A pair of one-run losses ended the Northampton Connie Mack baseball team’s season one game short of the state championship finals.

Plymouth-Whitemarsh, the top seed from the Bux-Mont Connie Mack League, defeated Northampton 14-13 Friday night at Limeport Stadium in the elimination bracket final of the Pennsylvania State Connie Mack baseball tournament.

“They won the Lehigh Valley League championship and beat an undefeated Southern Lehigh team,” said Chad Werkheiser, Northampton manager. “I think the sky is the limit for these kids in the future, going forward, through high school and everything. They’re just a great group of kids.”

After winning its first game over Franklin Township 7-1 on July 25, Northampton dropped into the elimination bracket with its first loss to Plymouth-Whitemarsh, 7-6, on July 29.

Northampton bounced back after its first loss, defeating Lehigh-Bethlehem, 9-3, on July 30.

“It was an interesting ball game for sure,” Werkheiser said of the Lehigh-Bethlehem win. “They had a rough one yesterday (against Plymouth-Whitemarsh) and made too many errors against a decent ball club and that cost us, but they showed their resilience to come back today, a day later, after a rain delay for an hour and 15 minutes.”

Against Lehigh-Bethlehem, Northampton jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Logan Rusnock doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a Jake Raysely double.

A Kayde Ibarra fielder’s choice groundout scored William Burrell, who had walked, to make it 2-0. Raysely scored the third run when Chase Werkheiser drew a bases loaded walk and Ibarra scored on a fielder’s choice groundout by Josh Carrasco.

Raysely kept it 4-0 in the fourth inning with a strong start on the mound, striking out nine and making an amazing play on a ground ball to home plate to get a runner trying to score.

“Jake is a gamer,” Werkheiser said. “He comes ready to throw every time he is on the mound and that was a huge play at the plate. Honestly, I don’t even know how he saw it. I’m glad that Rusnock, our catcher, was ready for it too.”

Lehigh-Bethlehem broke through for three runs against Raysely in the fourth inning on just one hit, a bunt single by Xavier Ryan to lead off the inning. Following walks to Cole Collins and EZ Frack to load the bases, Raysely struck out the next two hitters.

Two-out walks to Lucas Paulino and Jackson Ondria scored Ryan and Collins. Frack scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3, but Raysely struck out David Dunham to end the inning.

Northampton answered back in their half of the fourth. Werkheiser singled with two out to start the rally. After Ty Rutzmoser walked, Werkheiser scored on a passed ball. A Carrasco single scored Rutzmoser to give Northampton a 6-3 lead.

“I know this team is going to hit,” Werkheiser said. “It’s just a question of how and when.”

Matt Buskirk and Aiden Sergent made that lead hold up, pitching three scoreless innings of relief.

Northampton would add three more insurance runs in the sixth inning.

Blake Dreisbach reached to lead off, followed by a one-out walk to Rutzmoser. When Josh Carrasco’s single got away from the right fielder, both came around to score, making it 8-3.

Carrasco scored Northampton’s final run on an RBI single by Rusnock.

Northampton kept its run going earlier on Friday, defeating Franklin Township for a second time, 11-1, before coming up a run short against Plymouth-Whitemarsh, who went on to lose to Southern Lehigh Saturday in the state championship.

“I have coached a lot of these kids for a very long time,” Werkheiser said. “It is a great group of kids. They mean a lot to me, not just on the baseball field, but off. They are all like sons and I love coaching them.”

Northampton finished the year 19-5-1.