TIM WEIGHT/For the Expres Bellefonte's Quentin Croutharmel (25) runs to first during the District 6 Class 4A baseball championship last Wednesday. The Red Raiders advances to the PIAA Class 4A Baseball Championships on Tuesday, defeating Obama Academy, 6-1, in a PIAA sub-regional.

PITTSBURGH – When it came down to setting the tone on Tuesday, Bellefonte baseball had an answer. A strong start granted it an immediate cushion, one it would carry to the finish line on its way to states.

Four first-inning runs put it in a great spot while stout pitching did the rest. Carsen Henry and Zach Lehman combined to hold District 8 champion Obama Academy to one run from the mound, as the Red Raiders defeated the Eagles, 6-1, in a PIAA Class 4A sub-regional over two hours away from home.

The win propelled them to the PIAA Class 4A Baseball Championships, set to begin next Monday.

Bellefonte (17-4) saw four batters in a row get on base to open Tuesday’s contest.

Lehman followed up Braeden Fortney’s leadoff single by fighting for a walk, and back-to-back hits from Evan Mattern and Oliver Thornburg – Mattern’s being a double – helped get them home. From there, the Red Raiders would see an RBI sac-fly from Parker VonGunden and Eagle error double their lead.

Following the first, the Eagles got their lone run on the board in the second before Bellefonte upped its lead to 6-1 three innings later. Two Red Raiders – Fortney and Thornburg – finished with multiple hits while Mattern and Quentin Croutharmel each posted doubles.

On the mound, Henry and Lehman combined for 12 strikeouts, with Lehman punching out eight and pitching a close-to-perfect last three innings. Through that span, all Lehman surrendered was a sixth-inning single.

With the win, the Red Raiders improved to 17-4 on the season and clinched their state bid. They’ll look to build on it next Monday, kicking off the PIAA Class 4A baseball championships against District 7’s runner-up, either Indiana or Elizabeth Forward.

Bellefonte 6, Obama Academy 1

Bellefonte 400 020 0 – 6 7 2

Obama A. 010 000 0 – 1 5 2

Carsen Henry, Zach Lehman (5) and Oliver Thornburg. James Lozecki, Luke Ehman (5) and Roman Gray.

Top Bellefonte hitters: Oliver Thornburg 2-3, RBI; Braeden Fortney 2-4, run; Quentin Croutharmel 1-3, 2B, RBI, run; Evan Mattern 1-4, 2B, RBI,run; Parker VonGunden RBI, run; Zach Lehman run, 2 BBs; Cole Houser 1-4. Top Obama Academy hitters: Jordan Brazier run; Luke Ehman, James Lozecki 1-2; Elise Shope 1-3; Braylon Johnson, Elijah Rawlings 1-4.