After playing three games over the span of 30 hours, the softball regular season came to an end for the Zephyrs when Easton rallied for a walk-off win last Thursday.

Their final two games against Eastern Pennsylvania Conference opponents led to some bitter disappointment as the Trojans spoiled their alumni night in Coplay last Wednesday, and then the Red Rovers’s AJ Bryfogle laced a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh to give Easton a come-from-behind win, 9-8.

That disappointment grew as the Zephyrs were bounced from the EPC playoffs in the opening round, losing to Liberty 4-0 last Friday.

The atmosphere surrounding their game at Coplay was electric as it was standing room only along the Potter Alley field. Parkland did a good job diffusing some of that energy when they took an early 2-0 lead. But the Zephs answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit in half.

The Trojans built on that lead in the third when Steph Herpel smashed a ball to deep left to score a pair of runs. She later scored on a line single by Megan Fenstermaker, giving the visitors a 4-1 lead.

Whitehall would continue to fight back, getting a run after Kasey Cunningham reached base on an infield hit. She would score on three consecutive passed balls that drew the Zephs within two at 4-2.

Parkland kept responding and a close play at home on a fielder’s choice put them up three at 5-2. They would tack on another run after a hits batsman forced in a run, prompting the appearance of Kay Solderitch in relief.

With the bases loaded the southpaw walked the first batter she faced, extending the Trojans lead to 7-2.

But that was it.

And not for just that inning, but for the rest of the game. Solderitch put the clamps on Parkland, giving the Zephs a shutdown pitching performance the last three innings.

Whitehall was able to push another run across in the fifth on a heads-up baserunning play by Solderitch. Solderitch reached base on a liner into left field, and then stole second to put herself into scoring position. She took third on a passed ball, and then took advantage of a communication breakdown between pitcher Aubree Fritzinger and catcher Riley Tremblay when the ball dribbled in front of home plate, dashing home for the score.

That was it for the Zephs, however, as Fritzinger closed the access to home plate the rest of the way, giving Parkland the 7-3 victory.

While it wasn’t the outcome they wanted, head coach Alexis Berg-Townsend said that they still control their own destiny and where they want to be. It was a question she posted to her team after the game.

“Do we just want to be in districts, or do we want to win,” said Berg-Townsend. “That’s still going to be the focus.

“We made strides in this game, but we’re not satisfied, and so we’re going to keep pounding away at what we need to.”

Parkland’s ability to make the difficult play in the field is a big advantage, and it was on full display against Whitehall. They flashed outstanding leather at second and third, taking away potential hits from the Zephs with their gloves. Berg-Townsend said that both teams share great coaching staffs who know where to position their players.

Whitehall was able to get hits off Fritzinger, but she was able to keep them from stringing those hits together. They got six hits against the league’s Co-Player of the Year, sharing that honor with Liberty’s Reyna DeJesus.

Berg-Townsend said that it’s now a matter of pushing forward and gaining some confidence heading into the postseason.

The way that Solderitch responded to the challenge of entering the game in a tense situation was extremely impressive, said Berg-Townsend.

“I couldn’t be more proud of her at this point in the season as to where she’s come from and what she’s done,” said Berg-Townsend. “Putting a kid into that situation who hasn’t thrown much this season, on senior night, against Parkland, under the lights, with the bases loaded, is not an easy situation for anybody. So there was nothing more that I could of asked from Kay than what did tonight in the circle.”

Solderitch knew it was going to be a tough game going against undefeated Parkland. She credited Brosky for doing an amazing job all season, carrying the bulk of the pitching load for the Zephyrs.

When she took the ball from Berg-Townsend in the fourth, she had one thing in mind.

“I just knew I had to throw strikes, and get it done,” said Solderitch.

Solderitch was dealing with some mechanical issues, and that prompted her absence from the circle, a place that she’s called home the last three years. As she’s worked to get back into form, she realized something important that impacts her game more than anything mechanical.

“Over these past four years, I’ve realized that 90 percent of the game is mental,” said Solderitch. “So I knew today that this was the perfect opportunity to take and use a good mental approach to the game. I just wanted to do my job.”

Solderitch was around the plate most of the evening striking out two Trojans. She gave her team the opportunity to get back in the game, keeping the Trojans from crossing the plate after the fourth.

Berg-Townsend said that it’s still a work in progress with Solderitch. She has all the tools, she just needs to blend the mental with the physical and that was evident in their last two games. She struck out 10 against Liberty and only allowed three hits, but allowed a combined 10 walks against the Red Rovers and ’Canes.

The Zephs will now prepare for district competition which gets underway next week.