For the first time in 14 years, the EHS softball team is headed to the District XI championship after an intense semifinal victory over the Stroudsburg Mountaineers.

Entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed, the Hornets received a first-round bye before defeating Liberty High School 8-2 in the quarterfinals. The team then captured an exciting 2-1 win over the Mountaineers to secure their spot in the district final.

The semifinal game ultimately came down to the final inning in dramatic fashion. The Hornets trailed 1-0 after the Mountaineers scored in the third inning, leaving them to enter their final at-bat, needing a spark. 

With two runners on base and the game on the line, junior Sydney Bennett delivered. Bennett drove a ball deep to left-center field that bounced off the fence, allowing seniors Brianna Gitski and Taylor Hauver to run to home plate and seal the walk-off victory for the Hornets.

Junior pitcher Mari Eiswerth played a major role in the win, recording 14 strikeouts in a dominant performance on the mound. 

The victory ended a 16-year PIAA State Tournament drought for the softball team and moved them within reach of their first district championship since 2007.

Throughout the season, the softball team has relied on a talented and experienced roster to carry them to victory. Eiswerth was named EPC All-Conference first team MVP, while Hauver and senior Abby Derr received first team recognition.

Several Hornets were also recognized on the EPC Lehigh Division teams. Derr, Gitski, junior Morgan Schwab, and Hauver earned first team selections, while junior Julia Defanti and sophomore Haleigh Gigliotti were named to the second team.

The Hornets will now take on Northampton High School, the tournament’s No. 5 seed, in the championship game on May 28 at 7 p.m. at Patriots Park in Allentown.