The Northampton softball team’s chances to qualify for the EPC playoffs may have taken a fatal hit with their 11-6 to Parkland on Tuesday. It left them at 10-7 overall and 7-7 in conference play. That puts them currently in tenth place with just two games remaining in the regular season.

The game got off to a promising start as Ava Cascario led off with a triple down the left field line. Although she was later thrown out at the plate on a fielder’s choice, the K-Kids managed to score a pair of runs by taking advantage of two hit batters and Ro Echevarria’s 2-run single.

The good vibes in the Konkrete Kids’ dugout were short-lived as the Trojans scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning. The big damage was caused by Emma Kushner’s 2-out bases-clearing double.

Two-out runs was the theme of the day for Parkland as 9 of their 11 tallies came with 2 outs.

The Trojans added 3 runs in the bottom of the second with a walk and three straight singles, all coming after the first two batter of the inning had been retired.

Three more runs in the fourth, aided by a couple of K-Kids’ errors, pushed the margin to an insurmountable 10-2.

Northampton pushed across a pair of runs in the fifth inning using a double by Hannah Duerr, a triple by JoJo Siegfried, and an RBI single by Kiley Henritzy.

They plated their final 2 runs in the top of seventh. Ro Echevarria doubled. Henritzy doubled her home and Megan Ferenchak, who was 3-4 on the day, drove in Henritzy with a single.

“I just told them I’m proud to be their coach and I’m proud to be here to work through this with them. They do have a lot of heart. They have a lot of desire. It was tough to watch them struggle through those first couple of innings,” lamented head coach Kristy Henritzy.

Northampton, like all of the top teams in the EPC, seems to have good pitching, but is looking to find the kind of dominant starter that they can ride to a league or district title. Over the last two games, Henritzy has turned to newly promoted freshman Rilee Gable.

“It’s a part of trying to get her acclimated to these situations. She’s our next best pitcher in line and we’re just trying to get her some time to be in these moments and see what happens. We brought her up because she’s capable of throwing a great game. I think she was a little nervous today,” explained Henritzy.

The K-Kids have 2 games left in the regular season, at Whitehall this afternoon and at home on Monday against Allen for senior night. While it’s mathematically possible for them to qualify for EPCs, which start next Thursday, the practical chances are remote.

They are currently seeded ninth in the District XI 6A standings, which would put them in a pigtail game on May 20.