PINETOWN — For a team accustomed to 15-0 blowouts, double-digit hits and shortened contests, there was nothing easy about Northside’s 1-0 win over Princeton in Round 3 of the NCHSAA state tournament on Wednesday.

Every inning required the Panthers best — each pitch calculated and nearly every play in the field executed to perfection. Redemption, clearly, was the ultimate goal.

“For these girls, this is my first year and I can’t be more proud to be a part of it,” said head coach Riley Youmans after the game. “It’s an honor to coach these girls. As far as beating Princeton, absolutely, I think it is definitely redemption.”

Northside entered Wednesday looking to add a chapter to a narrative that began last season when the No. 1-seeded Panthers gave up a season-high nine runs in an upset loss to the Bulldogs. Exactly one year and a 22-straight wins later, Northside would again host Princeton in Round 3, but the end result hardly mirrored that of last season.

In a classic pitchers’ duel, Princeton’s Hailey Wood and Northside’s Rachel and Kelsey Lang traded strikeouts. Through seven innings, both lineups combined for just five hits — four from Princeton and one from Northside, the lone hit barely managing to trickle five feet from home plate.

“That’s just what it’s all about,” Youmans said. “Those girls battled hard, they came through and never gave up. Those girls are confident in what they do and I’m confident in them. That’s just good softball all the way around.”

With a vertical top-to-bottom delivery, Wood utilized her plus fastball and fluttering changeup to keep hitters guessing, while Rachel Lang came out and showcased her full arsenal of pitches, including a rise ball that induced about half of her 10 strikeouts. Kelsey Lang came on to pitch in the fifth inning and picked up right where her sister left off, giving up two hits and recording two strikeouts.

Despite a virtually flawless outing, Wood earned the loss, allowing a mere three base runners on one hit and two walks, picking up seven strikeouts.

After a first inning that featured six batters and six strikeouts, Bulldogs first baseman Beth Braswell was the first runner to reach on a walk in the second, though Rachel Lang prompted a fly out and a strikeout to escape further damage.

In the top of the fourth, the Panthers finally broke up the perfect game after junior Mackensi Swain turned a lengthy at bat into a walk, but Wood went on to retire the next two batters on seven pitches. However, Princeton threatened in the bottom of the frame, as Wood and Braswell recorded back-to-back singles with one out. Rachel Lang followed by striking out Kortney Edwards, but would walk Kelsey Peeden to load the bases. After getting ahead in the count against Logan Pace, Rachel Lang got out of the inning with a pop fly to catcher Kendall Alligood.

Northside avoided what would have been a crippling run in the fourth and then proceeded to strike in the fifth. Taonya Stanley worked a walk and Mariah Stanley followed with a bunt single, the only Northside hit of the game, giving the host its first runner in scoring position. Both Mariah Stanley and pinch runner Quortasia Clark advanced on a wild pitch and Clark came around to score on yet another wild pitch, one that proved to be the difference down the stretch.

With two outs in the seventh, the Bulldogs’ backs up against the wall, ninth hitter Meghan Bryant reached first on an error by the third baseman. Leadoff hitter Charley Cox scorched a single up the middle, advancing Bryant, the tying run, to second.

Youmans visited the mound and instead of a pep talk, swapped Kelsey Lang with Rachel Lang, once again. As Rachel battled through the final at bat, Kesley walked over from first base for a pep talk.

“I told Rachel she needs to throw her game,” Kelsey said. “She knows how to do it. She did wonderful and I’m very proud of her, very proud to call her my little sister.”

Rachel dialed up a fastball and blew it by the final batter to end the game and send Northside to Round 4.

“You have the Lang girls who can switch it back and forth and throw their timing off,” Youmans said. “Our bats came up a little slow, but in the end, we earned a run, manufactured a run and that’s all it takes when you get to this level.”

With the win, Northside improves to 23-0 and will face No. 5-seeded Whiteville (20-4, 13-1 Three Rivers) in the next round. The Wolfpack is fresh off a 7-2, upset win over No. 4-seeded Trask in Round 3.

“It means everything to a small community,” Youmans said. “These girls have been playing together since they were five or six years old. They know each other, work well with each other and just have a good rapport. You can see right now how they get along so good together and that’s what it takes to be a good team.”