Before the tornado warning, Perkiomen School's softball team seemed

Perkiomen School shortstop Abbey Glavin tags a Mercy runner attempting to steal second base during the fifth inning Monday.

headed towards an early exit from the Tri-County League Independent School playoffs. But a suspension after one inning allowed the team to regroup.

            On Monday, the host Panthers resumed their semifinal round game against Mercy Career & Technical High School in top form. They needed only 67 minutes to rally from a two-run deficit and post a 15-4, five-inning victory.

            Lena Felix and Julia Kelly each highlighted a pair of seven-run rallies for Perkiomen School. Felix delivered a grand slam in the third inning, while Kelly smacked a two-run double to propel the team to Wednesday's league championship game against Renaissance Academy.

            Felix, a senior catcher and Pennsburg resident, finished with two hits and drove in five runs for the Panthers.  Frances Del Toro, Abbey Glavin, Bianca Diaz and Kelly each delivered two hits. Del Toro, their leadoff hitter, scored three runs.

            "For every at-bat, every pitch and every inning, our heads were in the game," said Kelly, a sophomore from Quakertown. "When the game started, we were not into it. But this time we were."

            On April 15, Perkiomen School (7-5) allowed three runs in the top of the first inning to Mercy. Pitcher Ally Brauchle allowed three hits and issued three walks. The team got within 3-1 on an unearned run in the bottom of the first before inclement weather halted the game.

            "We were very fortunate the way the game was going," coach Melissa Gaiser said. "There's no way there would have been a good outcome for us had it finished."

            In the third inning of the resumed game, the Panthers rallied for seven runs on four hits. They sent 11 hitters to the plate. Felix's slam put them ahead for good. An RBI single by Diaz capped the rally.

            One inning later, they added seven more runs to induce the 10-run rule. Kelly's double opened an 11-4 advantage. She scored on a single up the middle by Henielys Ramos. Del Toro's run-scoring hit capped the fourth-inning outburst, which included 13 hitters and four runs.

           "Julia has had a really good year," Gaiser said.

            On the mound, Brauchle permitted just one earned run in her final four innings of work. She gave up three hits and issued just one walk.

            "We had a good warm up (prior to the restart)," Gaiser said.  "So I knew it was going to be a good game.

            According to the coach, Perkiomen School gradually came together recently after some early struggles. She said the inclement weather in the March stunted the players' collective growth.

            "The performance improved as the girls grew together as a family," Gaiser said.

            Kelly expected the Panthers, who reached the league title game last year, would do the same this year despite losing several key players to graduation. She said a quality performance on May 2 against George School, a non-league opponent, convinced her that they could get back this season.

            "My first year here, the team was solid," Kelly said. "This group has proven the same thing. I can't wait to play in another championship game."