ORWIGSBURG - Christie Hutira arrived at Patton Field with a knot in her shoulder.
The North Schuylkill junior left Monday evening feeling great after pitching a perfect game at the perfect time.
Hutira's gem - 21 up, 21 down - lifted the Spartans to a 3-0 victory over Tamaqua in a Schuylkill League Division I wild-card tiebreaker game.
"I had a knot in my shoulder, and (Tamaqua's) trainer, he got it out,'' Hutira said with a laugh. "I was tight when I was warming up at first, then he got (the knot) out, and then I was good.''
With the victory, the Spartans (15-6) advance to Wednesday's Schuylkill League semifinals at Patton Field where they will meet Division II champion Williams Valley at 4:30 p.m. Division III winner Marian (16-3) will take on Division I champion Pottsville (14-5) in the other semifinal at 7 p.m.
"I didn't realize I didn't have any walks until the sixth inning,'' Hutira said. "Then I really made it clear for them to get everything in the last inning, and they did. My defense is great.''
To start the seventh, Tamaqua's Alexis Boyer executed a fake bunt/slap, stinging a one-hopper at charging third baseman Rachel Gricoski. Somehow, the ball landed right in Gricoski's glove and she threw across for the first out of the inning.
Earlier, left fielder Brianna Schlauch and center fielder Nadya Spotts made fine running catches for outs.
Hutira reached a full count just twice, getting flyouts to Schlauch both times. The right-hander needed just 77 pitches (54 strikes) in the complete game. She finished with six strikeouts, two assists and two putouts.
"This is the first really big game that I had a perfect game,'' Hutira said.
Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders (12-9) have experienced a bit of a power outage lately. In their last three games, they have just four runs on 10 hits.
"I just think the experience of today is going to help them going into districts,'' Tamaqua coach Jillian Barron said. "They're a young team yet. I only have two seniors. The majority of them are sophomores, and this is the first time Tamaqua's made it anywhere near leagues since 2005.''
Similarly, North Schuylkill hasn't been to the league playoffs since they returned in 2009. The Spartans' last division title came in 2007.
"We haven't done it in seven years, and it gives me the chills because this team is such a great team,'' North Schuylkill shortstop Tiffany Lapotsky said. "I watched my sister (Cassie) go through it, and they lost (to Pine Grove and Pottsville). As a little kid, I always sat there and said, 'Wow, I wish that was me (playing).' ''
Lapotsky went right to work giving her team an early lead. In the bottom of the first inning, the leadoff batter singled, stole second, advanced on Spotts' sacrifice bunt and scored on Schlauch's RBI infield single.
Five of the seven hits losing pitcher Bailey Pedersen allowed stayed in the infield.
Things stayed that way until the fifth, when North Schuylkill used its speed to add a pair of insurance runs.
Pinch-hitter Alex Morgan reached on an error but was erased at second on Lapotsky's fielder's choice grounder.
Spotts bunted and legged it out for an infield single, Lapotsky steaming toward third on the play. When the throw went back across the diamond, Spotts took off for second base.
Drawing Tamaqua's attention, the Blue Raiders then went after the trail runner. That small opening allowed Lapotsky to steal home and make it 2-0.
"I got a crappy hit (fielder's choice), and I was like, 'All right, we need this run because this is the most important thing,' '' Lapotsky said. "It's not about hits. It's not about how good you do. It's about a team effort, and it's about who ends up with the most runs in the end.
"I knew that Nadya was going to bunt, and I saw that girl (third baseman) playing up. I was like, 'I've got to get to three.' When I got to three, I saw them, and I was like, 'I have to go home.'
"I sprinted home,'' she added. "On my travel ball team, we always practice going around the bag, sliding and touching it with your hand. Every time, Coach always says, 'You've gotta get it with your hand.' And I did. I swiped it with my hand. I got it.
"As soon as I saw the ball released, I knew it was time to go.''
One out later, Rachel Gricoski singled home Spotts to extend North Schuylkill's lead to 3-0.
"I told everyone today, 'This is a game you're going to remember for the rest of your life,' '' Lapotsky said. "This is a game where you're going to wake up 20 years from now and you're going to go to the grocery store and see your teammate and say, 'Hey, do you remember when we beat Tamaqua and we got into leagues?' It's a game you're never going to forget.''