Sierra Fretz has spent most of the season searching for her most impactful swing. Within the last few days, the Upper Perkiomen sophomore worked out a

UPHS catcher Morgan Lindsay grabs a foul ball as third baseman Kelsey Bernhart slides in to aid her.

mechanical flaw. On Tuesday afternoon, Fretz's sixth inning home run lifted her team to a 5-3 victory over Pope John Paul II in the Pioneer Athletic Conference.

            "The key to hitting is always going back to having solid mechanics," she said.

Fretz and Morgan Lindsay each delivered two hits for the Indians, who will return to the Final Four for the third straight year as the Frontier Division champions with a victory over Pottstown on Wednesday. The four-team conference playoffs open Monday at Spring-Ford High School.

"It feels amazing to be back in the conference playoffs," Fretz said. "The competition is so good."

            Lindsay started Tuesday's game with a solo home run. Lily Dibble retired 14 of the final 15 hitters she faced to post the mound victory for Upper Perkiomen. She permitted just two earned runs on five hits.

            According to head coach Dean Sullivan, Fretz's swing has been a little off for most of the season. The coach said she displayed her normal, powerful swing against the Panthers that has been missing.  "It was great to see Sierra get going," Sullivan said. "She swung with aggression. Hopefully she can keep this going for three or four more weeks."

            According to Fretz, she figured out the need to keep her hands inside the baseball. When her swing is right, she's able to use the right side of the field. 

            In the fourth inning, with her team down 3-1, Fretz sparked a two-run rally with a leadoff double to right field. Her opposite field smash hit the fence. Fretz and Kelsey Bernhart eventually scored from third and second base, respectively, on Lynssi Joyce's squeeze bunt.

            Fretz broke the 3-3 tie leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, hitting the first pitch from Faith Heyler over the fence in center field.  "The pitch was right down the middle," Fretz said.

            The Indians added an insurance run later in the inning on Lindsay's second hit. Her single to left plated Kylene Gooch, who walked.

            Lindsay, who recorded her 100th career hit one night earlier in a 3-1 loss to Spring-Ford, batted leadoff and played third base. The visiting Panthers intentionally walked her twice following the home run. Sullivan said he moved Lindsay to the top of the lineup in an attempt to get her more pitches to hit. She has been walked intentionally 12 times this season, according to the coach.

            "It can get frustrating at times," Lindsay said. "But the most important thing is that I get on base."

            Lindsay's milestone hit, an RBI single in the fourth inning against the visiting Rams, staked Upper Perkiomen to a 1-0 lead. 

            "Getting to 100 hits is a big deal," she said. "It's a great accomplishment.'

Dibble took the shutout into the seventh, when Spring-Ford – described by Sullivan as one of the top 10 teams in the entire state – rallied for three runs. Its initial two hitters reached on consecutive errors, before Dibble retired the next two hitters. However, Bri Peck delivered the game-winning, three-run homer.

            "We played great," the coach said. "Two bobbles cost us the game. Our ladies proved they can hang with the best."

            On Thursday, May 2, the Indians registered a 5-4 road victory over Perkiomen Valley. Dibble went the distance for the mound victory, allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

Dani Freer finished with two hits, including a triple, scored two runs and drove in two for Upper Perkiomen, which managed five hits. Jenna Sullivan scored twice, Morgan Lindsay added a triple.

            The Indians rallied for three runs in the top of seventh inning to post a 7-4 victory over Phoenixville on Wednesday, May 1. Freer finished with a triple and three RBI.

Alexa Banner registered two hits, stole two bases and scored twice. Lindsay tripled and scored twice and Bernhart delivered two RBI.

            The host Phantoms scored four runs in the fifth inning off Dibble, who earned the win while scattering eight hits.