Some called it a rematch.

Some called it a playoff preview.

Either way, the game between Northwestern Lehigh and Palisades last week at Pates Park was one to circle on the schedule at the beginning of the season.

The two teams met in last year’s Colonial League championship game and could be back again next month when the league’s best get together.

In a pitching matchup of two of the best pitchers in the area, Northwestern’s Emma Freeman and Palisades’ Karlye Teman, the Tigers found enough offense to come away with a 6-2 win for their ninth straight victory of the season.

Freeman allowed a leadoff triple to Catie Russo to open the game. An error allowed Russo to score. Two singles and another error put the Lady Pirates up 2-0.

Fortunately for the Tigers, Teman was wild early in the game and issued a walk and hit a batter to put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the first.

Senior Shelby Mitman lashed a triple to drive in both runners and Ainsley Behler hit a hard shot to third that went off the glove of Madisyn Deem for an RBI single to put Northwestern up 3-2.

“In my first at-bat I like to get a feel for the pitcher,” said Mitman. “I saw a good pitch and was able to put a good swing on it. I hit it pretty well and it went deep enough to bring in both of the runners.”

From there, the pitchers settled in as Teman struck out four straight hitters and retired seven of eight until Lizzy Diehl came up with one out in the top of the fourth. Diehl picked out a 2-2 pitch and lined it past center fielder Carly Evleth for a triple.

Teman regained control and retired the next two hitters, stranding Diehl at third.

In the fifth, Freeman and Abby Dunstan delivered back-to-back singles, and a wild pitch moved them both up a base. Natalie Conner hit a grounder to third and the throw pulled Brooklynn Lucas off the bag, allowing Freeman to score and Dunstan to advance to third with Conner safe at first.

Conner moved up on a wild pitch before Behler grounded to third to bring in Dunstan with another run and move Conner to third.

Another wild pitch brought Conner home and gave the Tigers a 6-2 lead.

“Our offense has been really good lately,” said Mitman. “And we are always confident that we will score runs and will be able to add on some runs late in the game. That was what happened tonight.”

The Pirates threatened in the sixth, but Freeman recorded her seventh strikeout of the game to keep both runners on base.

In the seventh, Freeman put the Pirates down in order and recorded two more strikeouts to lock up the win.

“Everyone has each other’s back on this team,” said Tiger head coach Kate Farber. “If the person before you doesn’t get the job done, the person after you will. That’s just how this team works. They’re just one cohesive unit.”

The following day, Northwestern beat Kutztown 5-2 in a nonleague game and has already played twice this week, beating Pen Argyl 5-0 and Jim Thorpe 4-1.

Conner and Dunstan both homered in the win over Kutztown and Mitman delivered two hits, including a bases-loaded triple to help beat Pen Argyl. Freeman, Dunstan, and Conner also had two hits in that game for the Tigers.

Lizzie Diehl made her second start of the season against Jim Thorpe and threw a complete game, allowing just three hits while striking out 13 batters. Rylee McGinley delivered three hits, including an RBI double with Avery Seyler and Conner both collecting two hits.

In her last six games, Conner is hitting .556 (10-18) with nine runs scored and seven RBI. On the season, the freshman is batting .479 with three home runs and 17 RBI. In Freeman’s last six starts, she has thrown 38 innings, allowed 18 hits and just four earned runs to go with 59 strikeouts.