Nick Brayford liked what he saw from his baseball team on Monday - a club that has its sights set on a Schuylkill League Division I championship.

North Schuylkill got another strong performance from its pitching staff in a 9-3 Schuylkill League victory over Lehighton.But despite an impressive start to the season for the Spartans (9-1, 4-0), Brayford knows there is a lot of work ahead."Lehighton is a team that is a lot better than its record indicates," Brayford said. "This league is a grind. Just look at (all) the teams ... we have to go to Blue Mountain (Wednesday), Friday we're at Jim Thorpe. So this is far from over."Monday, Brayford turned to Division I recruit Tevin Murray on the mound. Murray was spot-on after a shaky start that saw him allow a lead-off double and a walk. But he quickly put the dampers on the rally."He is just so talented. We had a hard time catching up to his fastball," said Lehighton coach Brian Polaha. "He was a little (shaky) to start and we had an opportunity to get to him."But he settled in and just overpowered our guys. He owned both sides of the plate, especially through those middle innings. He had command of all of his pitches."Murray retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings on strikeouts and fanned 12 batters overall, allowing just three hits."He has thrown better, his (fastball) wasn't as strong as in the early part of the season," said Brayford of his 6-6 lefty who will take his game to Rutgers next spring. "When his curve is working it makes him so much more effective. He's only going to get better. We have a lot of baseball to play."While Murray was garnering his first decision in four starts, his teammates plugged away for three runs in the first two innings. Bobby Grigas singled to open the first, Murray followed with a walk, before Bobby Wagner gapped a single for a 2-0 lead. Scotty Grigas, Bobby's brother, scored in the second after a single and two stolen bases. In the fourth, Richie Zahodnick singled home the fourth run. The Spartans scored five times on just two hits in the sixth to put it out of reach. Wagner's two-run single was the key blow.Lehighton finally got to Murray in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Cody Scherer drew a walk. After a fielder's choice ground out, Donavan Buchinsky walked, and Colin Haupt drilled a double, only the second hit off Murray, for a pair of runs. Terry Buss flung an opposite field single to right to account for the third run."We finally were able to get our timing down on Murray in the sixth," Polaha said. "You could tell he was (tiring)."HOT HITTERS… The Indians managed only three hits, but two were doubles - one each from Scherer and Haupt.BATTLERS… "I like the effort," said Polaha about his team. "But Murray is in a different league. He throws a lot harder than any of the pitching we faced. It was a big adjustment for us."UP NEXT… Lehighton falls to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in league play.No. Schuylkill 210 105 0 - 9 8 0Lehighton 000 003 0 - 3 3 2Murray, B. Wagner (7) and Burke; J. Heery, S. Heery (6), Whitteman (6) and G.Wagner. W - Murray. L - J. Heery.