Seven games into the season, Northern Valley fell to Nazareth in a closely contested 6-5 loss, the first in a series of defeats that put the Chargers’ playoff hopes in question. But almost a month later, after earning the seventh seed in the league tournament and besting first round opponent Northeast Bethlehem 8-4, Northern Valley would get the rematch they deserved. Thirteen games after that bitter loss, they would face Nazareth once more on the road to the championship, this time in the league quarterfinals.

The rematch bore little resemblance to their first encounter. This time, the Chargers seized an early lead over the second-seeded Eagles and refused to relent, continuing to put runs on the board while stifling all but a few of their opponent’s scoring attempts. At the end of the night, the Chargers secured a decisive, 12-3 win to advance to the semifinals, eliminating the higher-ranked Nazareth team and avenging their loss.

“I think we played our best game of the season against Nazareth,” said Chargers’ head coach Erich Klein. “I’ve been [coaching] for a lot of years, and Nazareth is always very strong. We just jumped on top and never gave them a chance to get back in the game.”

Northern Valley’s victories over Northeast Bethlehem and Nazareth gave them confidence as they progressed into their semifinal matchup against Bethlehem Catholic. But even the Chargers’ strong performance thus far wouldn’t be enough to carry them into the finals, as they lost to Becahi by a score of 2-1. Their opponents would go on to win the league title against Northampton the following evening.

“We struck out a little more than I would’ve liked [against Becca],” commented Coach Klein, “but we put the ball in play. We just fell a little short in the run column.”

“I don’t want to say it’s a consolation, but it feels a little better to know [we] lost to the champion,” Klein added. “[We] played a good game against a good team.”

Although Northern Valley didn’t advance to the league championship, the team’s upset over Nazareth moved them up three places in the Lehigh Valley standings. Consequently, the Chargers entered the state tournament as the fourth seed from the Lehigh Valley, vying with teams from the BuxMont league for a shot at the state title. But to Coach Klein, reaching the state playoffs was a reward all its own.

“I always tell the kids that the state tournament, for them, is their reward for [getting this far],” Klein said. “I’ve never had a kid not enjoy himself there. Even when he haven’t done well, it’s just a fun experience.”

As his team progressed into the state playoffs, Klein stressed the importance of hitting to his players, knowing that they would need to put runs on the board if they were overcome their opposition from Bux-Mont. The Chargers’ coach also predicted that pitching would become a factor in his team’s postseason success, especially with state regulations limiting the number of innings one player could occupy the mound.

“One ace can’t keep pitching and win the tournament,” Klein commented, referring to the limitations. “It’s got to be a team [effort].”

In the first round of the double-elimination state playoffs, Northern Valley squared off against none other than Nazareth, facing the Eagles for the third time. On this occasion, however, the Chargers wouldn’t come out on top, losing 11-2 at Limeport. Two days later, the team would salvage their postseason with a 3-1 victory over Northampton, keeping their title hopes alive.

Northern Valley must remain undefeated if they are to stave off elimination. To remain in contention for the state championship, Northern Valley will have to employ that same resilience at Limeport, and should they succeed, they will bring home the title for the first time in team history.