She waited two years behind current Penn College standout Mackenzi Tice, but North Penn-Liberty pitcher Elyna Booth did not pout or complain. She simply kept working and preparing.

So, when her opportunity came last spring, Booth was as ready as one could be. And she has spent these past two seasons showing how good she is, too.

Every game is a proving ground and Booth continued proving a lot Monday at Montgomery, throwing a three-hitter, striking out nine and helping North Penn-Liberty defeat the Red Raiders, 7-2. Booth did not allow an earned run, while Julia Kaczynski, Haley Litzelman, Claire Dominick and Maddie McNamara all had two hits as North Penn-Liberty (14-3) won for the 13th time in 14 games.

“I felt overlooked,” Booth said. “It was nice to finally get my chance and prove people wrong.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Ava Hartman throws for Montgomery during a high school softball game against Liberty at Montgomery on Monday.

Booth has become the latest in a pipeline of excellent North Penn-Liberty pitchers over the past decade. She earned Sun-Gazette Pitcher of the Year honors during her breakout junior year, going 11-5 with a 1.24 ERA and 182 strikeouts. Booth immediately caught the attention of colleges and committed to East Stroudsburg last fall.

Doing so has let Booth focus all her attention upon her senior season. Combine that with her determined work ethic and Booth has been even better this season, going 13-3 with a 1.21 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 98 innings.

“It’s nice having that out of the way,” Booth said. “It’s a lot of stress relieved with knowing where I’m going.”

Booth has helped North Penn-Liberty go up the 3A rankings the past two years and eclipsed 300 strikeouts earlier this season, reaching that milestone in just two years. And, while Montgomery (13-5) put together some tough at-bats together against her, Booth grew stronger as the game progressed, letting just one runner reach second base after the first inning.

She is soft spoken, but Booth plays and throws hard. That was evident again Monday as she induced 17 swings and misses and surrendered just two singles after that opening inning when Zoe Furman walked before scoring on an error and Chloe Gordner’s clutch two-out, RBI single.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Brooke Dietrick attempts a tag at second on Liberty's Julia Kaczynski during a high school softball game at Montgomery on Monday.

It was the third straight game in which Booth did not allow an earned run. She also has thrown seven shutouts this season, especially impressive since she plays in the fiercely competitive Northern Tier League.

“She’s such a good kid. Mackenzi is doing great things at Penn College and Elyna just kept going to lessons and working and working and working,” North Penn-Liberty coach Nate McNamara said. “Last year, we went, ‘Wow, she’s really improved.’ She has this year, too, because she has really put in the time that needs to be to pitch.”

North Penn-Liberty features a team full of hard workers and that has helped it take off following a 1-2 start. The Mounties avenged those losses against fellow district title contenders Towanda and Wyalusing during a nine-game winning streak which also included a victory against defending 4A champion Athens.

After Athens won the rematch two weeks ago, North Penn-Liberty has rattled off four more consecutive wins, outscoring the opposition, 28-7.

“Early in the season we were struggling a little bit but we came back,” Booth said. “I’m proud of our team for that.”

“Starting out 1-2, we had a couple tough losses. We had that moment where we said we have to go now,” McNamara said. “We know what districts is going to be, we know what the league is going to be, so we can’t lose five, six or seven games, so the girls dug deep and went on a nice streak. The confidence has been building.”

That showed against Montgomery. Ava Hartman pitched a good game for Montgomery, but the Mounties were able to get some timely hits and take advantage of some defensive miscues. They also did not flinch after Montgomery scored twice and tied game, 2-2 after an inning.

Playing district title contenders nearly every game in the NTL has prepared North Penn-Liberty well for moments like those. The Mounties again responded well and took the lead for good, scoring three times in the third inning.

Kaczynski continued her strong debut season and hit a one-out double before Litzelman, a Bucknell recruit, belted a go-ahead RBI single. Kam Lightner walked, Dominick singled and Booth helped her cause with an RBI grounder.

“Montgomery is a very good team and I thought that’s not enough against this team. They can hit. Looking at their statistics, they put up a lot of runs and have great players,” McNamara said. “As it went to 2-2, they didn’t even flinch. They didn’t think, “Oh my gosh, we just gave up two runs,’ and that’s how they’ve been. They never quit.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Addison Gregor dives back to first as Liberty's Haley Litzelman attempts the tag during a high school softball game at Montgomery on Monday.

North Penn-Liberty tacked on runs in the fourth innings, going up, 7-2. Maddie McNamara sparked the first rally, hitting a lead-off single and coming home on an error. Two innings later, she again was the catalyst, ripping a lead-off single, going to second on Addy Lehman’s bunt and scoring on Kaczynski’s RBI grounder.

Montgomery delivered an encouraging performance which should help it as it prepares for the District 4 Class A playoffs, but the five-run deficit was too much against Booth. She has allowed more than four runs just once this season and has been especially strong down the stretch.

So, while Montgomery, battled, Booth continued surging, retiring the side in order on 12 pitches in the seventh inning. Every win helps as North Penn-Liberty is fighting for a home playoff game and this was another good one for a squad which keeps grinding and improving.

“I really enjoy coaching them because they’re good kids who work hard,” McNamara said. “This group has played volleyball together; basketball together or against each other and then back to playing softball. North Penn-Liberty has built a good softball program and they just continue to work.”

North Penn-Liberty 7,

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's attempts a tag at third on Liberty's Maddie McNamara during a high school softball game at Montgomery on Monday.

Montgomery 2

NP-Liberty 203 101 0–7 8 1

Montgomery 200 000 0–2 3 3

Elyna Booth and Maddie Smith. Ava Hartman and Addison Greger. W–Booth (13-3). L–Harrtman.

Top NP-Liberty hitters: Julia Kaczynski 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, run; Haley Litzelman 2-4, RBI, 2 runs; Claire Dominick 2-4, 2B; Maddie McNamara 2-3, 2 runs. Top Montgomery hitters: Chloe Gordner 1-3, RBI; Greger 1-3; Ramona Kroll 1-3.

Records: North Penn-Liberty (14-3), Montgomery (13-5).

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Arianna Snyder (10), Zoe Furman (22) and catcher Addison Gregor field the ball for a three up - three down seventh inning during a high school softball game at Montgomery on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Elyna Booth throws for Liberty during a high school softball game against Montgomery at Montgomery on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery's Brooke Dietrick attempts a tag at second on Liberty's Maddie McNamara during a high school softball game at Montgomery on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Elyna Booth throws for Liberty during a high school softball game against Montgomery at Montgomery on Monday.