Editor's note: Wednesday's game with Pine Grove takes place after Catasauqua Press deadlines.

Catasauqua head baseball coach Steve Bradley admittedly didn't know much about Pine Grove when they the two teams met late Wednesday afternoon in an opening round District 11 Class 2A playoff game.

"We really didn't know much about them," said the third -year head coach. "We didn't have any common opponents and we tried to track down some info about them. But, sometimes, it might be better if you don't know too much.

"It may take an inning or two, but we can quickly figure out teams."

Ironically, both teams are mirror images of each other, as Catty entered the playoffs as the number four seed and Pine Grove as the fifth. They both have identical overall 12-8 records and both lost opening round games in their league playoffs. The winner has a date with top-seed Salisbury Friday night.

Pine Grove featured a handful of players who hit .320 or better and their top home run hitter had five blasts out of the park. Their pitching staff was highlighted by a five-game winner and also featured three other pitchers with two or more wins. The top-five pitchers on the staff had ERAs of 3.30 or lower.

Consequently, Catty - back in the districts for the first time in three seasons - was led offensively by Zac Edwards and Zach Stopay, who both hit .407 to pace the team. Randal Pacchioli - who burst onto the scene this season - hit a robust .360 and Carlos Perez hit a solid .340. Jacob Stopay, who made his share of plays in the box and on the field, hit .340.

Zach Stopay led the team with four doubles and Perez and Brandon Purrone each had three. Purrone topped the team in triples with three. Perez had a team-high two homers and Purrone had one, as the Roughies only hit three as a team all year.

On the mound, Zack Bradley had an overall 4-2 record with a 3.02 ERA and 54 strikeouts. Jeff Trexler had a 5-3 mark with a 5.03 ERA and 19 strikeouts, and Zach Stopay was 2-2 with a 4.20 ERA and 22 strikeouts.

"We came together as the season went along," said the younger Bradley. "We knew we could finish strong and we were looking forward to the postseason. We had some bumps along the way, but we worked our way through them."

Teammate Zach Labezius also saw plenty of positives from the season.

"We all cam together at the right time, and we have been working to the best of our abilities," he said. "Whether a pitcher throws 85 or 55, we have to be able to adjust out there. We showed throughout the year that we can be a very good team if we can put it all together on any given day."

Whether they won or lost in the opening round, Bradley saw a lot of positives from this season. The Roughies rebounded to gain a district invite after a late-season rally last year fell just short.

"We never quit and that was the key," said Bradley. "We stayed determined the whole way. We had some good stretches and some bad ones. It was a good year, but we would like to keep it going."