Under a high sun and blue sky last Saturday, a Bethlehem Catholic seventh inning rally against Emmaus in an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference baseball tournament quarterfinal round game at Church Lane Park in Trexlertown came up tantalizingly short, 4-3.

“We played well,” said Hawks’ head coach Matt Corsi “...90 percent of this roster has not had any playoff experience....This was the first round of playoff experience for everyone other than Matt Martinez. He’s the only one.”

The midday thriller’s game-winner happened with two outs in the last of the sixth, when Emmaus’ Colin Foley bombed a pitch over the left field fence off Becahi’s starting and losing pitcher, Chaise Albus. The blast gave the Hornets an insurance run and a 4-2 lead.

“I felt about one more percent comfortable when that went out,” said Emmaus head coach Jeremy Haas. “I knew a run there would be huge to get a two-run cushion. I was never going to feel 100 percent certain or feel comfortable until we got the last out. But that run to give us that little bit of cushion was huge.”

Haas had reason for concern, as the Hawks were not ready to pack it in. In the top of the seventh, the Hawks’ Anthony Martinez slapped a single to center field off Emmaus starter and eventual winning pitcher Luke Deschenes. The next batter John Kaczor showed discipline in working a walk off the tiring Deschenes, who moments later was removed by Haas and replaced by reliever Colin Foley.

Playing the percentages and for the tie, Corsi ordered the next hitter, Gavin Kirsch, to sacrifice bunt, which the senior executed expertly to advance both runners. Eric Wert kept the rally alive when he was hit by a pitch. Haas then replaced Foley with relief pitcher Alex Pion. Up to the dish strode Albus, who beared down for a quality at bat which concluded when he lined a sacrifice shot to center, slicing the Emmaus lead to 4-3.

“That’s what we do, we battle one through nine,” said Corsi. “We try to pick each other up.”

Haas continued to wear out a path to the pitching mound, replacing Pion with Jaden Gallagher. It proved successful, as on a 1-2 pitch, Gallagher got Becahi’s Matt Martinez to fly out to second baseman Evan Amey, ending the game.

Disappointment aside, the Hawks in defeat showed resiliency. Their prospects for any rally appeared unlikely as Deschenes - with periodic turbulence aside - was cruising through five innings. The broad-shouldered right-handed Emmaus pitcher did not even give up a hit until a Tony Martinez single in the fifth. The Hawk offense appeared on extinction’s verge.

“We didn’t know if we were getting a hit,” Corsi said. “I mean we didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning.”

Asked after the game if he was pleased with his pitching mechanics, Deschenes responded like this.

“For the most part, yes. There were some innings where I kind of lost touch. Those tended to be the innings where I also gave up more walks than the others. But for the most part all game long I felt like I had my mechanics and all my pitches working.”

Deschenes - who tossed 103 pitches, scattered six hits, stuck out eight and walked three in six plus innings - benefited also from a solid defense.

“It’s a huge boost of confidence,” said Deschenes of his defense. “When I get into trouble I can still attack the strike zone and I have guys behind me who will help me get out of innings is great to have the behind me.”

The Hawks were down, but not out. Eric Wert started the comeback in top of the sixth, when he singled to right. Albus aided his own his cause by singling also to right, with Wert darting to third. Up stepped Matt Martinez, who laced a scorcher to center, scoring Wert and Albus, slicing the Emmaus lead to 3-2.

But the Hawks wasted a potentially game-changing inning. With still no one out, Cole Herschman sacrifice bunted. The ball was gobbled up by Deschenes, who uncorked a wild throw to first base, allowing Herschman to reach on an error. With runners on second and first, Jaden Clements whiffed and the Hawks’ next batter, Peter Martinez, grounded into a double play.

Emmaus was the dominant team early. They took a 3-0 lead in the last of the fourth when Noah Hogan hit an RBI single. “Hoagie” as he’s known to his teammates, missed out on a second RBI on the single when teammate Foley, attempting to score from second base, was tagged out by catcher Matt Martinez at home, after a throw from left fielder Gavin Kirsch and a relay from Tony Martinez.

The Hornets broke on top in the first thanks to a boner by the Hawk defense. With two runners on and one out, Emmaus hitter Tyler Page reached first on an error by second baseman Peter Martinez, in the process scoring Blake Schantz and Gallagher to give Emmaus a 2-0 advantage.

Albus, who took the loss, perhaps deserved a fate better. In six innings and 91 pitches, he relinquished two earned runs on just two hits. His albatross may well have been control, as Albus threw only 48 strikes, issued six walks and pitched behind in the count often. While he was at times shaky, he managed to survive to pitch the entire game and more important, keep his team in it.

“Chase did his part,” said Corsi. “We came back. We were down 2-0 and we didn’t know if we were getting a hit...They definitely have fight in them.”

The District 11 4A Tournament is scheduled to start May 22.