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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Baseball team stays hot

The Zephyr baseball team continues its torrid season, visiting Bethlehem Catholic High School on Tuesday in their latest demonstration of blazing versatility.

The bat rack was once again sizzling as they slammed 15 hits en route to the 14-1 win.

On the mound, things were just as bleak for the Golden Hawks who had to deal with Elliot Mortimer who only allowed three hits in the win. He also fanned six and didn't allow a walk.

It was another combination of superb pitching and splendid hitting that enabled them to capture their 12th win.

"Right now everything's clicking," said head coach Shaun O'Boyle. "We got one through nine, everybody's hitting. They're seeing the ball well and hitting it hard."

O'Boyle said that their focus is to always hit the ball hard and judging by the exercise they got on the base paths against the Golden Hawks, they aced that lesson.

"Right now, there's not a weak spot in our line-up," said O'Boyle.

All afternoon long, the steady ping from Whitehall bats could be heard across the Bethlehem Catholic grounds. They opened the scoring in the first, scoring two off Becahi starter Jake Carty. They continued to plate runs, adding three in the fifth and eight in the sixth.

Leading the way was senior Matt Bonshak who went 2-3, including a double and 2 RBIs. He also scored three runs. Jeffrey Charles was another force at the plate, going 2-3 with two doubles, and three runs batted in.

O'Boyle said everyone chipped in, pointing to almost every name on his score sheet.

"Matt Bonshak had a great game, and we had [Tyler] Bridgwood and Charles, and [Tyler] Sweeney came up with a hit, and [Jake] Wloczewski got a hit; everyone was contributing, one through nine," said O'Boyle.

Mortimer was not only dealing on the mound, he was also connecting at the plate, going 3-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.

O'Boyle said the key to Mortimer's mastery over the Hawks was his ability to be economical.

"He threw fifty-three pitches in five innings, I mean, that's incredible," said O'Boyle as he waited to board the bus back to Whitehall. "And I bet you forty of them were strikes."

O'Boyle said that Mortimer has "been on fire lately," a big reason why they've been able to stay atop the North Division of the Lehigh Valley Conference.

The Hawks are no slouches at the plate as evidenced by their first meeting, scoring five runs in that game. So O'Boyle knew they were capable of some damage. But Mortimer made sure they wouldn't get comfortable at the dish as he was really "on," according to O'Boyle.

His success on the mound derives from his ability to keep hitters guessing.

"He's been changing speeds, a lot better than what he did in the beginning of the year," said O'Boyle. "He keep [hitters] off balance. It makes his fastball look 10 miles per hour faster."

The way the season has unfolded has been a testament to how well they play together. O'Boyle said that their success is founded upon their camaraderie and dedication.

"It starts with the group of kids you got, and this is great group of kids," O'Boyle said. "They all get along, and they type of kid we have this year is phenomenal."

In the 6-3 win against Pocono Mountain East, Tyler Sweeney got the victory, going five strong innings.

The Zephs played some long ball that day as Matt Bonshak and Zach Delp both went yard, Delp connecting on a two-run blast in first, while Bonshak hit a solo shot in the fifth. Bonshak finished the game 2-3 with three runs scored.