For the first time in four months, high school sports were back in the Lehigh Valley.

After the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of all scholastic spring sports, seniors like Wilson Area High School’s Brianna Coyle faced the prospect of not putting on their team colors again.

Thanks to the Lehigh Valley High School Showcase, softball players from 16 schools throughout the region get to represent their schools once more, in the three-day tournament that started Tuesday.

“When I first heard about this tournament I actually started to cry,” Coyle said after Wilson’s win against Salisbury. “Being a high school senior and not being able to get our season, I take pride in this team … This is just a great group of girls and a great coaching staff. It’s awesome.”

The tournament was broken up into four pools of four teams. Pools A and D played their games Tuesday at Moore Township Recreation Park. Pools B and C will play Wednesday. The winner of each pool will advance to the semifinals at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown on Thursday, with the final to follow.

“We kind of figured (the season cancellation) was coming, but it was still depressing. You look forward to the season every year,” Bangor coach Rich Kessler said. “When we found out about this, it brought that excitement back. It’s a great opportunity and I’m really happy for them.”

The return to action was a little more exciting for senior-loaded Liberty, which planned to welcome back coach Sam Carrodo this spring.

“This season was supposed to be special for everybody involved because last year our head coach Sam Carrodo, was sick,” said Barbara Wissmer, who served as the Hurricanes’ coach on Wednesday. “He couldn’t even coach the team. This year was his season to come back — that was the first thing. The second thing is we have 13 seniors.”

Despite all of its seniors in the lineup, it was a junior, Tori Panik, whose walk-off hit sealed a comeback 6-5 win over Salisbury in the Hurricanes’ first pool game.

“Being with the people I’ve been playing with for so long and just the excitement, it’s amazing. I love it. I can’t explain it; it’s incredible,” Panik said. “It means the world to (the seniors). They all love the sport; they all love playing together … It means absolutely everything for them to be back out here.”

Despite the tournament being planned about a month ago, recent COVID-19 surges and the ever-changing quarantine guidelines made it difficult to know whether or not it would ever happen.

“It was a little nerve-racking trying to believe that it could happen, but also (having) that little worry that it might not happen with everything bouncing back-and-forth with the virus,” Northampton senior Jordan Geroulo said after the Konkrete Kids’ 5-1 win against Liberty. “I’ll never forget this moment … I love softball. This is my senior year and with all this pandemic stuff happening, we still get to play one more time together.”

While all 16 teams hope to play at Coca-Cola Park and win the championship, the lack of sports has offered a change in perspective and attitude throughout the competition.

“My expectations for my team were just to have fun, honestly … This is a fun time to get together, be with your high school teammates and give it a shot,” Notre Dame coach Fran Rowley said. “I have two seniors playing for me and I just think they were the most excited about it, just to give it one more hurrah. It’s just a different vibe … I think it will be a nice highlight.”

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Desmond Boyle may be reached at dboyle@lehighvalleylive.com.