The long drought is over.

Catasauqua High School has been crowned Colonial League Champions for the first time since 1981.

"It's an awesome feeling to say we're the champs," said Janae Matos.

Catty knocked off Pen Argyl 6-0 last Thursday at Patriots Park in Allentown to bring home the gold after a 32-year wait.

Sophomore chucker Alexis Ayache spun a four-hitter at Pen Argyl in the 7 p.m. night cap to claim the title.

The Rough Riders sneak-attacked the Green Knights for three runs in the top of the first. In shades of Rickey Henderson, Hannah Edwards, Catty's freshman flash, was outstanding bunting and stealing bases. The ninth grader put down three bunt singles, swiped two bases and scored twice in the win.

In the sixth inning Green Knight catcher Marissa Kresch just nailed her on a close play at second base. Catty head coach Bobby Thomas said that was the first time Hannah was thrown out all season.

Edwards started the game off with a beautifully placed bunt right in front of home plate. On the first pitch to senior Erika Lebron, Edwards was off and running and easily took second base. Lebron pushed Edwards to third.

Knight pitcher Emily Smull, the birthday girl, wasn't getting calls on her normally effective riser. Smull likes to live outside, but she walked Catty Colonial League All-Star center fielder Paige Kogelman. Kogelman promptly stole second base and Matos smoked a ball past Pen Argyl first baseman Samm Firestone. Matos then stole second easily as Smull still couldn't find her control and walked senior third baseman Jordan Dardas. Designated player Shea O'Brien blooped a hit just inside the white chalk line.

Pen Argyl coach Bill Schankel said "Emily wasn't hitting her spots."

Smull's counterpart, Ayache, is now 13-1 on the year and got the Knights to strikeout three times and pop up weakly to Olivia Schlofer at first, Lebron at second base, Danielle Lilly at short and Dardas at third. The riser fooled a lot of Green Knights batters.

Firestone, Brittany Ruch and Samantha Warren put hits together and then Rachel Warren grounded out to first to end a threat.

In the fourth frame, Schlofer singled and scampered to second as the ball skidded. Edwards got another bunt single and Lebron took advantage of the Pen Argyl's defensive positioning and 'hit them where they weren't' for a two-run single. Fellow senior Kogelman went rip city in the seventh with a titanic triple to right center. Matos sacrificed Kogelman home.

Thomas inspired Catty with a message just before the first pitch: "If you win you will have a banner. We don't have that now, but ten years from now, if you win, you'll be able to say it and look at it."

"It was awesome to come in here as a sophomore and have this great team behind me," Ayache said.

"We have given away some games this year. We're hard to beat if we play error free ball and hit like we did tonight," Thomas said.