Junior Zach Lehman pitched a gem through 5 2/3 innings, striking out ten and hold Elizabeth Forward’s batters to just one run off one hit. And the Red Raider offense got going midway through the outing, scoring six runs in the fourth, to propel the program past the Warriors, 11-1, in six innings in the first round of states.

“I thought they transferred a lot of things we’ve been doing in practice into the game, which is always the goal,” said Bellefonte manager Jon Clark on the win. “Offense, defense and pitching wise, this might have been one of the better games that we’ve played this year.”

Apart from Thursday’s quarterfinal, that balanced effort couldn’t have come at a better time.

Elizabeth Forward (17-7) entered the game having won 9 of its previous 11 and has been a consistent District 7 representative at states through the years. Watching last week’s District 7 championship helped the Red Raiders prepare a game plan for Monday’s contest, and that preparation paid off in a big way.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Evan Mattern dodges Elizabeth Forward catcher Kameron Little for the game-winning run during a PIAA Class AAAA playoff matchup against Elizabeth Forward on Monday, June 1, 2026. The Red Raiders won, 11-1, in six innings.

Offensively, Bellefonte took it to Elizabeth Forward’s pitcher, logging nine hits and starting the scoring in the third inning with two runs. That surge materialized into a stronger surge in the fourth. Then, with an 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Red Raiders walked it off with three runs to activate mercy rule at 11-1.

“We knew we were going to see a couple of good lefties, so we were working on things in practice (to prepare for that),” said Clark. “We made their pitchers work tonight. We were pretty disciplined at the plate, waiting on the right pitches to swing at and swinging it, and not swinging at stuff that we shouldn’t.”

In the third, back-to-back bunts from Carsen Henry and Alten Howell helped the Red Raiders load the bases, translating into two crucial runs to grant Bellefonte a 2-0 lead heading into the fourth.

And in the fourth, Bellefonte saw six batters get on base in a row – four getting home before the first out – behind back-to-back singles from Evan Mattern and Oliver Thornburg, two walks and two Elizabeth Forward errors. Though the Warriors picked up two outs following that surge, Bellefonte’s lineup reset, helping it pick up two additional runs.

“We had a couple of moments where guys put some bunts down, and the one that kicked it all off, Carsen Henry, had two strikes on him,” said Clark when discussing how his offense got going. “I called time and told Carsen, ‘I need that guy at third. How do you feeling about putting a bunt down?’ and he said, ‘I got it, coach.’ and put down a beautiful bunt.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte baseball players watch from the dugout during a PIAA Class AAAA playoff matchup against Elizabeth Forward on Monday, June 1, 2026. The Red Raiders won, 11-1, in six innings.

From there, Howell would lead off the sixth with his second bunt single of the afternoon, scoring on an error two batters later. Then, back-to-back walks from Lehman and Mattern set the stage for Thornburg, who belted a double to left to bat the closing pair of runs home.

On the day, three Red Raiders – Mattern, Thornburg and Howell – finished with two hits each while Henry, Mattern and Cole Houser scored pairs of runs.

Defensively, Lehman not only got the Red Raiders to the finish line with a comfortable advantage but also did so while maintaining eligibility for Thursday’s game. With the help of three straight retirements from the third to fifth, he got through 5 2/3 innings in just 77 pitches, with Henry finishing the job in the sixth.

“Zach pitched a whale of a game out there,” said Clark on Lehman. “We were looking at 75 pitches for him depending on the situation, and it worked out. We always feel comfortable bringing Carsen in, and we have another pitcher in Triston (Heeman) that we feel really good about.”

“You’re never looking past the game you have at hand. But if the game presents itself in a certain way, you can get some of your other pitchers some work against big teams. You don’t make long trips in the postseason on one pitcher,” he added.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Alten Howell lays down a bunt during a PIAA Class AAAA playoff matchup against Elizabeth Forward on Monday, June 1, 2026. The Red Raiders won, 11-1, in six innings.

Moving forward, the road gets steeper. The Red Raiders will face District 12 runner-up Archbishop Wood (17-4) in the PIAA Class 4A quarters on Thursday, with Archbishop Wood coming off a big win over previously unbeaten Northern Lebanon (23-1).

Bellefonte expects a loftier challenge Thursday, but the hope is that momentum from Monday’s dominant win can carry it forward.

“It’s exciting. One of our big goals is getting to the state tournament. We’ve gotten here, and we want to reassess our goals,” said Clark. “The playoffs are one game at a time, so now, we want to go into our next matchup and be competitive and put our best foot forward against a really good Archbishop Wood team.”

Time and location for Thursday’s contest are to be determined.

Bellefonte 11, Elizabeth Forward 1 (6 innings)

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte calls a mound visit to relieve starting pitcher Zach Lehman (30) during a PIAA Class AAAA playoff matchup against Elizabeth Forward on Monday, June 1, 2026. The Red Raiders won, 11-1, in six innings.

(PIAA CLASS AAAA FIRST ROUND)

Nate Grimm, JB Crovak (4) and Kameron Little. Zach Lehman and Oliver Thornburg. W – Lehman. L – Grimm.

Top Elizabeth Forward hitters: Daniel Spence 1-3, RBI; JB Crovak 1-3; Jacob Peterson run. Top Bellefonte hitters: Oliver Thornburg 2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs; Evan Mattern 2-3, 2 RBIs, 2 runs; Alten Howell 2-3, run; Cole Houser 1-2, RBI, 2 runs; Carsen Henry 1-3, RBI, 2 runs; Quentin Croutharmel RBI, run; Braeden Fortney 1-4, RBI; Zach Lehman, Parker VonGunden run.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Carsen Henry (9) dodges a pitch as Alten Howell (2) warms up during a PIAA Class AAAA playoff matchup against Elizabeth Forward on Monday, June 1, 2026. The Red Raiders won, 11-1, in six innings.