Nazareth, PA — By Kyle Craig | For lehighvalleylive.com Isa Jackson nearly sent an extra-base hit down the right field line in his first at-bat on Thursday night. The Easton senior settled for an RBI off an infield single. A few innings later, however, Jackson wouldn’t be denied by the foul line. He sent a double past third base, plating what ultimately became the game’s decisive run. Easton, which built a 6-0 lead, held off No. 5 Nazareth for a 6-5 victory during a chilly Eastern Pennsylvania Conference East Division contest at Coca-Cola Park. “It feels great. It’s a big win,” Jackson said. “... We’ve just got to keep pushing. We’ve put in hard work. We’ve just got to transfer it over to the field, go out there and get the job done.” Jackson drove in the Red Rovers’ opening and final runs, recording his first two hits and RBIs of 2024 in the process. “Isa is a great kid,” Easton coach Carm LaDuca said. “He works hard.” Easton (3-4 overall, 3-4 EPC), which snapped a four-game losing skid, took control by posting a crooked number in the top of the second inning. Seniors Nick Chieffo and Alex Laquintano both singled and sophomore Khamryn Singto walked to load the bases. Jackson shot a ball past the first base bag that was ruled foul – to the dismay of Red Rovers first base coach Michael LaDuca. The senior then cued one onto the infield grass, where it was fielded by Nazareth pitcher Chase Kilareski, who had no play as the first run scored. A grounder by junior Anthony Suffness trickled past the Blue Eagles first and second basemen to make it 2-0. Sophomore Cole Ordway and senior Harol Rodriguez added sacrifice flies to extend the advantage to 4-0. The Rovers tacked on another run in the fourth when Ordway smoked a single to shortstop as Jackson, who led off the frame with a walk, scored. Jackson extended the lead to 6-0 in the next inning by ripping the only double of the evening past a diving third baseman to bring home Singto, who singled. “I was just trying to put the ball in play and get some runs,” Jackson said. Jackson also provided the defensive highlight of the night with a diving catch in left field to rob Nazareth’s Vincent Paar in the bottom of the second. “That was an incredible catch,” Carm LaDuca said. Nazareth (6-3, 6-2) loaded the bases in the fourth inning thanks to a walk by Paar and singles from seniors Arye Pulli and Paul Serra. Easton starter Rowan Galiotto coaxed a groundout to end the threat. The Blue Eagles rallied for all five of their runs in the next inning. Senior Aidan Butz kicked things off with a single and Kilareski followed with a walk, which chased Galiotto in favor of junior Zach Mattes. Easton nearly turned a double play, but an error on the throw to first allowed Butz to score Nazareth’s opening run. Paar stung an RBI knock past third base to make it 6-2. Blue Eagles senior Mason Kuehner then blooped a single into right field to plate another run. Pulli, who was 3-for-3, plated Paar with a single through the left side of the infield, and Kuehner scored on a sacrifice fly by Serra to trim the deficit to 6-5. Nazareth coach Bryan Wolf was happy his team didn’t close up shop after falling behind by six. “I tip my cap to Easton,” he said. “They made the plays when they needed to make the plays. They came up big in the last couple innings.” Butz walked to start the bottom of the sixth but was erased by a double play. Kilareski laced a ball to Singto at second. The Rover stepped on the bag and completed the relay himself. Mattes worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout. “We’re proud of them, because we stumbled a little bit in the fifth inning and we were able to right the ship,” Carm LaDuca said. “... I brought the kids together at the end of that (fifth) inning and I said, ‘You’re still winning this game. Now, put it behind you and do what you need to do to finish out the last two innings.’ And boy, they really showed up.” Easton will try to get back to .500 at East Stroudsburg North on Friday. Nazareth has a non-league matchup against Bangor on Saturday. Thursday’s result was another example of the EPC’s unpredictable nature this spring. “There is a lot of parity this year,” Wolf said. “I still say Liberty is the best until someone beats them when it counts. But, there is parity across the league where anybody can beat anybody on any given day. We just try to get up for every game. Easton was 2-4 coming into the game, but they’re better than 2-4 – everyone knows that.” Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kyle Craig may be reached at [email protected].