A 3-0 extra-inning loss to South Parkland on Sunday served as a snapshot of what the season has been like for Lower Macungie. The team has gotten good enough pitching to beat anybody, but the question is, will it hit enough?

On the season, Lower Macungie is averaging just under five runs per game, but one problem has been that the runs seem to sometimes come in bunches or not at all. Lower Mac has been shut out twice this season, with both coming in its last six games. In the other four games during that stretch, they've scored 25 runs, including a 10-0 shutout over Salisbury.

At 8-3, Lower Macungie stands 3 1/2 games out of first place in the Lehigh Valley Legion standings, with three games left to play. Lower Mac has clinched a spot in the postseason. The loss to South Parkland was tough and was a missed opportunity to climb closer to the second spot in the standings, which is where Lower Mac would be if not for having four wins removed from its record earlier in the season because of using an ineligible player.

While the team came out flat in the first game after that ruling, it has responded well and seems to have taken on a new mentality and a motivation to win despite the decision.

"It kind of motivates us," said Joel Bartoni.

In the loss to South Parkland, Trey Hinkle threw eight innings of three-hit ball in a game that was scoreless until Parkland broke out for three runs in the top of the ninth. Lower Macungie managed just two hits in the game.

"We're definitely looking forward to the playoffs," said Bartoni. "We're set up pretty well. We're starting to hit and we've got two dominant pitchers, so as long as we hit, we'll be fine."

Andrew Miller isn't too concerned about the loss and believes that things are going well overall for the team as it prepares for the postseason.

"It was a good game, went to nine innings," said Miller. "We'll be fine, playing pretty well and are confident when we go out there."

Bartoni and Miller represented the Mustangs in the Legion All-Star Game against a team of players from the Schuylkill-Berks League. The game was played at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading and finished in a 5-5 tie after 10 innings.

Bartoni started at first base and was 0-for-1 with a walk, while Miller threw a perfect ninth inning, striking out a batter for the Lehigh Valley squad. Miller was in line for the win until Schuylkill-Berks got a run to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th inning.

"It was fun," Miller said. "It's nice to play with all of the better players and just have fun."

Bartoni also had a good time in the game and enjoyed the experience.

"It's definitely a lot of fun anytime that you get to play at a stadium like this," he said. "It was a pretty entertaining game."

Emmaus plays first-place North Parkland (13-1) tonight at Orefield Middle School and finishes up its season at home Thursday night against Southern Lehigh (9-5), which is just a half game behind Emmaus in the standings.