Manager Shaun O’Boyle said that one of the benchmarks this season would be how fast his team got to 10 wins.

Well, the early indicators point to that happening sooner rather than later. They currently sit at seven wins and they could approach that double-digit figure this Saturday. That would mean winning every league game this week, including a tilt against Emmaus at Coca-Cola Park on Friday evening to put them on the doorstep of 10 wins. The final game in that stretch is against Brandywine Heights High School, a team that defeated them 12-1 last season.

O’Boyle doesn’t want to look that far ahead. He knows that staying undefeated in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference is a tall order. He said that the players are concentrating on their next opponent and so far that’s been a winning formula.

“It’s really hard to look ahead,” said O’Boyle. “The kids really have a good focus. I think they have the right attitude.”

He also said that it’s still early and they still have a lot of baseball yet to play, but up to this point they’ve been strong in two facets of the game that’s helped put them atop the Skyline Division of the EPC.

“Right now we’re getting good pitching and very good defense, and that’s what’s winning for us,” said O’Boyle.

They’re also being aggressive and playing smart baseball, or doing the little things as O’Boyle refers to it, and that combination has fueled their rise.

The first inning against ESN clearly illustrated that point. O’Boyle said that Matt Dobeck was hit by a pitch putting a runner on first. Gianni Sinatore walked, bringing to the plate Javy Rodriguez. Rodriguez hit what looked like a routine fielder’s choice, but Sinatore’s hustle allowed him to beat the throw to second. That set up the biggest hit of the inning, and for the game for that matter, when Alex Bruneio hit a grand slam, highlighting their seven-run first inning.

“That was set up by Gianni busting it down to second,” said O’Boyle. “That play set up the whole inning.”

He said that’s one example of many this year.

“We’ve just been doing all the little things,” he said.

And it surely doesn’t hurt to get the big hits, too. The Zephs pounded out eight hits, in a shortened game. Bruneio also doubled, giving him six total bases on the day to go along with his 4 RBIs. He also pitched four innings of one-hit ball, putting his stamp on the game on the mound too.

The Zephs also got some juice from Matt Ziminski who was 2-2 with two runs and two RBIs. Zach Hamscher had a double and an RBI, while Dobeck, Rodriguez and Noak Kline each knocked in a run.

O’Boyle likes what he’s seeing at the plate. He knew his pitching would be the backbone, but now the bats are starting to warm up. The Zephs have 18 runs in their last two games.

“They’re really starting to come around with their hitting, which is good,” said O’Boyle.

While their bats have been explosive recently, it was Zach Gilbert’s left arm that was on fire against Allen last week. The southpaw took a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth before a two-out single ruined his bid.

Gilbert struck out nine en route to the win. O’Boyle said that Gilbert wasn’t pleased with the walks he allowed over those six innings. He allowed five.

“He was a little disappointed in all those walks,” said O’Boyle. “The walks didn’t hurt him, but he always wants to do better.”

However, shutting down a feisty Allen team who scored six against them last season demonstrated just how good Gilbert was.

“They can really swing the bats,” said O’Boyle.

O’Boyle said that Allen manager Robert Leskosky runs a good program and has those kids competitive every year.

“That’s a good team they have there,” he said.

Zach Hamscher came in and sealed the deal, shutting the door in relief in the seventh.

At the plate, the Zephs got a pair of hits from Sinatore who also knocked in a run. Dobeck had two RBIs in the game. Kline, Ziminsky and Austin Dreisbach all added an RBI in the win.