Whitehall head softball coach Jeff Vivian offered a simple explanation for his team’s 6-5 lost to Nazareth in the District 11 Class 6A semifinals.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” deadpanned Vivian, “After the first inning, we stopped hitting. We stopped moving our feet, which led to some timely errors. We knew they were a good team. We knew we had to play clean, and knew this was going to be a fight for two hours.”

Nazareth captured the victory when Gianna Perillo hit a walk-off, solo homer in the bottom of the seventh.

Paige Tacker belted a three-run homer, and Bella Muth’s RBI single helped give the Zephyrs a 5-0 lead after the first inning. Nazareth tied the game with a pair of runs in the fifth after they scored a single run in the third and added two in the fourth.

“We were going to take some punches, we were going to have to deliver some punches,” added Vivian. “We just stopped punching. With all that said, in the seventh, we had our chance, and they made a great play to keep the game tied. I am proud of these girls, they fought until the end. We needed one more bounce.”

Whitehall, the defending Class 5A champion that moved up this season, ended its season with an overall 14-5 record. The Zephyrs will lose six seniors, but Morgan Laub, Josie Schultz, and Amya Espinal are expected to be key returning contributors next season

“It was a mixed bag,” stressed Vivian about the season. “I thought at times we played really well and that at times, we just didn’t feel our way through the game. We let other teams dictate the energy of the game.

“But overall, I think this group took steps forward in most places. Laub, Espinal, Shultz, and a few others really took some steps. We need to be more consistent in our approach to games, abs, and especially on the defensive side of the ball.”

Tightening their defense will be a key for 2026.

“We had way too many routine plays ended up in errors,” noted Vivian. “And that’s a sign of heart. That’s want and desire. Got to be better there, and that’s on me. I pride myself on that side of the ball, and I let them down this year.”