Trust in family.

Catcher Anna Akelaitis gives the pitch sign to pitcher Emily Akelaitis. More times than not, the pitch gets the batter to swing and miss or hit into an easy out.

“My sister is very demanding behind the plate,” said Emily. “I trust her 24-7 because she’s not just my sister, she’s my best friend, too.”

Emily has been pitching softballs to Anna since she was in the fifth grade and Anna was in fourth grade.

“We’ve definitely matured together,” said Emily, who starts each game on the mound for the 7-5 Northwestern Lehigh girls softball team. “We work very well, and I rarely shake her off, and if I do she let’s me know not to do it again.”

“I guess you can say I’m a control freak when it comes to softball,” said Anna, who is catching her sister for the first year at Northwestern after years of doing it on their way to the varsity level. “I love catching because I control the pitch and the field. I’m the only player who can see the whole field in front of me.”

Emily has played years of tournament and travel softball, which contributed to her selection to last year’s All Colonial League Team. She pitched Northwestern to the district semifinals with a victory over Wilson. Any time Tiger head coach Josh Zimmerman gives her the ball, she pushes her self-discipline button.

“I love the mental part of pitching,” Emily said. “Actually, I find it exhilarating when the other team heckles me. It helps me keep my composure and focus even more on the batter.”

“We’re usually on the same page when I’m thinking ‘how we can get the batter out,’” said Anna. “We might call the right pitch, but like any pitcher, sometimes Emily misses her spots.”

“I can talk to my sister in a way that I wouldn’t to a different catcher,” said Emily. “It’s an advantage too because we go home together, so we can talk about what worked and what didn’t after a game.”

“Last year Emily pitched to Brooke Wehr, who was our All-State catcher,” said Zimmerman. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Emily pitching to her sister accelerated the learning curve this season that usually takes a period of adjustment between a pitcher and a catcher. Emily and Anna definitely feed off each other, and you can tell they know what each other is thinking.”

Zimmerman’s lineup includes, not one, but three sets of sisters.

Ashley Sisco, currently batting .600, plays first base, while her sister Sam starts at shortstop. Kayla Mitman starts at third base, while her sister Molly patrols centerfield.

“Having all these sisters is a double-edged sword, “ said Zimmerman. “They practice together and eat dinner together. I tell them to leave their family affairs at home, and they’ve been great together when they walk inside the lines.”

Speaking of family affairs, Emily said she likes spending time off the field with Anna just “kicking back.” They are not much into sitting around and playing with their cell phones. They’ll play cards or kickball or swim. Their post-high school aspirations are similar, too. They want to have careers in medical fields

Emily and Anna are not only succeeding for Zimmerman’s Northwestern Tigers on the softball field,

They are also both achieving straight A’s in the classroom, too.

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PITCHING GEMS ... It was a great week for pitchers in the area.

Last Wednesday, softball pitchers stole the show as Tamaqua’s Jada Schellhammer and Northern Lehigh’s Kaitlin Hoffman were both unhittable.

Schellhammer fired a four-inning perfect game in a 22-0 victory over Lourdes, while Hoffman tossed a three-inning no-hitter in a 17-0 victory over Catasauqua.

On Monday, it was baseball’s turn as Northern Lehigh’s Luke Eitner tossed a no-hitter in a 15-0 victory over Moravian Academy.

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SUPER STADIUMS ... Pleasant Valley, Northern Lehigh and Northwestern all got a taste of the big time over the weekend as all three teams played in Minor League baseball stadiums.

On Saturday, Pleasant Valley and Stroudsburg played their Eastern Pennsylvania Conference game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown — the home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The Bears dropped a 12-5 decision.

On Sunday, the Bulldogs and Tigers took their Colonial League rivalry game to PNC Park in Moosiuc — the home of the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Northern Lehigh pulled out a 5-2 victory in that game.

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THEY’RE IN .... Northwestern became the first local baseball or softball team to secure a postseason berth. The Tiger baseball team picked up its 10th victory of the season on Saturday when it beat Moravian Academy, clinching a District 11 spot in the process.

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WALKING IT OFF ... Panther Valley’s Tristan Blasko and Northwestern’s Ashley Sisco both came through in the clutch on Friday.

Blasko delivered a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to give the Panther baseball team a 4-3 victory over Tri-Valley.

Meanwhile, Sisco ripped a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh to cap a four-run rally and give the Tiger softball team a 5-4 victory over Notre Dame.

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LUCKY 13 ... A total of 13 area athletes or teams turned in first-place finishes at track and field invitationals last week.

Marian’s Tina Capparrell was the only double winner, capturing both the 800 and 1600 meter runs at the Jack Roddick Invitational at Shippensburg University. Tamaqua’s Alyssa Camponizzi also had a first in the meet, capturing the javelin.

At the Jim Thorpe Invitational, the host Olympians got first-place finishes from Lydia Wallace (400 meters), Jarrin Geisinger (100 meters), William Munson (shot put) and Jason Scott (discus). Also in that meet, Northern Lehigh’s Robert Shoff (triple jump) and Tamaqua’s Paige Demetriades (pole vault) picked up victories.

At the Allentown School District meet, Lehighton’s Tahmir Spencer (200), Kaia Slay (long jump) and Isabelle Meckes (discus); Palmerton’s Jordan Nelson (110 hurdles); and the Northwestern girls 3200 meter relay team all placed first.

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THAT’S A RELIEF (PITCHER) ... Palmerton’s

Wade Haydt had a near-perfect relief outing on Monday. Haydt entered the game in the third inning against Salisbury with the Bombers trailing 7-1. He proceeded to toss four-and-two-thirds innings of two-hit, no-run relief. Haydt’s outstanding performance out of the bullpen allowed Palmerton to rally for an 8-7 victory.