ORWIGSBURG — Pottsville’s celebration erupted in front of its first-base dugout.
Jumping for joy amid a big group embrace. Shouting skyward into the chilly night air. Smiling, laughing, shedding a few tears. A few even raised their hands to their heads, almost in disbelief.
Well, it’s true — forever true — Pottsville is the 2015 Schuylkill League softball champions.
After heartbreaking losses in the 2012 and 2014 finals and the 2013 semifinals, the Crimson Tide have climbed to the mountaintop.
Rallying from a two-run deficit, Pottsville defeated Tamaqua 5-3 in front of a huge crowd under the lights Wednesday at Patton Field.
Not only does the Tide (18-5) win their first Schuylkill League title since the playoffs returned in 2009, but they also earned a preferential seed for next week’s District 11 Class AAAA Tournament. As a result, Pottsville leaped from a No. 7 seed to No. 2 in the always-loaded, big-school field.
“I’m glad we could do it for Coach (Chuck Rinaldo) because it’s never been done before,’’ senior second baseman Micki Garland said. “So it’s nice to leave a legacy behind.
“It’s such a great group of girls, and it’s a great team this year,’’ she added. “We set this goal back in the fall: ‘We’re going to be in that Schuylkill League title (game), and we’re gonna win it.’ It’s such a great feeling to know that everything we did in the offseason finally paid off.’’
Senior third baseman Elise Horvath, who also remembers the near misses, can now savor victory.
“It’s awesome,’’ she said. “We came out last year with second place, and that didn’t feel too good. So we came back at it, and it feels great to get it this year.’’
Garland and Horvath delivered key hits in a four-run, fifth-inning rally that turned the game around.
We’ll get back to that, but through the middle innings, Tamaqua (17-6) built a case that this would be the Blue Raiders’ night.
Pottsville struck in the first inning, with Garland’s triple and Rachael Setlock’s sizzling single giving the Tide a 1-0 lead.
But Tamaqua, playing Pottsville for the fourth time this season, answered right away.
In the second inning, Cailyn Joseph worked a leadoff walk. One out later, losing pitcher Bailey Pedersen laced a single, and Tamaqua was in business.
Bailey Hartung’s RBI groundout plated Joseph, and courtesy runner Kaitlyn Stauffenberg scored when Pottsville made a throwing error on the play.
Tamaqua added to its lead in the fourth inning. Carly Sassaman roped a two-out double, and Pedersen, who finished 3-for-3, followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1.
Heading to the bottom of the fifth, the Blue Raiders had things going their way.
Then Pottsville bunched three hits, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, a stolen base and two Tamaqua errors to score four times and take a 5-3 lead.
“It was just a bad inning, and we couldn’t come back from it,’’ Tamaqua coach Jillian Barron said.
Garland, who finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, smacked a single to center to drive in Madison Garland and cut the deficit to 3-2. In three playoff games over six days, Micki Garland went 7-for-10 (.700) with three doubles, a triple, four runs scored and five RBIs.
Pedersen got a popout for out No. 2, but back-to-back errors on balls hit by Katie Deegan and Olivia Moran allowed Micki Garland to score the tying run and extended the inning.
Horvath made the mistakes really hurt by belting a two-run double down the left-field line to put Pottsville ahead to stay.
“That did feel good,’’ Horvath said. “I watched it for a second, and then I took off.’’
Pitching with the lead, Sara Tobin gave Tamaqua no chance to come back. The senior right-hander retired 10 of the last 11 batters she faced and got excellent defense behind her.
Micki Garland made the final out in spectacular fashion, making a long run toward the right-field line and snagging a sinking liner out of the air.
And the celebration was on.
“For Pottsville softball, it’s huge,’’ Rinaldo said. “We’ve been in the playoffs for five years. ... It feels so tremendous that these kids battled.
“We reached our goal,’’ he added. “Our goal was to win Division I. Our goal was to play down here in front of a big crowd, and it’s so exciting. I’m so happy for our kids and our coaches.’’
Game Summary
Schuylkill League Championship
At Patton Field
TAMAQUA (3) — Kistler ss 3 0 0 0, Hoffman 2b 3 0 0 0, Dietrich 3b 3 0 1 0, Fritz 1b 3 0 0 0, Joseph cf 2 1 0 0, Sassaman c 3 0 1 0, Zehner cr 0 1 0 0, Pedersen p 3 0 3 1, Stauffenberg cr 0 1 0 0, Hartung rf 3 0 0 1, Wittig lf 3 0 1 0. Totals 26 3 6 2.
POTTSVILLE (5) — Ma. Garland lf 4 1 1 0, Coyle 1b 3 0 1 0, Mi. Garland 2b 3 2 2 1, Setlock cf 3 0 1 1, Deegan ss 3 1 1 0, Moran dp 3 1 1 0, Horvath 3b 2 0 1 2, Tobin p 3 0 0 0, Boris rf 3 0 0 0, Dusel c 0 0 0 0. Totals 27 5 8 4.
Tam (17-6) 020 100 0 — 3
Potts (18-5) 100 040 x — 5
E — Tamaqua 3, Pottsville 1. LOB — Tamaqua 3, Pottsville 6. 2B — Dietrich, Sassaman, Horvath. 3B — Mi. Garland. SB — Wittig, Moran. S — Horvath, Coyle.
Tamaqua IP H R ER BB K
Pedrsn L,16-5 6 8 5 2 0 1
Pottsville IP H R ER BB K
Tobin W,13-3 7 6 3 3 1 2
WP — Pedersen. T — 1:22.