drive down the left field line was foul by inches, before Tobin recorded her as the last out of the inning."We were certainly focused, but there was a lesson to be learned today," said Barron. "For some reason our girls get a bit tight whenever we play Pottsville. It showed In the middle innings when we failed to get out their runners who were trying to advance. We practice these situations a lot, but they have to carry over to the games."The defense may have played well enough, but the Raiders could not muster any serious rallies and never got a runner to third base.The two hits managed by Tamaqua were an infield hit by Pederson in the third and the bloop single to center in the fourth by Sassaman."Our bats didn't show up today," said Barron. "Take nothing away from Tobin, but I think our lack of offense had something to do with psyching ourselves out when we play them."When asked where her team goes from here, Barron answered quickly."We go up," she said. "And that happens when we return to playing Tamaqua softball."The Raiders will travel to play Pottsville in a rematch on May 4th.Pottsville 000 003 0 - 3 4 1Tamaqua 000 000 0 - 0 2 2Tobin and Dusel; Pedersen and Sassaman. W - Tobin. L - Pedersen. HR - Setlock (P).