The EPC softball final pitting Liberty against Parkland started out promising for the Hurricanes, but six innings later, the Trojans were crowned conference champions by a score of 7-5 last Thursday at Pates Park in Allentown.

"It was exactly how we wanted to start off, but Parkland just hit, and they got too far ahead," said Liberty coach Sam Carrodo after presenting his team and assistant coaches with silver medals.

Lead off Hurricane batter, Reyna DeJesus, scored the first run on a double by Victoria Schmidt and a subsequent overthrow by the Trojans. Mary Kate Sheplock, running for Schmidt, scored the second run on a single by Kristin Kaleycik.

A string of base hits for Parkland tied the score at 2-2, and Liberty second baseman Michaela Brunnaben saved even more runs with a double play.

"It was just instinct. We needed to stop their momentum," Brunnaben said.

A slow roller to the outfield in the second inning by Brunnaben resulted in a triple, but the Hurricanes could not capitalize on her hit.

"I went up really aggressive, I swung hard, and my mindset was don't back down," she said.

In the bottom of the second, another string of singles, among two walks, put the Trojans ahead 7-2.

"It was tough for Victoria to find the strike zone, but once she did, the last three innings were great," Carrodo said

It was in the top of the fifth inning that the Hurricanes began to chip away at the lead, scoring two more runs, one by Skilee Diaz and another by Sheplock, courtesy runner for Precious Torres, after a triple by Schmidt.

Parkland continued to be held scoreless, and Liberty also came up empty in the sixth inning despite base hits by Liberty designated hitter Alyssa Millhouse and Brunnaben.

"The girls were telling me how the pitcher was pitching, and I saw her twice and knew how she was placing the ball," Millhouse said. "After the sixth inning, the top of the lineup was coming up, and we were still positive."

In the top of the seventh, DeJesus led off and beat out a throw to third base for a triple - only to be thrown out at home on a suicide squeeze attempt.

"I was under pressure to get the inning going, and Sam was telling me to hit like you can," said DeJesus. "[On the bunt] I was so far down the line that I couldn't go back."

With one out, Torres hit a double, and Sheplock, running for Torres, scored on a single by Schmidt, but a steal attempt and a hit that went straight to the pitcher ended the game.

"I tried to make something happen," Carrodo said. "I should have been patient, but a coach of mine who's here just told me to never doubt what you try to do. I would love to see Parkland again in the district final."

At game's end Carrodo was awarded East Penn Conference Coach of the Year.

"I'm pretty humbled. To sit in a room with the experience those other coaches have, and to be a first year coach ... I had no idea," he said.

DeJesus was awarded East Penn Conference Most Valuable Player.

"I'm shocked, actually. I didn't think I would even come close. I'm really excited and happy about it," she said.

Torres was named to the first team, and Kaleycik was named second team, as were Megan Brown and Shayla Peterson from Freedom.

Prior to the EPC softball final, Liberty defeated Northampton 9-0 in the semifinal.

Millhouse had the first RBI of the game, scoring Tori Kaleycik who led off the second inning with a single. With the bases loaded with K-Kids in the top of the third, Kristin Kaleycik knocked down a ball, picked up by Brunnaben for the last out at second base.

Liberty third baseman Dallas Horning started the bottom of the fourth inning, five-run rally with a double after making a big catch in the top of the fourth.

"It was a foul ball, but it was to save a lot of runs from scoring," said Horning. "I was kind of in a [batting] slump, but I felt really good today. The coaches knew what she was throwing and set us up for good hits."

Three more runs in the fifth inning easily won the game for Liberty.

"After the first run, we definitely weren't comfortable at all until the rally in the fourth," Horning said.

Districts

An all-Bethlehem first-round showdown is already set in the District 11 4A softball playoffs.

Freedom will travel to Liberty on Thursday, May 21 after pigtail rounds began Tuesday. The teams met twice during the regular season and then again in the EPC playoffs.

Freedom is seeded fifth while Liberty is fourth. For the winner, it could mean a showdown with top seeded Parkland in the semifinals. The Trojans will play the winner of Whitehall-Emmaus.

Bethlehem Catholic, meanwhile, will also begin play on Thursday in the 3A bracket. The Hawks are seeded second and will take on Bangor, the third seed.

Southern Lehigh is the top seed in 3A and will play the winner of Blue Mountain-Northwestern.