SALISBURY TOWNSHIP — Through about the first quarter of the Lehigh Valley Connie Mack baseball season, the thoughts of Jim Thorpe qualifying for the league and state playoffs didn’t look bright.

But Monday’s win against Salisbury was a big step for Jim Thorpe toward earning a postseason spot.

Jim Thorpe got its 10th win in the last 11 games with a dominant 10-2 outing against the Falcons at Salisbury High School on Monday evening. Both teams entered with identical 10-5 records and were battling a host of other teams for the final league playoff berths.

“This was a game we identified that we really wanted to win based on the fact that we were tied in the standings,” head coach Pat Joyce said. “At the end of the year, if you’re tied, head-to-head matchup is the tiebreaker. When it comes to state playoffs, rankings and league playoffs, this is one we definitely wanted.”

Thorpe’s only loss since starting the season 1-4 was Sunday’s defeat to Balliet Vikes of Central Catholic. Jim Thorpe had won nine straight after that slow start to the summer.

The biggest reason for the change? According to Joyce, he began seeing his players swing the bats how they are capable of.

“I think our bats really woke up,” Joyce said. “Our pitching has been solid all year, and our defense has been solid all year. Some of the early losses we had, we didn’t hit as much as we could. Something clicked. I’m not sure what happened, but I like it. Hitting is contagious.”

It was certainly infectious against the Falcons. After bringing home two runs in the top of the first inning on two Salisbury errors, Jim Thorpe stepped on the gas pedal in the fourth inning. It batted around the lineup and scored seven more in the top of the frame to lead 10-0.

Colin Binder and Mike Dougherty led off with a pair of singles in the fourth, and two batters later, Evan Dart reached on another Falcon error to score Binder. Spencer Hunsicker would then walk to load the bases, opening the way for two more runs to cross home when Drew Frank’s grounder went between the Salisbury third baseman’s glove.

Ian Hubbard would put the stamp on the seven-running onslaught with a three-run triple to deep center field.

“We really try to focus on getting early runs and getting an early lead,” Joyce said. “We think that really helps. In any game when you can jump on a team early and put them in a hole right off the bat, you’re at an advantage. We were able to do that today with two in the first.”

Frank, who allowed just six Falcon hits on the mound, felt particularly poised and confident after Jim Thorpe put up 10 quick runs.

“It gives me so much more confidence,” Frank said. “It just makes me think that I can go out there, and even if I give up a few hits, we are still going to have the lead.”

“He threw a very good game today,” Joyce said. “I was really happy. He threw a lot of strikes. There was a walk or two, but overall he threw strikes and mixes pitches well.”

UP NEXT ... Jim Thorpe is currently set to take on Nazareth Friday, but that game may be moved to a new date. Its regular season finale is scheduled at home against Bangor.

NOT A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS ... Salisbury had the same amount of errors (six) as hits in the game. Three of those errors came in Jim Thorpe’s seven-run fourth inning, and another error kept the third inning alive and later led to a Dart RBI single after two quick outs.

ON THE OTHER HAND ... Compared to Jim Thorpe turning it around after some early-season woes, Salisbury has struggled as of late. The Falcons are 2-5 in their last seven games after an 8-1 start.

Jim Thorpe 201 700 0 - 10 11 1

Salisbury 000 100 1 - 2 6 6

Frank, Dougherty (7) and Hubbard; Weiss, Bauer (3) and Younes. W - Frank. L - Weiss.