http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/
FROM KEITH GROLLER
Bethlehem Catholic softball coach Rich Mazza had someone he wanted to thank after his team won the District 11 3A title Thursday night at Patriots Park. And it wasn't someone you'd expect.
"I want to thank [Emmaus coach] John Eyer for the comments he made," Mazza said. "It really put a fire under our kids and motivated us to push just a little harder."
Mazza was talking about Eyer's comments after his Green Hornets lost to Becahi in the Lehigh Valley Conference title game.
Eyer said that he still thought Northampton was the best team in the league.
Becahi didn't get to play Northampton in the LVC tournament because Emmaus beat Northampton in the semis. And, of course, the K-Kids and Golden Hawks are in different classifications in districts.
But clearly Becahi was the best team in the 3A field and rolled to its seventh district title since 1999 and third at the 3A level since 2009.
The Golden Hawks (21-2) will play District 3's No. 3 team (either Manheim Township or Donegal) at 5 p.m. Monday back at Pates.
Becahi collected 13 hits off Palmerton freshman Kendra Pekurny, but didn't break the game open until it scored four times in the fourth.
Courtney DuPont and Jean Markovic knocked in runs in the first and second innings, and then Markovic's triple ignited the fourth-run fourth. Lauren Visconti singled in a run, Emily Brandstetter doubled in a run and Jackie DeSarro's two-run single made it 6-0. Visconti added another RBI single in the three-run fifth.
Markovic had three hits, while winning pitcher Joelle Morey and Visconti had two apiece.
"It's an amazing feeling and I'm so proud of my team for doing this," DeSarro said. "There's no better feeling than winning districts. From here, you take it one game at a time. I'm very confident in my team. I think we can do it."
DeSarro also said that Eyer's comments fired up the team.
"That was more than motivation," she said. "That really got us determined to push forward and show everybody what we can do."
Mazza believes his team, which only suffered regular-season losses to Northampton (1-0) and Freedom (4-2), is peaking at the right time.
"We swung the bats very well tonight," Mazza said. "We hit like this early in the year and then we tapered off a little bit, but now we're coming back. The kids keep working hard. They've overcome a little bit of adversity and have hung together, especially the six seniors who lead us."
Palmerton, denied in its bid for its first district title since 1989, graduates just two seniors.
The Blue Bombers finished 17-6 and coach Glenn Reimer is looking forward to the future.
"I'm very proud of the girls," he said. "We have freshmen and sophomores and Becahi is pretty much senior-laden. Here's how I define our season. Freedom and Parkland called us for scrimmages. That never would have happened five years ago. That shows how far we've come and where we're going."
Palmerton 000 000 0 -- 0 4 2
Becahi 110 430 x -- 9 13 0
Pekurny and Campbell; Morey and Markovic.
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