TIM WEIGHT/For the Express The Bald Eagle baseball team calls a mound visit during a baseball game earlier this season.

WINGATE – Looking for a Senior Night delight, the Bald Eagle Area baseball squad started their week with a ceremony to honor seniors Kaden Clark, Kaleb Irion, Teagun Runkle and Gracen White.

Their opponent was a feisty Tyrone team looking to spoil the Eagles’ fun.

This was not one for the faint of heart as Bald Eagle was able to hold off a late game rally by Tyrone picking up a hard fought Bald Eagle Area 11-8 victory.

Bald Eagle started Kaleb Irion on the mound as he went up against Eagles hurler Jon Stroup. Leading the Bald Eagle Area offense was Riley Bucha, who went 3-for-4 and collected 6 RBIs.

“Obviously, jumping out to an early lead is what we wanted to do. Then, we kind of coasted a little bit,” said Bald Eagle Area coach Ryan McNamara. “We talked about trying to keep pressure on the defense as much as possible. I’m glad our guys stayed in it after that kind of low stretch of being shut down.”

“Tyrone’s a quality team. They always come to scrap,” he added on Tyrone.

With the wind blowing out, Stroup blasted a first-inning blast to left center to give Tyrone an early lead. Wyatt Kustenbauder kept the inning going with a one-out single to right.

But Irion recovered, striking out the next two batters to keep it at a 1-0 game going into the bottom of the first.

Bald Eagle got its bats started immediately on a blast by Luke Hosband. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, putting himself in scoring position.

Irion helped his own cause as he walked. He was replaced on the base paths by Logan Parsons.

Takoda Ripka smoked a 2-out liner to centerfield, scoring Hosband, tying it at one. Kaden Clark loaded the bases with a walk to continue the Eagles inning.

Riley Bucha cleared the bases plastering a three-RBI double that sailed over the center fielder’s head. The double put the Eagles up 4-1.

Teammate Hayden Stimer the cleared the bases as he blasted a two-run blast over the centerfield wall, completing the rally making it a 6-1 contest.

Tyrone went down silently 1-2-3 in the second putting the explosive Eagles offense back to the plate.

Like the first inning, Hosband got the inning started with a one-out single.

Teagun Runkle reached as he grounded a blast that hit the third baseman’s glove and over to short. On the play, Hosband motored around and scored.

Ripka loaded the bases with a walk. Clark picked up an RBI the hard way, as he was plunked. Bucha picked up RBI four and five as he hit one in the gap between first and second.

When the dust settled in the second, the Eagles had upped their lead to 10-1.

Defensively, Bald Eagle Area took down Tyrone in the third in order.

Tyrone added a run in the fourth as Kustenbauder doubled and later scored on fielder’s choice on a grounder from Owen Oakes.

Offensively, the Golden Eagles looked to make a march at the Eagles’ lead.

With one out, Brandon McClure doubled, Braydon Parsons walked and Stroup lifted a soft single to load the bases.

Kustenbauder singled in two, cutting the lead to 10-4.

A two-RBI single from Conner Zupon inched the Golden Eagles closer to the lead at 10-6.

Tyrone added an another run before the inning ended. But in the end, the Eagles were able to reverse the momentum as they added a run of their own before holding the Tyrone offense in their last at bats, sending the squad down 1-2-3 thanks to a strong relief appearance from Takoda Ripka, who got the save.

“We were able to pull out a close win today, but getting closer to playoff time that’s kind of mentality we gotta have here. down the stretch.”

Bald Eagle Area 11, Tyrone 8

TY 100 151 0 – 8 11 2

BEA 640 001 x – 11 8 0

WP: Kaden Irion. LP: Jon Stroup. SV: Takoda Ripka

Top Tyrone hitters: Wyatt Kustenbauder 3-3, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Connor Zupon 2-4, 2 RBIs; Jon Stroup 2-3, HR, 2B, 2 runs. Top Bald Eagle hitters: Riley Bucha 3-4, 2B, 6 RBIs, run; Luke Hosband 2-4 2 runs; Takoda Ripka 2-3, 2 runs, RBI; Hayden Stimer HR.