Eight days after playing for one postseason title, Upper Perkiomen's softball team will have another opportunity to capture a championship trophy. A trip to the state tournament will also be at stake.

Emma Davidheiser, left, scores Upper Perkiomen's first run in its District One Class 4A playoff game against Nazareth Academy on May 23.

          The Indians advanced to today's District One Class 4A title game with a 2-0 victory over Nazareth Academy in the semifinal round Tuesday. Madalyn Dyer led them to the win on the mound by notching 15 strikeouts. Their only senior allowed just one hit and issued two walks on 102 pitches.

            The Tribe scored both its runs in the bottom of the second inning. Ashley Forrest posted the only RBI during the rally.

            Upper Perk added an unearned run off Pandas pitcher Jill DiMario.

            Kristina Molnar, Dyer, Morgan Robinson and Maddie Deeble each also registered a hit for Upper Perkiomen.

            The No. 2 seeded Indians (17-6), who reached the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship game on May 17, will take on No. 1 seeded Villa Maria Academy at 4 p.m. Thursday at Methacton High School. The winner advances to the PIAA tournament.

            Upper Perkiomen responded affirmatively from a six-inning loss in the conference title game.  Owen J. Roberts rolled to an 11-0 victory on May 17 at Boyertown High School.

            "I told the girls this game was a life lesson," head coach Dean Sullivan said after the loss under the lights at Bear Park. "They are going to fail in life. Now it's about how they respond. Moving forward, we've got to win four or five games in a row to succeed."

            The Wildcats captured the PAC title for the first time since 2009. They scored eight runs in their final two at-bats to trigger the 10-run rule.
            Sullivan knew not to expect any slack from OJR, even though his team's late-season victory over Methacton allowed it to sneak into the four-team tournament. The No. 4 seed pounded out 13 hits off Dyer.
             "It was their time," Sullivan said, "The Wildcats put the ball in play and they hit it hard. They kind of have Madalyn's number."
            Sophia Grillo delivered four hits, including a third-inning homer, and drove in three runs. The leadoff hitter scored three runs.
            Jacqi Skonieczny and Rachel Epps had two hits. Epps' two-run single in the fifth inning highlighted a three-run rally. Liv Egan's two-run single in the sixth inning capped Owen J. Roberts' five-run outburst.
            Darby Gasda had two of the Tribe's four hits. Ashley Forrest and Morgan Robinson delivered the team's other singles during the fourth inning.
            A pair of base running miscues helped deny the team its first outright PAC championship since 1988. In the first inning, Gasda led off with a single but was out at second base on Elizabeth Proctor's deep fly ball to center.
            Three innings later, with her team trailing 3-0, Proctor worked a leadoff walk. Dyer followed with a line drive to center field. Proctor, who rounded second as the ball was caught, was doubled off at first base.
            According to Sullivan, Proctor didn't think the center fielder would catch the ball. The coach said the base runner put her head down and kept running.
            "At that point, we had to take a chance," Sullivan said.
            The Indians continued to threaten in the fourth inning by putting runners on second and third on two-out hits by Forrest and Robinson. But Wildcats pitcher Nat Allred recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
            "We showed a little fight," the coach said. "Things might have picked up for us had we scored there."