The Northampton softball team got off to a hot start despite some cool temperatures.

The won their first two games against Fleetwood and East Stroudsburg North, but recently fell to Emmaus to start off East Penn Conference play.

The girls will be led by four seniors this year in Taylor Keeney, Hallie Muffley, Anna Filchner and Jillian Muthard. Keeney will pitch for the kids while Huffley and Filchner make the Kids solid up the middle as Muffley plays short and Filchner second. Muthard is an outfielder. All four girls have been four-year starters.

NHS beat Fleetwood 8-0 back on March 28 as Keeney pitched the shutout and picked up 11 strikeouts. The team won 14-4 against Eastburg North on March 30 as sophomore Kaitlyn Perl struck out 10 to get the win.

“Our pitching has been very solid,” said head coach Kevin Mann. “Our bats are working pretty well with 26 hits in two games. Also our defense is playing well with no errors. Hopefully the weather will begin to cooperate.”

The girls fell 3-2 on the road against Emmaus on April 3. The Kids led in this game 2-0 before the Hornets scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to pick up the win. The Kids out-hit Emmaus 8-6 but did commit their first error of the season. Perl had an RBI triple and Muffley doubled. Liz Moore, a junior, also knocked in a run for Northampton. Keeney fanned five in the loss.

Heather Alich (junior), Brandi Davidson (junior), Katelyn McKitrick (junior), Olivia Saylor (junior), McKayla Strohl (junior), Hannah Boggs (sophomore) and Madison Fraley (freshman) make up the rest of the team, which comes into 2017 with lofty goals.

“Our expectations for this season are very high but also have to be grounded with the level of competition in our division and the rest of the league,” said Mann.