ALLENTOWN - Through the first six innings of Thursday’s District 11 Class 3A softball championship game, Palmerton and Palisades combined for no runs on six hits and no errors.

The next four innings, however, saw 11 runs score on 11 hits with five errors committed.

Those final innings also saw the Blue Bombers continuously mount rallies to extend the game - only to come up a run short. Palisades collected its third straight district title with a 6-5 victory over Palmerton in 10 innings at Patriots Park in Allentown.

After a clean - and scoreless - six innings, the softball gods decided to have a little fun starting in the seventh inning.

With one out, Palisades center fielder Ailish Kelleher reached on an infield single. A little blooper just past the infield dirt put runners on first and second before the fun began.

Pinch-hitter Aubrey Boushell hit a little pop up to the first base side of the circle and pitcher Carley Gaffney had to dive to make a play, but the ball went off the end of her glove and rolled wildly into foul territory. Palmerton’s Cadee Munjone tracked it down and alertly fired to first catching Boushell rounding the base for the second out of the inning, but Kelleher turned Boushell’s baserunning miscue into a run when she sprinted home and scored uncontested to make it 1-0.

Palisades starter Karlye Teman cruised through the first six innings and came out to pitch the seventh looking to finish off the Bombers.

Emily Christopher worked a leadoff walk, which is never a good thing for a pitcher. Hailey Delgado dutifully bunted her to second as Palmerton played for the tie, but Teman got the second out and thought she had the game wrapped up when Sydney Frantz hit a soft fly ball to right field. The ball came down with right fielder Emily Wallbillich camped under it, but it wound up bouncing off her glove and falling to the ground as courtesy runner Mikayla Pengelly scored from second.

Gaffney retired Palisades in order to keep the game tied 1-1 going to the bottom of the eighth. Teman retired the first two batters quickly, but then issued a two-out walk ahead of a double by Madison Green to put runners on second and third. This time, it was Teman’s turn to settle in, and she got the final out of the inning.

While Palmerton’s two-out rally fell short in the eighth, Palisades mounted a successful two-out rally when Kelleher collected her second hit of the day, went to second on a wild pitch and then scored when Bri Hunter hit a little pop up behind first that three fielders converged on - but none caught - as the Pirates went up 2-1.

Teman failed to learn her lesson about leadoff walks and Delgado reached to open the ninth. An attempt to move her over with a bunt was popped up behind the plate and Hunter retreated from her catcher’s spot to record the out. Frantz then legged out an infield single, while Delgado used good baserunning to move to third before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Hailey Barry to knot the game at two.

High school softball uses the ghost runner rule starting with the 10th inning and with Boushell on second, a routine ground ball to short got through into left field to give Palisades a 3-2 lead. A sacrifice bunt and a ground out gave Palmerton the chance to limit the damage with a runner on third and two outs, but Teman gave herself some room to maneuver when she singled to center and went to second when the ball was misplayed as Palisades made it 4-2. An intentional walk put runners on first and second before another fielding error - the third of the inning - brought home Teman. A ground ball single to center then made it 6-2 in favor of Palisades.

“I don’t know if the girls started feeling the pressure, but it was a shame because everything was so well played all the way through and then all of that happened, but that’s just part of the game,” said Palmerton head coach Robert Hock.

If you guessed that another leadoff walk - the third in four innings - would lead to problems for Palisades, you would be right. This time it was Munjone who walked, and a passed ball moved her to second, pushing ghost runner Gaffney to third. Green dropped a perfectly placed pop up just past second base for a run and the Bombers had life, but still trailed 6-3. A ground ball to short brought home Munjone and Tessa Sander stroked a line drive to right to make it 6-5.

Frantz then lifted a well hit fly ball to center, but Kelleher was there to make the catch before leaping into the air to kick start the Palisades celebration.

“Both teams gave the crowd their money’s worth today,” said Hock. “It was a close game all the way through, and everyone battled to the end. That’s all you can ask for and eventually, someone’s going to win and unfortunately, we came up a little short. But we were right there till the end, the last swing, really.”

THE LONG GOODBYE … Palmerton graduates six seniors, all of whom were in the starting lineup on Thursday. “They’re just great ball players, great kids, and the program will miss them. The coaches will miss them, the team will miss them, that’s for sure,” said Hock.

OUTFIELD ROBBERY … Sophomore Hailey Barry was robbed of a two-run home run in the third when left fielder Rhiley Poniktera made a leaping catch before tumbling over the flexible fencing in left field while hanging onto the ball.

Palisades 000 000 101 4 - 6 9 3

Palmerton 000 000 101 3 - 5 8 3

Teman and Hunter; Gaffney and Delgado. W - Teman. L - Gaffney.