It’s been a long 24 years since the Emmaus softball team was won a league championship.
That drought will continue for at least one more year.
Facing the two-time defending EPC champs Nazareth on Monday night in the semifinals at Pates Park, the Hornets were hoping to come away with a result similar to the one from nearly two months ago when Emmaus held on for a 7-6 win at Williams Street Field.
The Blue Eagles, however, had other ideas.
With revenge on their mind and a third straight league title in their sight, fifth-seeded Nazareth brought out the big bats late in the game as they defeated the top-seeded Hornets 10-3.
Emmaus (18-4 overall) had a 2-1 lead after four innings, but the Blue Eagles scored nine runs over the final three innings to pull away and earn a date in Thursday’s title game back at Pates at 7 p.m. against Freedom, which knocked off rival Liberty for the third time this season, 1-0.
The Hornets, who entered the game riding a six-game win streak, actually outhit Nazareth in the game (10-9), however the two big hits late in the game by the Blue Eagles proved to be the difference as both senior catcher Shauna McNamee and classmate center fielder Natalie Chloros both clubbed three-run home runs.
Both McNamee and Chloros, Nazareth’s No. 3 and No. 4 hitters in the lineup, went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Blue Eagles hitting attack.
In the circle, junior Kylie Grover picked up the win in the complete game effort, scattering nine hits while striking out six and walking just one.
Emmaus sophomore pitcher Mari Eiswerth, who was coming off a one-hit, 14 strike out performance in the team’s 6-1 quarterfinal round over Pleasant Valley, pitched well through four innings limiting the potent Nazareth lineup to just one run before the Blue Eagles bats exploded. The hard-throwing right hander suffered just her fourth loss of the season giving up 10 runs – six earned – on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings before giving way to senior Amanda King in the seventh.
Offensively, the Hornets were led by their No. 6 and No. 7 hitters, senior right fielder Sophia Tranguch and sophomore catcher Morgan Schwab who both had three hits.
Up next for Emmaus will be the District XI 6A Tournament, which gets underway on May 19. The Hornets will likely be the No. 2 seed and receive a first round bye. A total of 10 teams have qualified. Liberty is the defending champ.
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Nazareth 10, Emmaus 3
Naz – 000 130 6 10-9-1
Em – 000 201 0 – 3-10-5
Naz – Kylie Grover and Shauna McNamee; Em – Mari Eiswerth, Amanda King (7) and Morgan Schwab. LP – Eiswerth. HR – Naz: McNamee (5th, 2 on), Chloros (7th, 2 on)