With momentum on their side, the Whitehall softball team mounted a furious comeback in their last at-bat, but ultimately fell one-run short, eliminating them from the district playoffs last week.

Trailing 8-4 heading into the top of the seventh against top-seeded Parkland, the Zephs pushed across three runs, trimming the lead to one. The damage was done against starting pitcher Aubree Fritzinger who surrendered seven hits to the Zephs who were trying to unseat the 22-1 Trojans from their perch as reigning District XI champs.

It was also the most runs allowed by Parkland all season. In that game, the Zephs displayed the type of grit and determination that propelled them into the postseason, winning five of seven games down the stretch to secure a spot.

The loss officially ended their season, finishing 12-11 for the 2015 campaign.

In their previous three meetings with the Trojans, the Zephs were outscored 23-3. As the district quarterfinal game unfolded, it appeared that the same storyline would emerge.

Head coach Alexis Berg-Townsend said that instead of narrowing the gap each time they played, the margin of victory was widening between the two. But when they battled back from that six run deficit to finally draw within a run, she knew the team was mentally tough.

"It really showed how this team has matured over the course of the season," she said.

They also accomplished the feat on the biggest stage of the season, fighting until the final out.

"They really brought the pressure where we almost pulled it out in the top of the seventh," said Berg-Townsend.

The Zephs fell behind 7-1, and given that Fritzinger was painting the corners again, their prospects of advancing to the semis seemed to be fading. However, senior Karly Klein came up with the big hit in fourth inning, smacking a bases-clearing double that trimmed the deficit to 7-4.

Parkland put another run on the board in their bottom half of the inning, padding their lead back to four.

Klein finished the day 3-4 with four RBIs. Klein said she went to the plate with the mindset that this could be her final opportunity each time she stepped in the batter's box.

"I thought this could be my last at-bat, so I was going all out," said Klein who will hang up her Whitehall uniform to play for Mount Aloysius College next spring.

In the seventh, Klein singled and both Veronica Rodriguez and Ashlee Brosky walked. That brought Courtney Grim to the plate who sent everyone home with a bases-clearing double.

That hit gave Whitehall hope, and Klein said that their dugout was whooping it up, excited about the rally.

"We were really pumped up," said Klein. "We had the momentum and we were really excited. We thought we were going to win it."

After playing them three times, Klein said they gave it everything they had, and despite the loss, they felt they had nothing to hang their heads about. They played as hard as they could.

Kay Solderitch went the distance for the Zephs. The all-star finished with two strikeouts, while allowing six hits to the EPC champs. She also homered in the game, further cementing her as one of the best players in the league.

Berg-Townsend said that their effort against Parkland ultimately told the tale of their whole season.

"I couldn't be more proud of them as a coach," she said. "This team persevered and fight and push and almost pulled it out."