JACKSON TWP — Courtney Grootegoed played with fire one too many times Thursday.

Seneca Valley's senior softball pitcher loaded the bases three times against North Hills, but the Raiders kept the Indians from scoring in the top of the first inning and again in the fifth.

North Hills (2-1, 2-1) made up for it in the top of the seventh, however.

With the bases loaded, two outs and trailing 3-0, Indians catcher Nicole Tschannen drove Grootegoed's pitch over the left field fence and just inside the foul pole.

The grand slam powered North Hills to a 4-3 road win over the Raiders.

Grootegoed escaped the two previous jams with a groundout and lineout, respectively.

"I was hoping she'd get out of it for a third time," said SV coach George Trew. "But I've got to give (Tschannen) credit. Courtney left the ball up and she turned on it and smacked it."

"I was totally confident in Nicole," said North Hills coach Dana Pecanis. "And I was glad she had confidence in herself."

The top of the seventh began innocently enough with Grootegoed striking out Jessica Rectenwald.

But the next two batters, Stephanie Wiegand and Julia Klein, singled before both advanced on Rachel Van Atta's groundout.

With two outs, Kate Murgi walked, setting the stage for Tschannen's grand slam.

Grootegoed struck out six and walked five in seven innings.

The Raiders (4-1, 3-1) received a leadoff single from Dana Hughes in the bottom of the seventh, but the junior was stranded at second base.

SV drew first blood when Ashley Watkins hit a solo home run to left in the bottom of the second inning.

Run-scoring singles from Grootegoed and Megan McCormick in the next inning made it 3-0.

All three runs came off of North Hills starter Rachel Van Atta, who eventually picked up the win after striking out six and walking one in seven innings.

Though she gave up a few early runs, she never allowed the Raiders to have that breakout inning.

"She pitched a few times last year for us," Pecanis said. "But for a first-year starter, she's so composed."

Last season, it was the Raiders who dealt a heartbreaking loss to the Indians at Raider Field when Jackie Mangola's two-run single in the bottom of the seventh gave SV a 4-3 win.

"This was a great win over a very good team," said Pecanis. "Our kids played hard, played together and they never gave up."

Trew is not concerned that his team's first loss of the season will have any lingering effects.

"We'll be done with it tomorrow," he said of the defeat. "We'll just come back and work harder.

"What happened today just shows how close teams are in our section."

North Hills 000 000 4—4 8 0Seneca Valley 012 000 0—3 10 1W: Rachel Van Atta (6 K, 1 BB).

L: Courtney Grootegoed (6 K, 5 BB).

North Hills (2-1, 2-1): Stephanie Wiegand 3-1B, Julia Klein 1B, Rachel Van Atta 1B, Nicole Tschannen GSHR, Katie Reed 2-1B

Seneca Valley (4-1, 3-1): Dana Hughes 2-1B, Jackie Mangola 1B R, Courtney Grootegoed 2-1B RBI, Megan McCormick 1B RBI, Ashley Watkins 1B HR, Kelsey Gray 1B, Lauren Hunt 1B R

Saturday: Seneca Valley at Shaler