After Northwestern's season-ending loss to Palmerton Saturday, head coach Jen Horner expressed the different

A loss is never the way a team wants to end the season. However, all but a few must end that way. Only a few teams can make the postseason and end with a win in a state championship. All of the others are eliminated somewhere along the way.

While Northwestern's season-ending loss to Palmerton wasn't anything the team was happy about, the game also served as a sign that the program is still in good shape.

The Tigers came up with a big win in their season finale just to reach the district tournament. Then they had to wait two weeks until their district tournament game.

Northwestern battled Palmerton through seven innings, taking a lead in the fifth before the Bombers ended the Tigers season with three runs in their final two turns at bat.

While the game marked the end of high school careers for Northwestern's four seniors (Erynn Day, Morgan Cleary, Kylee Bennett and Cailie Rehrig), it also helped a lot of young players gain some playoff experience.

"We have a really young nucleus," said Northwestern head coach Jen Horner. "We have a lot to look forward to next year. We have some young players that will replace the seniors that are really good and, I think, are going to strengthen our line up."

At the same time, Horner will miss the foursome of key players that have put so much into the program over the past four years. Those four seniors helped bring along the young players and while they might not be on the field the next two years, they helped lay a solid foundation for future success.

"I'll miss their leadership big time," said Horner. "They're good role models. The team got along because of the way they treated each other and the way the seniors represented the team."

That group played its last game on Saturday in Palmerton. It was the quarterfinal round of the District 11 tournament with the winners earning the right to face top-seeded Bethlehem Catholic in the semifinals.

It was a pitchers' duel for four innings before the Tigers broke a 0-0 tie with a run on a suicide squeeze play. That seemed to wake up Palmerton's bats.

The Blue Bombers asnwered with a two-run fifth inning. The added another in the sixth to earn a 3-1 win.

"I think they knew their season was on the line," said Palmerton head coach Bob Hock. "They weren't ready to have the season end so they picked it up a level or two and off they went."

Facing their first deficit of the game, Palmerton's batters wasted no time getting runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth inning. Megan Peck drew a lead-off walk and was bunted to second by Lauren Campbell. Kendra Pekkurny singled to left field and stole second base, putting runners at the corners with one out.

Steph Brinker singled to left field to drive in one run. Janel Tracy singled up the middle to bring across the game-winning run before Northwestern's Lydia Danner was able to pitch out of the inning.

The No. 4 seed Bombers (13-8) got five of their nine hits in the last two innings, after Northwestern put a run on the board.

The No. 3 seed Tigers (11-12) got their run on a courageous call by Horner.

With two outs and runners on second and third base, Horner called a suicide squeeze.

Cleary laid down a nearly perfect bunt and teammate Lydia Danner got around the tag of Palmerton catcher Campbell to take a 1-0 lead.

"That's a great call," said Hock.

The play gave Northwestern momentum, but only briefly.

"I knew we had three turns at bat," said Hock. "You're always concerned when you're behind in a game, but I was confident we could make some things happen with our big bats and our speed."

Danner pitched out of a jam in the first inning, when the Bombers had runners on first and second base with not outs, but failed to score. The Tiger defense helped get Danner out of a tough spot in the third inning. Campbell belted a ball to deep left field to start the inning, but she was thrown out trying to make it to third base on the play. Left-fielder Bennett tracked down the ball, Brooke Wehr cut off the throw and fired to Katie Bowers who tug Campbell out at third.

Palmerton's Pekurny scattered five hits and struck out four in the game.

Horner was proud of her team's effort. The Tigers have three sophomores and a freshman in their starting line up. All of them were playing in the first postseason game of their high school careers.

"I'm really proud of the way that they played," said Horner. "Their enthusiasm to get into the postseason, they wanted it really bad. They played a very respectable game."

Northwestern 000 010 0 - 1 5 1

Palmerton 000 021 x - 3 9 2

Danner and Greenberg; Pekurny and Campbell. W - Pekurny. L - Danner.