Entering the state Connie Mack Tournament for the first time since 2012, Catasauqua was trying to keep an even keel mixed with plenty of motivation.

“We have seen all of the teams from our league and we’re going out there to have some fun,” said head coach Jim Kober before the start of states. “We just have to go out and play ball like we have all season. I think our guys will respond.”

The Roughies, the fifth-seed in the tournament, met fourth-seed Emmaus Friday night at Limeport in the 12-team, double-elimination tournament comprised of eight teams from Lehigh Valley Connie Mack (LVCM) and four from the Bux-Mont Connie Mack. Catty would fall to the Hornets 4-2 before knocking off Hellertown 9-1.

Catty finished the regular season with a 16-6 record and they were eliminated in the opening round of the LVCM playoffs in a 4-2 defeat to Hellertown.

The Roughies downed Emmaus 6-1 in a regular season meeting June 13. In that game, Rod Berger went the distance and had a strong showing as he spun a three-hitter and recorded 10 strikeouts in the process. Luke Creyer went 2-for-3 in the game with a double, triple, and an RBI and Jayden June had two hits.

Colin Hawk led the team with five wins (5-2, 3.33) and Berger has four (4-3, 1.59, team-high 64 strikeouts). Zach Bilder (3-0, 1.90) and Logan Davidson (3-0, 2.62) round out the rotation.

Hawk is hitting a team-high .426 with a team-high 26 hits and Berger is hitting .407 and also leads the team with 14 RBIs. Shaun McCartney is hitting .389 (8 RBIs) and Creyer is hitting .373 with 12 RBIs and a team-high six doubles. Bilder is hitting .364 with 11 RBIs and Shane Dolan is hitting .344 with 7 RBIs. Corey Raysely (. 280) has 11 RBIs and Davidson (. 288) had 10 RBIs.

Kober thought before states started, getting knocked out of the Lehigh Valley tournament could serve as a sense of motivation.

“We’ll be ready and these guys will be hungry after getting knocked out of the (LVCM) playoffs early,” said Kober at the time. “They believe they still have a lot to prove.”