ALLENTOWN - The ball just didn't seem to find the ground anywhere away from a glove.

That seems to be a recent problem for the Northern Lehigh softball team.In three of their last four games, the Bulldogs have only scored three or fewer runs, and it has come back to haunt them.Friday afternoon it was more of the same.Northern Lehigh was held to just three hits and scored only two runs, both coming in a last-ditch rally in the bottom of the seventh inning that fell a run short in losing to Salisbury 3-2 in the Colonial League quarterfinal playoffs at Pates Park.Falcons freshman pitcher Emily Silberman stifled the Bulldogs (16-5) for most of the game, retiring 17 straight batters from the first inning to the sixth. If it wasn't for a Salisbury error in the sixth frame, it may have been more."We just didn't hit," said Northern Lehigh head coach Robert Hicks. "We need to hit. We didn't hit until the seventh inning. You can't start a game like that and expect to win when you start playing in the seventh. You can't win when you don't hit."Salisbury (15-6) started off the game with two hits to lead off the top of the first. After a fielder's choice put runners at first and third, Anna Bishop brought home the first run with an RBI ground out.The Bulldogs' Kaitlyn Hoffman led off the bottom half with a base hit, but it was her team's only one until the seventh inning.The Falcons would tack on another run in the top of the second. Morgan Goletz led off with a double, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Hannah Lipken to move her to third.Hoffman, the starter on the mound, then struck out the next batter. But Brooke Rogers got her second hit in two innings, this one an RBI single to put Salisbury ahead 2-0.After the Rogers single, the two teams would not reach base again until the sixth inning. Hoffman and Silberman combined to retire the next 22 batters.In the sixth, Salisbury added a run by bringing five batters to the plate - although none of them recorded a hit.Lilia Crouthamel reached base on an error. After stealing second, she advanced to third on a wild pitch. A few pitches later, a passed ball allowed her to come home and give Salisbury what seemed like a commanding 3-0 advantage.But in their final at-bats, Northern Lehigh found some life.Paige Hude led off with a single. Then Lauren Hoffman crushed a pitch over the head of the right fielder for an RBI triple. After a strikeout to the next batter, Katie Yesik brought home Hoffman on an RBI ground out to the shortstop. Trailing 3-2, the third-seeded Bulldogs couldn't keep the rally going as Salisbury got the final out in the next at-bat.The Falcons, the No. 6 seed in the tournament, advance to the semifinals to face Southern Lehigh. Northern Lehigh will get back out on the field in about two weeks for the District 11 Class 3A tournament."We're going to be prepared," said Hicks. "We're going to work hard at practice, and I think we're going to hit better."We're going to spend a lot of time in the batting cage learning to adjust at the plate. We're going to get some scrimmages in, and these girls will be ready to play. I'm sure of it."YOUNG AT HEART ... Hicks pointed out the youth of his squad, as the Bulldogs started five freshmen and one sophomore.FOURTH TIME THE CHARM? ... Salisbury and Northern Lehigh could meet again in the District 11 Class 3A tournament, which would be their fourth meeting in 2017. They split two regular season games.Salisbury 110 001 0 - 3 5 1No. Lehigh 000 000 2 - 2 3 1Silberman and Crouthamel; K. Hoffman and D. Hoffman. W - Silberman. L - K. Hoffman.