Zephyrs off to 9-0 start
Whitehall’s 9-0 start might look good on paper and is good fodder for softball talk, but the Zephyrs aren’t too fazed about their blistering start.
“I’m not even sure this team recognizes that we are 9-0, or at least it’s not their top concern,” said head coach Jeff Vivian. “They have adapted what our staff has been preaching, the only thing that matters is the next pitch, and winning the next inning.”
With their record, Whitehall is one of two East Penn Conference (EPC) teams with a clean slate. Freedom (9-0) also is off to a torrid start.
Heading into this week, the Zephyrs came off a 4-3 win over Cumberland Valley, which was undefeated at the time with a 6-0 mark. Vivian saw a mirror image of his team in the matchup.
“Cumberland Valley was a team we thought was a carbon copy of our team,” noted Vivian. “They have a deep lineup, great pitching and defense, and are well coached. This was a great team win again with four different hitters with RBIs, and everyone one in the lineup plus our 10th, 11th, and 12th players contributing. We thought our team would be a really deep team and it is starting to show.”
In their previous game, Vivian thought his team took a step forward with a pivotal 9-6 victory over Parkland.
“That was a character win,” he stressed. “It took an effort from the entire lineup, and historically, when something went wrong, we would hold onto that excuse like an anchor and let that dictate how we approached that game.
“But this team showed a lot of heart and guts to turn a three-run deficit and take a three-run lead in the next inning. We have a punchers mentality and that will go a long way for us.”
Kate Yadush leads the team with a .591 average with 11 RBIs. Yet, it has truly been a team effort with Isabella Muth hitting .462 and Kassy Aquino at .413. Haley Bartosh has a team-high 14 RBIs, and Nya Brown has added 10 RBIs.
Aquino leads the team with six wins and 1.75 ERA, and Bartosh has three wins and a 2.10 ERA.
This week, the Zephyrs have Pleasant Valley on Tuesday and then have a showdown with perennial power Northampton Thursday. Vivian sees it is another evaluation of their progress.
“We have Pleasant Valley on Tuesday which we have already started to prepare,” said Vivian. “ Monday’s practice will be a recap of how we attack that game. Thursday is Northampton.
“ I know that will be the one everyone points to as a big game, but it’s just another measuring stick for us. We will have our attack plan in place and we look forward to another big week.”