Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

Freedom Lady Patriots came into Thursday’s game against a strong Northampton team with momentum already building.

Five straight wins.

Confidence growing.

And maybe more importantly… tested.

Their last loss came against Abington Heights — a powerhouse 5A program out of Scranton, Lackawanna County — in an eight-inning battle that ended 4-3. No shame in that. Not when you’re talking about one of the top teams in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Not when that same team turned around and dominated the defending 4A state champion Valley View Lady Cougars, 12-0, in six innings earlier this week. A mercy-rule win. Against a team that returned seven starters.

And Freedom?

They went toe-to-toe with them.

Pitch for pitch. Inning for inning. No backing down.

Their only other loss came in a tight 2-1 game against the Liberty Hurricanes. Another battle. Another game that could have gone either way. Maybe not their cleanest performance. Maybe a few moments they’d want back. But even in that one… they were right there.

Freedom and ace pitcher Madison Bixler will get another chance at Liberty on May 4, and this time, the Lady Patriots have different plans. They are hoping to flip the result and pull out another big win.

Since then?

They’ve responded.

This past Monday, Freedom knocked off a tough New Jersey squad — the Phillipsburg Stateliners — 9-2.

Now sitting at 15-2, the Lady Patriots aren’t just winning games…

They’re proving something.

This is one of the toughest teams in their conference. One of the most battle-tested. And at the center of it all — the steady presence that never speeds up, never wavers — is Madison Bixler.

Every team has that one player.

That one heartbeat.

That one presence that settles everything when the moment starts to feel too big.

For Freedom…

That’s Bixler.

When she steps into the circle, you can feel it. The game slows down. The noise fades. And everything starts running through her. She’s not just throwing pitches — she’s controlling the rhythm of the entire game. One pitch at a time. One out at a time. Keeping Freedom grounded. Composed. In control.

“Having Madison gives the rest of the team the confidence we need to go into every game knowing that we can win. as our number 1 pitcher she is a natural leader on the field and commands the team from the circle, making sure everyone is on the same page as her. maddie is one of the most hype girls on our entire team and constantly keeps the energy and enthusiasm up in everyone, especially in the big moments because she is the loudest supporter of our teammates.” Said her teammate, , Peyton  Besecker

Around 50 innings of work, Bixler has been the definition of consistency — holding opponents under a 2.00 ERA, stacking strikeouts, and attacking hitters with confidence.

But the numbers?

They only tell part of it.

It’s the way she responds after giving up a hit.

The way she locks in with runners on base.

The way her presence alone gives the defense — and the entire dugout — the belief that nothing is slipping away.

She’s had dominant moments — complete-game shutouts, electric strikeout performances, and big innings when everything was on the line.

But more than anything?

She’s reliable.

Dependable.

The engine that keeps Freedom moving forward.

Because when Madison Bixler is in the circle…

Freedom isn’t just playing.

They’re in control.

Thursday late afternoon, she was in control again — and with a tough, clean defense behind her, Freedom played like a team that knew exactly what it needed to do.

The first inning opened quietly for the Lady Patriots. Landry Guman struck out swinging, Payton Besecker grounded out to third, and Namelia Duro popped out to right. Northampton matched that defensive energy early, but Bixler answered in the bottom half with the kind of inning that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Josephine Siegfried grounded out to second, Kiley Henritzy struck out swinging, and Hannah Duerr popped out to shortstop Brooklyn Pronovich.

Three up. Three down.

No drama.

Just command.

Freedom broke through in the second inning, and it came quickly. Brooke Rummel started things with a ground-ball single to right field, giving the Patriots their first spark. Then Brooklyn Pronovich stepped in and delivered the swing that changed the game early, sending a fly ball over the center-field fence. Rummel scored ahead of her, and just like that, Freedom had a 2-0 lead.

With Bixler in the circle, that two-run lead felt bigger.

Northampton went quietly in the bottom of the second as Deibert flew out to center, Echevarria struck out swinging, and Marth grounded back to Bixler, who calmly made the play to first. Every inning started to feel the same for Northampton — a little hope, a little contact, and then Freedom’s defense closing the door.

In the third, Freedom added another run with smart, situational softball. Taylor D’Amico walked, and Besecker followed with a line-drive double to right, moving D’Amico to third. Duro then lifted a sacrifice fly to right, bringing D’Amico home and pushing the lead to 3-0. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. It was just clean execution.

Northampton tried to answer in the bottom of the third when Mea Allison singled to center, but Freedom erased the threat almost immediately. Reichl lined into a double play, with Duro making the play at second and throwing to Christina Kish at first.

One swing.

Two outs.

Momentum gone.

That was the story of the game.

Northampton would put a few balls in play, but Freedom kept finding answers.

In the fourth, Raynor singled for the Patriots, but Northampton kept the damage off the board. In the bottom half, Henritzy singled on a line drive to center, but again, Bixler stayed composed. Duerr lined out to left, and Deibert grounded out to second to end the inning.

The fifth stayed quiet, but the control never left Freedom’s side. D’Amico grounded out, Guman struck out, and Besecker popped out in the top half. Then Bixler went right back into rhythm in the bottom half, getting Echevarria to ground out, Gable to strike out looking, and Reagan to fly out in foul territory.

By the sixth inning, the game had settled into Freedom’s pace.

Rummel added another line-drive single to right, and Pronovich moved her into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Freedom could not add on. Northampton still had a chance, but Bixler gave them nothing easy. Allison grounded out, Reichl struck out looking, and Siegfried popped out to second.

Still 3-0.

Still Freedom in control.

Then came the seventh, and the Lady Patriots added the insurance they needed.

Raynor started the inning with a line-drive single to right. Pavolko followed with a double to left, putting runners on second and third. D’Amico walked to load the bases, and Guman did her job with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Raynor and making it 4-0. Moments later, Pavolko scored on a wild pitch, stretching the lead to 5-0.

That felt like the final cushion.

Northampton had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh, and for a moment, they created some traffic. Henritzy reached on a dropped third strike, and Duerr followed with a line-drive single to left. Two runners were on, and the Konkrete Kids were trying to make one last push.

But Bixler never let the moment get too big.

Deibert struck out swinging. Echevarria grounded back to Bixler, moving the runners up but giving Freedom the second out. Then Gable grounded out to Kish at first.

Ballgame.

Freedom 5, Northampton 0.

Freedom’s offense was paced by a balanced attack that produced 7 hits and 5 runs across the night, highlighted by Brooklyn Pronovich, who delivered the biggest swing of the game with a home run and finished with 2 RBIs. Brooke Rummel and Izabella Raynor each collected two hits, helping keep pressure on the Northampton defense, while Morgan Pavolko added a hit and scored. Payton Besecker also contributed with a hit, and the Patriots showed situational execution with sacrifice flies from Landry Guman and Namelia Duro. In the circle, Madison Bixler was dominant, tossing a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits over seven innings while striking out six and not issuing a walk, controlling the game from start to finish.

“Pitch location was a huge part of the game in order to stay ahead and not let anyone on.” Said Freedoms Lady Patriots Madison Bixler

She continued: “I’m very confident in my infield, so going into the game, I knew they had my back no matter what.”

Northampton was limited offensively, managing just three hits on the night, with Kiley Henritzy, Hannah Duerr, and Mea Allison each recording one hit. Despite putting a few balls in play, the Konkrete Kids were unable to generate timely offense against Bixler’s command.

“Having a solid and consistent defense makes maddie and i’s job so much easier because she knows that even if she makes a mistake, the defense has her back and can pick her up just like she is routinely picking them up. going into todays game we knew that northampton had some really good hitters so our defense playing seamlessly today really helped carry maddie through the lineup and to the big win.” Freedoms Peyton  Besecker

In the circle, Olivia Marth took the loss after allowing three runs over three innings, while Rylee Gable provided relief, giving up two runs across four innings with three strikeouts. As a team, Freedom finished with 5 runs on 7 hits and played clean defense with no errors, while Northampton totaled 3 hits and was held scoreless, as the Patriots used timely hitting and strong pitching to secure the 5–0 victory.

“This win today builds a lot of confidence , but I’m also staying very composed and humble. “Said Freedoms Madison Bixler

She added: “It’s helped us a lot, knowing we can compete with anyone and adjust to whoever we play.”

Even her teammates are feeling more confident after the last few big wins.

“We are definitely the most confident we have been so far, and as we keep getting rivalry wins we only get more confident. but overall we are a very humble group and know that in any game anyting can happen so we keep showing up and playing how we do. we are the most tight knit group in all of the epc in my opinion and when we show up everyday to get better with our best friends, playing well is just a side effect.” Peyton  Besecker

And maybe that last line says everything about where Freedom is right now.

Playing well is starting to look like a side effect of something bigger.

A team that trusts its ace.

An ace that trusts her defense.

A lineup that does not need to do too much because it understands how to do enough.

A dugout that believes.

A team that has been tested by elite opponents and has not backed down.

Thursday’s win over Northampton was not just another number in the win column. It was another sign that Freedom is finding its shape at the right time. The Patriots were sharp. They were clean. They were composed. And behind Madison Bixler’s steady command, they looked like a team that knows exactly who it is becoming.

The rematch with Liberty is coming.

The season is getting bigger.

The pressure is only going to rise.

But if Thursday showed anything, it is this:

Freedom is not afraid of the moment.

They have already been through battles.

They have already taken punches.

And now, with Bixler in the circle, a defense behind her, and a lineup doing its job, the Lady Patriots are not just chasing wins.

They are building belief.

One pitch.

One inning.

One statement at a time.

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When you’re ever up in the Scranton/Eynon area anytime from April through October, make sure you stop by Tasty Freeze.

It’s one of those classic NEPA spots with some of the best ice cream around — and they even have a miniature golf course out back, making it a great place for a fun family stop.

Ice cream, mini golf, and good memories — definitely worth checking out! We want thank a moment to appreciate our sponsors and donors this spring 2026 softball season!