Their focus, as it has all season, remained on the task at hand. It remained on the all-encompassing goal of this campaign to take home a state title. And now, the Eagles stand just one win away from gold.

Senior ace Sierra Albright pitched a gem, falling one fifth-inning hit short of a perfect game while punching out 12, surpassing 1,000 career strikeouts and stifling the fiery Blackhawk bats alongside her trustworthy cast. Offensively, Bald Eagle set the tone with three runs through three and put the cherry on top of a complete performance with a two-run seventh, as the team advanced to the state championship with a 5-0 win.

“We knew it was gonna be hard coming here because they’re undefeated but it’s nothing we haven’t seen,” said Albright on the team’s performance. “We’ve faced good competition a lot, so it just prepared us for this game.”

“(Sierra) gets her 1000th strikeout, and that’s extraordinary. She had great support behind her, Eckert behind the plate, and then timely hits. “We had some people just wear out the ball,” said Bald Eagle Area head coach Don Lucas on the keys to the win. “All in all, it’s a great team win.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area's infielders high five during the team's state semifinal matchup against Susquenita, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Bloomsburg. The Eagles won 5-0.

When it came down to setting the tone, Eckert got the ball rolling immediately for the Eagles.

Facing a 1-2 count in the top of the first, the senior catcher stayed aggressive and it paid off, as her ensuing swing made great contact and resulted in a leadoff double. One sacrifice bunt and two outs later, she was sliding face first into home plate, an action she’d replicate in the seventh to grant the team its fifth run.

“I knew it was going, that it would set the tone for the rest of the game, and I was confident that we would pull out the win,” said Eckert when discussing the leadoff double. “I was hoping for a passed ball because I just love running the bases and was counting on a passed ball to get us that first run.”

With Eckert setting the tone, her teammates latched onto that momentum and never let go, keeping up the offensive pressure on every at-bat – especially early – and never allowing Susquenita’s own to get in rhythm.

In the second, Raelee Repasky made it two straight BEA leadoffs to make it on base, fighting for a walk that would get translated into a run three batters later, when Taylor Habovick belted a grounder straight up the middle for an RBI single. Then, one inning later, junior shortstop Addie Burns notched her second homer of the season with a one-run shot to center, upping its lead to 3-0.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area senior Kailey Eckert signals to a her team after getting to base during the team's state semifinal matchup against Susquenita, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Bloomsburg. The Eagles won 5-0.

Though the Blackhawks would respond, stranding two runners in scoring position in the third to stay within striking distance, that distance never went away. Susquenita got just one runner in scoring position in the fourth, then saw just one get to first through the rest of the game.

Alongside Albright’s 12 strikeouts, her field made smart, athletic plays as the unit put together a dominant overall performance.

Eckert, Burns and rightfielder Alexa Baney each made tough catches, with Eckert maneuvering around a packed home plate to track down a foul ball in the fifth and Burns and Baney each tracking down well-placed balls in the sixth. And in the fourth, sophomore second baseman Maelee Yoder fielded an infield grounder with a runner on first and made the correct decision on a dime, forcing out the runner heading for scoring position.

All-in-all, it was a well-rounded win, one that saw everyone play a role. Six separate Eagles logged hits, with Eckert (2-for-3, 2 2Bs), Alexa Baney and Kendall Gavlock attributing doubles and the former two combining for five on-base appearances. And defensively, just one error and hit prevented a complete shutdown.

It’s momentum Bald Eagle Area hopes to carry forward just one more round, as it looks to finish the job. It all comes down to Friday, with the team set to take on Pine Grove at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park for the PIAA Class AAA title.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area junior Addie Burns smiles after hitting a home run during the team's state semifinal matchup against Susquenita, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Bloomsburg. The Eagles won 5-0.

“We beat a great team today, and we’ve just got to keep that motivation to keep going,” said Habovick on the mindset heading into Friday. “Come to practice, practice hard like we have all year and just win.”

“We’ve got to be ready,” said Lucas.

Friday’s game is set for 1:30 p.m.

PIAA CLASS AAA SOFTBALL SEMIFINALS

Bald Eagle Area 5, Susquenita 0

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area sophomore Maelee Yoder fields a ball during the team's state semifinal matchup against Susquenita, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Bloomsburg. The Eagles won 5-0.

BEA 111 000 2 – 5 7 1

SSQ 000 000 0 – 0 1 1

Sierra Albright and Kailey Eckert. Ayahna Fleisher and Lena Beckenbaugh. W – Albright. L – Fleisher.

Top Bald Eagle Area hitters: Kailey Eckert 2-4, 2 2Bs, RBI, 2 runs; Addie Burns 1-3, HR, RBI, run; Taylor Habovick 1-3, RBI; Alexa Baney 1-2, 2B; Raelee Repasky 1-2, run. Top Susquenita hitters: Emma Massie 1-2.

Records: Bald Eagle Area 22-3; Susquenita 24-1.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle Area senior Alexa Baney reacts after hitting a double during the team's state semifinal matchup against Susquenita, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Bloomsburg. The Eagles won 5-0.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express The Bald Eagle Area softball team celebrates following the team's state semifinal matchup against Susquenita, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Bloomsburg. The Eagles won 5-0.