Sometimes when a team needs a spark it can come from an unlikely source. Olivia Marth was not on the varsity softball roster distributed to the media at the beginning of the year. She made her varsity debut in the Kids’ lineup April 22 against Easton and two days later she delivered a pair of key hits to help Northampton knock off Liberty and 2024 EPC MVP Addy Smith 5-1.

Head coach Kristy Henritzy spoke about her promotion from JV, “She’s Rylee’s (Gable) backup pitcher and she started coming to practice and just start hacking away. Her swing looks great, very fluid. She has a very calm demeanor even in big moments.”

While Smith held the usually potent top of the Kids’ order in check, the bottom third delivered 5 of Northampton’s 7 hits for the game and scored 4 of their 5 runs.

Marth scored the first run for the K-Kids in the third and added another run in the Kids’ 4-run fifth that broke the game open. She also drew a walk in the sixth inning.

Marth the described the feeling of being promoted from JV midseason, “It’s really exciting. JV is a good starting point, but here at varsity we get pushed a lot harder. I enjoy being around all the girls. They really help you, like, lift your spirits, and they’re always there for you.”

Laila Reichl, batting behind Marth, also had a pair of hits. A double in the third inning plated Marth and single in the fifth brought home Leah Regan with the eventual winning run.

Rylee Gable had a strong outing in the pitching circle to pick up the win, allowing no earned runs and scattering 9 hits to go with 5 strikeouts and no walks.

Critically, she worked out of a based-loaded one-out jam in the fifth inning without surrendering a run.

As the regular season enters its final week, the K-Kids have a huge game against Freedom today that will give them the opportunity to win or tie for the EPC Northampton Division title. They are a game behind the Patriots.

NHS has a nonleague contest versus Tunkhannock Friday at Moore Township before they end with a game at 1-14 Becahi Monday. Freedom plays Liberty in their EPC finale. They lost 2-1 to LHS in their first meeting.

The EPC tournament starts next Thursday and NHS has clinched a home game for the quarterfinals. They are currently the third seed behind Emmaus, who is undefeated in the league, and Freedom.