With another softball season in the books, the Zephyrs will say good-bye to a number of players who made an impact on the program, and then look ahead to the future with some returning talent.

Whitehall finished the season 11-10, made the District 11 playoffs, and lost in the opening round of the district tourney to Stroudsburg High School, ending their season.

Those are the hard facts.

But the story behind the statistics is what made the 2013 campaign a tribute to tenacity and teamwork.

Head coach Alex Berg-Townsend had an experienced group of players returning, but they stumbled out of the gate, and pretty soon it looked like their goal of making the postseason would be in jeopardy.

But they rallied and turned around their fortunes, making that resurgence the hallmark of the 2013 season

"The 2013 season was a memorable and exciting one, with our ups and downs and our glory night," said Berg-Townsend, referring to their galvanizing 1-0 win against Northampton Area High School late in the year. "No one thought that this team, who ended the first half of the season 3-7, would qualify for districts. The seven seniors had another idea.

"We continued our theme of consistency but also added urgency. There was no time left; it was now or never. The seven seniors took this to heart and led this team to 8-2 second half, which included wins over Freedom, Nazareth, and Northampton's only loss during the regular season on our senior night."

Berg-Townsend said that the team demonstrated a resiliency that allowed them to remain positive and eventually qualify for the postseason.

"A good team knows how to battle back, to learn from mistakes and overcome obstacles," said Berg-Townsend. "This team did that and matured in the process, both as players and young women."

That drive to make the postseason was due in large part to their strong leadership led by the seven seniors, four of whom have been playing varsity since they were freshman. This group includes Madison Kelly, Lauren Mortimer, Braylynn Reimer, Andrea Emery, Kelly Erie, Molly Graveno and Kelly Spanitz.

Berg-Townsend said they had an enormous impact on the program and will leave a huge void as they leave to pursue the next phase of their lives.

"As I have stated numerous times, this team was more than just a team, we were a family," said Berg-Townsend. "It is going to be very difficult to lose seven from your family. All seven of the seniors had a key and vital role to the success of this team, and this program over their four years. Each led in their own respective way, in their own respective positions, vocally and by example. Many speak about filling the shoes of those that leave, it will be hard to fill the shoes of these seven."

While they represent a huge portion of this year's squad, the Zephs return a number of talented players including, starting catcher Regan Bortz, Karly Klein, Allison Beltz, Abigail Nguyen, Jillian Rex, Alexa Fitzgerald, Julia Solderitch and Rachel Spanitz.

When postseason honors were handed out last month, a few Zephyrs found themselves being recognized by the Lehigh Valley Conference. Kelly was named first team shortstop. Kelly was also selected as the LVC Scholar Athlete in softball, and is still under consideration for the all-area team. Bortz earned Honorable Mention as catcher, while Graveno earned Honorable Mention honors as designated player.

Berg-Townsend said that the year may have presented challenges, but her players kept battling to the end.

"I could not have asked for a better team to coach." said Berg-Townsend. "All were willing to learn, all loved the game, each made practice fun, they stuck together as a team, and most importantly for me, they took care of me."