POTTSVILLE — North Schuylkill saved its best swings for last.

The Spartans erased an early four-run deficit and scored twice in the seventh inning to rally past Pottsville 6-4 in a Schuylkill League Division I baseball showdown Thursday at Steidle Field.

“I just said to my guys, the other day we went down 2-0 to Pine Grove and you would’ve thought it was 15-0,” North Schuylkill skipper of 25 years Nick Brayford said. “I just think we went run-for-run, we got a couple here, a couple there, and I can’t give enough credit to Stephen Minahan. He kept us in the game. He didn’t have the start he wanted, probably really only gave up one hard-hit ball, the home run. The other balls, like the popup that should have been caught, maybe the play up the middle should’ve been caught, our shortstop was a little out of position on the one, but it’s a total team effort.”

Pottsville came out sharp, capitalizing on early miscues before Dom Rynard delivered the big blow in the second inning — a two-run homer to right that pushed the Crimson Tide in front 4-0.

Landon Trout kept North Schuylkill in check through the early innings, working efficiently and limiting damage while keeping the Spartans off the scoreboard through two frames as the starter.

North Schuylkill began to chip away in the third.

The Spartans got on the board to cut into the deficit and continued to work Pottsville’s pitching staff with disciplined at-bats. That approach paid off in the fifth inning when Dylan Cairo lined an RBI single and Hunter Rogers followed with a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 4-4 and shifting momentum.

The decisive moment came in the seventh. After working two runners on base, Chase Slotcavage delivered the biggest hit of the day — a go-ahead two-run triple to the gap that gave the Spartans their first lead. Slotcavage finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Mark Monahan sparked the offense from the lower half of the lineup with two hits and three runs scored.

“Our eight-nine hitters — awesome today,” Brayford said. “Cairo and Monahan were awesome. They were absolutely awesome; they did what we asked them to do. They put the ball in play and got on base, and that’s what they have to do.”

“(Hunter’s) a kid who has done a complete 180,” Brayford added. “In other years he led through voice; this year he’s leading through actions. Hunter’s doing a great job as a senior, and that’s what a senior leader does. He takes all the blame, takes all the credit, but he keeps everyone in the game.”

Minahan struck out eight over five innings while working around traffic on the bases as the starter. Rogers took over late and earned the win, tossing two hitless innings with three strikeouts to secure the save.

Rynard led Pottsville with two hits and two RBIs, while Trout scored twice and added a hit. The Crimson Tide showed patience at the plate, drawing six walks, but left eight runners on base and were held without a hit over the final four innings as North Schuylkill completed the comeback.

“I don’t think there has ever been a year since I’ve been coaching where there are zero cake walks,” Brayford said. “Not to mention, but Panther Valley has (Danny) Wehr, Tamaqua has (Jake) Yenser. Back in the day when there was a Jim Thorpe or Lehighton that wasn’t the best, we don’t have that. I’m happy with this crew, though, and hopefully we can keep the momentum going.”