Northampton will turn its attention to the District XI baseball tournament after falling to Whitehall, 8-2, on Thursday (May 7) at Whitehall in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference quarterfinals.

The Zephyrs scored in every inning and received a strong performance from Jack Lloyd, the conference’s first-team all-conference pitcher, on their way to eliminating the K-Kids from the conference tournament.

“Jack Lloyd shut us down,” said Mick Sugra, Northampton manager. “The difference between the first game (an 11-0 Northampton win) and this game was as clear as day. It was pitching. Lloyd was voted pitcher of the year and earned that distinction. He proved it today. He was tougher than us and we did not string together enough at-bats.”

Casey Williams and Charles Burrell each had two hits to lead the Northampton offense against Lloyd, who struck out ten and allowed just two runs in his complete game effort.

“Lloyd has done it all year,” said Eric Schmitt, Whitehall manager. “He has done it for the last three years. He is a great kid, great competitor, great leader. This is a very good Northampton team, but when we are playing well, we are pretty tough.”

After Lloyd retired Northampton in order to start the game, Tyler Sanders doubled to lead off the bottom of the first for Whitehall and scored on Donato Brigidi’s double. Brigidi then scored on a wild pitch to give the Zephyrs a 2-0 lead.

Whitehall extended the lead to 3-0 in the second when Kolby Miller walked and scored on an RBI single from Sanders.

In the third inning, Sudge Hoderewski singled and then scored when he stole home as part of a double steal to make it 4-0, Whitehall. The Zephyrs added two more runs in the fifth when Logan Shean doubled and scored on Sanders’ two-run home run to right field, then extended the lead to 7-0 in the fifth on a Jules Alatzas RBI single that scored Henry Shultz, running for Callen Nicklas who had singled.

Northampton got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning. Williams doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on an Aiden Sugra single and scored when Brady Simock grounded into a fielder’s choice. Sugra then scored on a Burrell RBI single to cut the Whitehall lead to 7-2.

However, the Zephyrs got one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning when Shean singled and scored on a sacrifice fly from Hoderewski.

Simock allowed six runs in four innings on the mound for Northampton, striking out six. Aidan Sargent and Gavin Taff each pitched one inning for the K-Kids, with both pitchers allowing one run.

The win advanced Whitehall to the conference tournament semifinals.

Meanwhile, the K-Kids did play one more regular season game on Friday, falling to Fleetwood Area High School in a nonconference game on the road, 3-1.

Having completed the regular season, Northampton now turns its attention to the district tournament.

“I think we got away from what we have been doing all year,” Sugra said. “You are going to have to beat somebody’s ace at this point in the season, especially in the first round. You are going to see the other team’s best.”

Northampton will enter district play with a 13-8 overall record after the losses to Whitehall and Fleetwood.