It may have been just one more win for the Zephyr softball team, but last Wednesday’s 5-2 win over the Trojans clearly resonated more than any other in recent memory.

While head coach Alexis Berg-Townsend still maintains that defeating Parkland is just another step in the breakdown of the season that she views in two halves (this win is part of the second 10 games), she allowed herself to consider the enormity of it for the team.

“It’s a little extra special for this team because it’s the first time any kid on this team has beaten Parkland,” said Berg-Townsend. “So it’s a little extra special, but we know it’s still just one more step toward the ultimate goal.”

The last time the Zephs defeated Parkland was in 2012.

Berg-Townsend said it doesn’t matter how many games they win at this juncture unless they finish strong in the postseason.

It’s also the second time this year that they’ve defeated a reigning state champ. Not a lot of programs, if any, can make that claim. The win gave them sole possession of first in the Skyline Division of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. They currently have a 10-1 league record following Monday’s win over Nazareth.

While having those wins on your seasonal résumé is a nice feather in their cap, she doesn’t want to get too far ahead.

“We want to keep our mental approach [the same] and keep on being a team and staying together,” said Berg-Townsend. “That’s what we have to continue to do.”

The Zephyrs took the lead in the bottom of third. This was after Parkland went ahead 2-1 in the top half of the inning, with Aubree Fritzinger getting the go-ahead RBI.

Rachel Arner got things rolling with a single. Kay Solderitch followed with an infield single, putting runners on first and third. This set the stage for Julia Solderitch who delivered a sharp single up the middle that scored two runs.

“I was just trying to get on base, if anything,” said Julia Solderitch. “The count was 3-2 and I knew I just had to put in hard in play.”

Her objective was to score one run, but her single gave them the lead.

Julia Solderitch knows that Parkland always represents a huge challenge, but this year they had confidence coming into the game.

“We went into the game knowing we had a chance at winning,” said Julia Solderitch. “This just boosts our confidence even more.”

Rachel Spanitz closed out the scoring with a fielder’s choice RBI.

The Zephs now had a 4-2 lead and Kay Solderitch got to work. The southpaw didn’t allow a hit the rest of the way. She finished the game tossing a two-hitter against the defending champs, surrounding both those hits in the third.

Kay Solderitch rose to the occasion, staying dominant in the circle against their rivals. She finished with six strikeouts.

“We were all really excited for this season,” said Kay Solderitch. “We know Parkland’s a great team, they have great pitching, great hitting. They’ve always had a great defense and offense, so we knew we had to come out as hard as we could this game, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Kay Solderitch said she simply did her job on the mound while her teammates did the same in the field.

Solderitch has faced the Trojans many times before, and she had a game plan in mind. Once they took the lead, the junior hurler was determined to shut the door.

The Zephs tacked on another run in the fifth when Spanitz delivered an RBI single to score Julia Solderitch. It was Spanitz’s second RBI on the day.

Spanitz has been one of the biggest run producers for the Zephs all season. In her second at-bat in the third, Spanitz just wanted to keep the ball in play.

“I was just thinking, get it down and get it to the right side so when can score her [Julia Solderitch],” said Spanitz.

Spanitz said she’s been waiting for this moment since her freshman season, and it finally happened during her senior campaign.

“I’m so excited,” said Spanitz. “This is the first time I’ve beaten them.”

Spanitz knows they can’t look too far ahead when they have good teams yet to play. She understands that each game is tough.

“Honestly, any team can win; it’s who shows up to play,” said Spanitz.

The Zephs had a setback on Saturday when they lost to Catasauqua for their second loss of the season. The Rough Riders prevailed 3-1. The Zephs bounced back with a 6-0 win over Nazareth on Monday.

The team has been superb at executing the fundamentals, something that Berg-Townsend said they’ve bought into, whether it’s moving a runner over via a sacrifice, or stealing a base to get into scoring position, they’ve incorporated those fundamentals to help fuel their success.

Berg-Townsend also believes their success this season is rooted in what’s been often described as a blue-collar ethic.

“It’s their hard work,” said Berg-Townsed, “It’s what we practice each and every day.”