Senior leadership can be a luxury to lean on in a big game.

And it’s a bonus to have more than one veteran who can get the job done.

Northwestern received strong play from a pair of seniors during a Colonial League clash with Northern Lehigh on Monday.

Lydia Danner and Ellen Smith both made key contributions during the Lady Tigers’ 4-2 victory over the Lady Bulldogs.

The contest was scoreless until the fourth inning when Brooke Wehr and Jessica Badman led off the frame with a pair of singles. Smith then drove in Wehr to break the ice. Smith delivered a trio of hits and scored twice on the afternoon.

“She is seeing the ball really well over the past couple of weeks,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Zimmerman. “We made one little adjustment and it seems that the softball has turned into a beach ball for her. She’s a senior. We expect a lot out of her. She shows her leadership out there in the outfield. She’s playing a good game of softball right now.”

Northern Lehigh immediately answered in the bottom of the frame.

Kaitlin Hoffman singled and scored, as Paige Hemingway delivered a sacrifice fly. The Dogs’ did all of their damage in the fourth. Danner essentially had things under control for Northwestern in the circle the rest of the game. The senior tossed a complete game, scattered four hits, and struck out four. Offensively, she singled and stole a pair of bases.

“Lydia is one of those five-tool players that every coach kind of dreams of,” said Zimmerman. “She’s coachable, too. We kind of used her a little bit sparingly in the beginning of the year. But now she knows that if we need her, she’s ready to go at any particular time. For the most part, she’s been lights out this year. She comes out and takes the same mindset every single time. Teams are going to be hard-pressed to find hits against her.”

Both pitchers brought some of their best stuff, although Northern Lehigh couldn’t find the run support for Kaitlin Hoffman. She struck out seven batters and walked just two.

“It was pitchers’ duel” said Zimmerman. “We were just fortunate to come out on the winning end. It was one of those games that could have gone either way and had some playoff implications. It’s been somebody throughout the year that has contributed to our success on a given day. Everybody contributes. People are getting hot at the right time.”

Northern Lehigh’s Taylor Herman also singled and scored a run on a past ball in the fourth inning.

Northwestern shortstop Claire O’Dea is back in the starting lineup and looked like she didn’t miss a beat. She ended the game by making a very rangy play up the middle.

“She’s been out for a couple of weeks with a MCL injury,” said Zimmerman. “She made that last play there deep in the hole. She’s getting her range back and she makes us that much better out in the field. While she was out, we were able to find some girls that can step up and play some infield.”

Both pitchers displayed their pin-point accuracy on Monday. Hoffman didn’t walk a batter until the fifth inning, as she only issued a pair of them on the afternoon. Danner walked none.

Through Monday’s win, the Tigers (10-7 overall, 9-5 Colonial League) were in a three-way tie with Salisbury and Palmerton for second place in the Colonial League West Division.