Bald Eagle Area softball headed to state playoffs after District 6 Class 3A championship win
The Lady Eagles have a tradition of playing hacky sack when they get the bus before road games.
Entering the District 6 Class 3A championship game at Saint Francis University on Friday, it was no different, and their tradition kept the team loose, energetic and ready to go as they defeated Westmont-Hilltop 10-4.
Prior to the championship matchup, senior Madison Perry sat back and watched her teammates participate in the hacky sack ritual. It’s a sight that she’s soaked in for each game.
During the game, she went 3-for-4, driving in a run and scoring another. She said the joy that she experienced on Friday was like none other, but it still didn’t take away her focus for what’s to come.
“Having been here three years in a row, it’s been a huge help,” Perry said. “The only thing that I had to do is relay it to the younger girls that it’s still softball. It’s still the game and I think that the most important part is having trust in everyone else. It’s just getting the message across that it’s just turf (at Saint Francis) — that’s the only difference — keep relaxed and keep playing our game.”
Bald Eagle pitcher Sierra Albright pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on nine hits, one walk and struck out 10 batters. The first-year player has often been dominant, but her nerves got to her a bit. She hung on to win her first piece of hardware and is ready to play in the Lady Eagles’ next game.
“I was a little bit nervous because it was my first district championship, but I felt good,” Albright said. “I’m very excited to play in states and hopefully go even further.”
Behind the backstop for Bald Eagle was first-year catcher Kailey Eckert. Despite being so young, head coach Don Lucas called her “a calming presence” and expected a high level of play from her in Friday’s game.
She went above and beyond his expectations, going 4-for-4 from the plate, driving in four runs and walking once. Like her battery mate on the mound, the first-year player was ecstatic to be there with the tight-knit group.
“It’s definitely an amazing feeling,” Eckert said. “The team really helps out. I just think we have a very great environment overall. It keeps the energy up and it’s just good.”
Perry started Bald Eagle’s scoring onslaught with a two-out double to score Sydney Thompson in the top of the first inning. Autumn Tobias went on to score a run by stealing home plate and Marina Shawley drilled another two-out double to score Perry for a 3-0 lead.
Westmont-Hilltop answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning. Bailey Thornton doubled on a ground ball that went down the line toward Thompson in left field, scoring Zoey Lynch with two outs. Zailees Seda Fas scored by stealing home to pull the game to 3-2 in the bottom of the first.
The Lady Eagles continued to strike while the iron was hot with Eckert scoring Taylor Habovick on a single in the top of the second. Tobias singled to score Eckert and Shawley scored Ava Stere on a sacrifice fly to give Bald Eagle a 6-2 lead.
Eckert notched two more runs batted in when she doubled in the top of the fifth inning to score Gabrielle Perry and Shae Housel. Thompson singled to drive in Eckert to give Bald Eagle a 9-2 advantage. The Lady Hilltoppers answered with Seda Fas doubling on a fly ball to center fielder Habovick to score Kelli Sheehan. Thornton singled a line drive in the direction of Thompson to score Seda Fas to pull the game to 9-4 at the end of five innings.
The first-year Bald Eagle catcher put the icing on the cake in the seventh inning with a single to plate the final run — a 10-4 lead that Albright would seal with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.
Bald Eagle will play their first PIAA 3A state playoff game on Monday against Southmoreland at 4 p.m. at the Milesburg Little League Complex.
