PHOTO FINISH: Bald Eagle baseball edges out Huntingdon in thrilling, regular-season finale
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Luke Hosband, middle, and teammates smile after clinching a 4-3 win over Huntingdon on Monday afternoon.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle catcher Hayden Stimer (28) tags a Huntingdon runner at home plate during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Hayden Stimer smiles after clinching a 4-3 win over Huntingdon on Monday afternoon.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Kaleb Irion (3) tags a Huntingdon runner out at home plate during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Kaleb Irion pitches during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Teagan Runkle scores a run during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Teagan Runkle (8) and Kaden Clark (5) work in the outfield during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Isaac Johnson (11) reels in a throw at second during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle calls a mound visitduring a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Luke Hosband, middle, and teammates smile after clinching a 4-3 win over Huntingdon on Monday afternoon.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle catcher Hayden Stimer (28) tags a Huntingdon runner at home plate during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Hayden Stimer smiles after clinching a 4-3 win over Huntingdon on Monday afternoon.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Kaleb Irion (3) tags a Huntingdon runner out at home plate during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Kaleb Irion pitches during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Teagan Runkle scores a run during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Teagan Runkle (8) and Kaden Clark (5) work in the outfield during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle's Isaac Johnson (11) reels in a throw at second during a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bald Eagle calls a mound visitduring a high school baseball game on Monday. The Eagles won 4-3.
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WINGATE – Three innings into Monday’s home finale against Huntingdon (13-6), the Bald Eagle offense had struggled to find an answer. It went that span without scoring a run and trailed the Bearcats, 1-0, in a matchup with District 6 Class AAA seeding implications.
However, it started clicking in the fourth, tying things up at 1-1 before going on to take a lead one inning later. Ultimately, a two-run sixth was just enough for the Eagles to scrape by, as they defeated Huntingdon, 4-3, to close out the regular season with a 14-5 record.
In that two-run sixth inning, a Teagan Runkle leadoff single kicked off the team’s highest scoring frame of the outing. Riley Bucha forced a fielding error, Drew Nagle fought for a walk and fielder’s choices did the rest, as Runkle and Bucha got home to give Bald Eagle a 4-1 lead.
Huntingdon responded with a two-run homer in the seventh. But though the Bearcats managed to get the tying and lead-taking run in scoring position, Huntingdon’s Erick Rupert got caught at home to cap off the tense win, with BEA catcher Hayden Stimer tagging him in the nick of time off throws from Kaden Clark and Luke Hosband.
On the mound, Kaleb Irion pitched a complete seven-inning game, scattering nine hits while striking out six. After giving up a run in the first, Irion pitched five scoreless innings in a row to help the Eagles take back the momentum.
Offensively, Bald Eagle was led Runkle, who made up half the team’s runs on the day. Isaac Johnson hit an RBI double and scored a run, and though the Eagles finished with just three hits, five walks helped generate just enough offense.
With the win, the Eagles solidified their No. 2 seed in the District 6 Class AAA standings while potentially throwing their hat in the ring for the top slot. Next time they’ll take the field will be for postseason, with a time, place and opponent to be determined.
Bald Eagle 4, Huntingdon 3
Huntingdon 100 000 2 – 3 9 3
Bald Eagle 000 112 X – 4 3 1
Matthew Gutshall, Grant Guyer (6) and Dom Peruso. Kaleb Irion and Hayden Stimer. W – Irion. L – Gutshall.
Top Huntingdon hitters: Ethan Reck 2-4, HR, RBI, 2 runs; Brock Bryson 1-3, HR, 2 RBIs, run; Evan Edmiston 1-2, 2B, 2 BBs; Matthew Gutshall 1-4, 2B. Top Bald Eagle hitters: Teagan Runkle 1-2, 2 runs, BB; Isaac Johnson 1-3, 2B, RBI, run; Riley Bucha run, BB; Kaden Clark RBI, BB; Greyson White 1-4.
Record: Bald Eagle 14-5