TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte softball players high five during last Thursday's District 6 Class 4A softball championship against Juniata at Mifflin County. The Red Raiders clinched a PIAA Class 4A bid on Tuesday, defeating Carrick, 18-1, in six innings.

PITTSBURGH – If there was any doubt in Bellefonte softball having its state bid in the bag through four innings, it didn’t take long for it to evaporate on Tuesday afternoon.

After getting out a 5-1 lead, the Red Raiders exploded for 13 runs through the fifth and sixth, upping its lead to a staggering 17 runs. District 8 champion Carrick would go on to be held scoreless for a fifth straight inning, clinching Bellefonte’s 18-1 win in six innings in a PIAA sub-regional game.

Seven Red Raiders logged multiple hits, as the team finished with 17 total – ten in the last two innings. And on the mound, Adrienne Masullo held the Raiders to two hits of their own, striking out 12 while issuing two walks in the balanced rout.

Offensively, Peyton Rimmey and Abby Herr opened Bellefonte’s fifth and sixth-inning surges with solo shots, headlining a day that saw the Red Raiders secure nine extra-base hits. Ella Herr and Riley Santostefano had pairs of doubles, and Masullo hit a triple.

With the win, Bellefonte improved to 11-10 on the season and clinched its spot in the PIAA Class 4A softball championships. On Monday, it’ll look to keep its postseason run alive in the tournament’s first round, facing the winner of Thursday’s District 7 Class 4A championship – either Elizabeth Forward or Blackhawk.

Bellefonte 18, Carrick 1 (6 innings)

Bellefonte 023 058 – 18 17 2

Carrick 100 000 – 1 2 4

Adrienne Masullo and Ella Herr. Aubrey Czapko, Jayda Rose (6) and Dana Jones. W – Masullo. L – Czapko.

Top Bellefonte hitters: Abby Herr 3-5, HR, RBI, 5 runs; Ella Herr 3-4, 2 2Bs, 2 RBIs, 3 runs; Aralynn Carson 3-3, 2B, 3 RBIs, 3 runs; Riley Santostefano 2-4, 2 2Bs, 4 RBIs, run; Peyton Rimmey 2-4, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Adrienne Masullo 2-4, 2B, 2 runs; Madison Kellogg 2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs. Top Carrick hitters: Niyah Walden run; Ambrie Tinsley 2-3.