RECAP >> The struggles Emmaus has had in defeating their arch-rival on the other end of Cedar Crest Boulevard – Parkland – in the sport of softball have been well-documented over the years.
Only once since the 2015 season – a span of 16 games – have the Hornets found themselves on the winning end against the Trojans, that victory coming three years ago when Emmaus went on the road and won 3-1.
Despite dropping 15 of the last 16 meetings, including all three meetings last year all by shutout – none of that seemed to matter the 2022 version of Emmaus softball.
This is a different year and a different team and they are making their own memories this season for a program looking to contend for a championship.
Mason Roselli made one of her own memories on a picture-perfect day for softball Wednesday afternoon at Parkland High School in the first of two meetings between the schools.
The junior catcher drove in the only run Emmaus would need as her RBI single in the top of the eighth inning was more than enough run support for junior pitcher Danika Barthol who threw a gem in the circle as the Hornets picked up their biggest win to date with a 2-0 victory over the Trojans.
The win was an important one for Emmaus, which bounced back after suffering its first league loss to Northampton last Friday, 2-0.
The Hornets are now 6-1 in the EPC and 7-2 overall, staying within in reach of both Northampton and Bethlehem Catholic who are still unbeaten.
Roselli, who hits out of the No.3 spot in the lineup, delivered a one-out, 1-2 pitch from Parkland pitcher Ashlyn Hillanbrand into right centerfield scoring junior Daria Krout from second base with the winning run and Emmaus would add a big insurance run taking advantage of a Trojans throwing error.
“I was confident and I knew what had to be done in that situation,” said Roselli who had two of of her team’s three hits in the game. “In my last at-bat against her (Hillanbrand) I didn’t get it done but this time I did.
“She was throwing outside the entire time so I knew what was going to be coming and it had to be the right pitch for me. I was looking low and I just got a good swing on it.”
First year head coach Rich Giering was looking for someone to come up with the key hit and it was Roselli who delivered.
“When you face the better teams in the league the pitching is good and we just need to learn to make little adjustments,” said Giering. “I told the girls ‘hang in there’ and then we started to have some really good swings around the fourth inning on I said ‘somebody get a hit’ and Mason did.
“I joked with her the other day when she swung at a pitch that was way over her head and I said ‘do I need to buy stepladder so you can hit those.’ We were working with her yesterday on level swings and you could see she was a lot better today.”
The run support was more than enough for Barthol who picked up the win, scattering five hits and striking out 10 in the 100+ pitching performance.
“That’s actually not bad for her,” said Giering of Barthol’s 119 pitch effort. “I think the Northampton game she was at 128. She keeps us in games. We just needed to put up a couple of runs for her.”
And Emmaus did just that and in the process, earned themselves a big win.
Defensively, junior center fielder Shayla Morgan came up with the play of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as she threw out Parkland’s leadoff hitter Jenna Piatkiewicz who was trying to score from second base on Cassidy Sweeney’s single. Morgan’s throw was on target to Roselli who tagged out Piatkiewicz at the plate to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
Sweeney led the Parkland offense with two hits. The Trojans committed two costly errors in the game — both coming in the top of the eighth inning when Emmaus scored both of their runs.
The Hornets will return to action on Thursday when they host Pocono Mountain East at Kiwanis Field. Note the new start time of 1 p.m.
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Emmaus 2, Parkland 0 (8 innings)
Em – 000 000 02 – 2-3-0
Pa – 000 000 00 – 0-5-2
Danika Barthol and Mason Roselli; Ashlyn Hillanbrand and Morgan Schultz