Heading into the District 11 Class 5A semifinals, Jack Lloyd realized there was much at stake for him and his Whitehall teammates.

The Zephyrs were out to avenge a senior-night loss to Pocono Mountain East, and they also needed to take the step to defend their title from last year.

They did just that in a convincing, 9-3 victory over the Cardinals and met Bangor for the title at DeSales University Tuesday.

Lloyd also knew the significance of bouncing back after a heartbreaking, 2-1 loss to Freedom in the East Penn Conference (EPC) semifinals.

“It’s was a very big win for our team,” boasted Lloyd, a junior right-hander. “It was a very needed win for our team to get over the heartbreaking loss versus Freedom. All our guys knew it was a massive game. Our seniors knew it was a do-or-die situation.

“The younger guys and me wanted to keep their baseball season alive. Our seniors worked really hard. We did not want to see them fall short and we knew if the younger guys and myself step up, we can keep the season alive.”

Lloyd did his part against Pocono Mountain East, as he allowed three runs and three hits with eight strikeouts over six innings before Nik Christman closed out the game. Seth Hoderewski and Zack Schaedel each knocked in two runs.

Looking at his outing, Lloyd was satisfied.

“I thought I threw pretty well,” offered Lloyd. “It is a lot easier and less stressful when I have my great hitting team to put up runs. My team hitting definitely helped me throughout the game. Their energy is the fuel to my fire. I know that my teammates have my back and I have theirs. There is a lot of trust on our team. I have full faith in my teammates.”

It also was another reminder for Lloyd and his teammates’ focused drive all season. The Zephyrs were seeded second in the bracket behind Southern Lehigh, which lost to Bangor.

“This win just shows that we were out for blood as soon as the first pitch was thrown,” noted Lloyd. “We knew we had a job to do, and we were going to do anything to get that job done.

“That game was also a statement game. We know we were the top dog coming into districts, and we know that we have to defend the title. We aren’t just out to play baseball. We are out to show the Lehigh Valley what Whitehall baseball is capable of achieving. We play for our town, and we also play with a big chip on our shoulder.”

Head coach Eric Schmitt recognized his team’s continuing effort as well as being impressed with Lloyd (4-1, 2.02, team-high 61 strikeouts), Christman (6-1, 2.12) and fellow pitcher Ryan Lindenmuth (2-3. 4.53).

“They are a very hardworking, determined bunch,” beamed Schmitt. “Pocono Mountain East gave us a tough loss on senior day this year, so definitely not just another game.

“Everyone wants to talk about Jack Lloyd, which is appropriate, but Nik Christman has really stepped up and become an arm we can trust as just a sophomore. Lindenmuth, who had six wins last year, was sidelined early with a UCL strain. But he is also back on track.”