When Kay Solderitch opened the game with a double and later scored on a bloop single by Abigail Nguyen to take a 1-0 lead against Emmaus in the opening round of the district playoffs, it seemed fortune may have been smiling on them.

They were able to squeeze one across against Olivia Marcks who was pretty stingy when it came to allowing runs as evidenced by her 1.87 ERA. That seemed to be a harbinger of things to come.

But when the Green Hornets responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning, that smile started to fade. And when Emmaus rallied for two more runs in the bottom of the second, that smile was ready to pack its bag and ride off into the sunset. That 4-1 deficit loomed large.

But something else was brewing on the diamond at Patriots Park.

Whitehall has been in tough spots all year, and the fact they were down three runs didn't faze them. They had their backs against the wall the final week, needing to win their final two games just to qualify for the playoffs.

What were three runs?

For head coach Alexis Berg-Townsend, it was all about remembering that upsets are not uncommon as she searched for motivation before the game. She began to post messages about underdogs on their Twitter page.

"This team really takes hold when there's something to fight for, when there's something they can grasp," said Berg-Townsend. "That underdog, that Cinderella mentality, is what they really took to heart."

She said they weren't going to lie down and get trampled. Instead, they put together a big inning in the fourth that gave their underdog role some bite.

Julia Solderitch started things off with a single. That was followed by a sharp single off the bat of Rachel Spanitz. That brought Regan Bortz to the plate. The catcher promptly cleared the bases with a double to deep center that grazed the fence. The deficit was cut to 4-3.

After a third-strike wild pitch to Allison Beltz, courtesy runner Lauren Peters took third. She eventually scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kay Solderitch, tying the game. The go-ahead run crossed when Cara Bonshak was safe on an error. The Zephs had come all the way back and fortune once again was peeking through the clouds.

The game was now in the hands of Kay Solderitch who settled down and pitched five scoreless innings to get the win. She had to work out of a few jams, notably in the sixth when Emmaus got their first two batters on base, but was able to induce a lazy pop-up, and then strike out Miryah Palko and Marcks to extinguish the threat.

While the start may have been rocky, Solderitch knew she had to believe in herself and stick with it.

"I was struggling, but I got through, and I knew I just had to throw it," said Solderitch who finished with nine strikeouts. "So it was just keep throwing and battle through.

"I know I have my defense behind me and a great catcher, and I can trust them with anything."

The Zephs played good defense behind Solderitch, highlighted by an inning-ending catch by center fielder Jillian Rex. That running catch was an important moment in the game as the Green Hornets were threatening again in the third inning, and could have opened the game up with a two-out hit.

Their big inning also helped the freshman relax. She said they just kept their heads up and once they got their bats popping, she was confident it would keep going. Solderitch also helped herself at the plate, going 2-4 with an RBI and run scored.

Berg-Townsend said that her early troubles resulted from aiming the ball. But once she rectified that issue, she was able to settle in and pitch a good game.

The Zephs get ready to play Colonial League champs Bangor on Thursday. It will be the first time in three years they've advanced to the quarterfinals.

"They have a pitcher who can keep them in the game, and they also have some good hitters," said Berg-Townsend. "Kay's going to have to bring her A game again for us to move forward."