Catasauqua head baseball coach Steve Bradley gave Palmerton’s lineup the ultimate compliment.

As it turns out, the Bombers’ pitching isn’t that bad, either.

Everyone in Palmerton’s lineup reached base via a hit or a walk on Monday, while Connor Beahm tossed a five-inning no-hitter and the Bombers advanced to the semifinal round of the District 11 Class 3A playoffs with a 10-0 victory over Catasauqua.

“(That) is probably the best lineup from top to bottom in the league,” said Bradley about his opponent.

That lineup jumped on Catasauqua starter Brandon Jenny for a pair of runs in the home first when leadoff hitter Ethan Recker - who had three hits in the game - battled through 12 pitches before he lined a single to center.

Cole Serfass - who had two hits - followed with a triple to score Serfass, who scored on Kaleb Eitner’s single.

Palmerton (13-8) padded its lead with a four-run second, highlighted by Beahm’s two-run-single. The winners, seeded fourth, sealed the deal with a three-run fifth.

“We wanted to score early, and that’s what we did,” said Palmerton head coach Erick Kresge. “We were able to keep the ball in play, and we had a big second inning that really helped us.”

That was more than enough support for Beahm, who struck out four and needed only 57 pitches to eliminate the fifth-seeded Rough Riders.

“I didn’t realize Connor had a no-hitter, and it caught me off guard,” said Kresge. “He threw phenomenally and threw strikes. His defense did well behind him. He threw to contact today, and got them to put the ball in play.”

Beahm saw a similar offensive script. The Blue Bombers took advantage of three Catasauqua errors.

“We were seeing the ball well, and putting it in play,” said Beahm. “They made a few errors, and we converted them. We’re really coming together as a team.”

On the mound, the junior lefthander relied on his fastball and curve that he utilized effectively despite keeping his no-hitter out of his focus.

“I wasn’t really thinking about that,” he said. “I was just trying to keep the ball in play.

“The main thing is efficiency, and I did that today. I had good movement on my pitches, and I felt good out there. This was one of my better outings, considering where we are now.”

Bradley dealt with the reality of the situation.

“We got beat by a better team,” he said. “Every batter came to the plate and swung sticks. They showed it today. Their pitcher did a solid job.”

With the win, Palmerton advances to play at top-seeded Notre Dame Thursday.

“It’s exciting,” said Beahm about the opportunity ahead. “We have a good team, and we can do some damage.

“When we can string hits together, we can score some runs and put pressure on the defense,” said Kresge. “We have the mentality of win or go home. We lost by one or two runs against them, and we feel we can go to battle with them.”

DOWNS AND UPS ... With the win, Palmerton won its fifth-straight game after losing four consecutive games. During their winning streak, the Blue Bombers have outscored their opposition 44-9.

LAST TIME AROUND ... Palmerton dropped a 9-8 decision to New Hope-Solebury in the 2019 district playoffs. They last won the title in 2016.

Catasauqua 000 00 - 0 0 3

Palmerton 241 03 - 10 9 0

Jenny and Schiffer; Beahm and Bollinger. W - Beahm. L - Jenny.