By Kenny Varner

UNIVERSITY PARK – This one had it all!!

The Bald Eagle Area girls softball team went head-to-head with Pine Grove in the PIAA 3A title tilt. They played with a champions heart as they gave their fans a ride of a lifetime in Friday’s game at Penn State’s Bears Softball Stadium.

Down to their last three outs, the Lady Eagles mounted a late comeback to force the game into extras. It would be a marathon contest as at the end it would be  Pine Grove that would capture the 3A title in a 13-inning marathon contest 4-3.

“We had our opportunities we just didn’t get the key hits at the right time,” said Bald Eagle Area coach Don Lucas. “It was two good teams that battled it out today”

However, it wouldn’t before the Lady Eagles mounted their seventh inning comeback.

In the top of the seventh, Sierra Albright doubled to start off the inning. Gabrielle Perry came into courtesy runner for Albright.

Maelee Yoder sacrificed Perry to third. Taylor Habovick brings in Perry with a sacrifice fly to the outfield, tying the contest.

But it would take another six innings until a champion was crowned when Jamie Dinger roped a sacrifice fly to the outfield scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 13th.

In a battle of aces, Bald Eagles started Area hurler Albright matched up against Pine Grove pitcher Dinger.

Starting off the contest, the Bald Eagles started the contest as the visiting team.

Leadoff hitter Kailey Eckert jumped on the third pitch see saw and hit a gapper for a double to start the game.

Addisyn Burns moved Eckert up a base to third by laying down a picture perfect sac bunt.

Sydnie Thompson just missed a home run as she hit the ball deep into the warning track for the third out.

Albright and company kept the Cardinals bats quiet in their part of the first.

Things picked up again for the Lady Eagles in the second Raelee Repasky led off with a double.

With one out, Repasky stole third.

However Dinger had her rise all working and was able to set down the rest of the order by strikeouts.

At the end of two, Dinger had amassed four strikeouts.

But Albright was tough in the bottom of the inning, sending Pine Grove down in order.

Kendall Gavlock opened the third with a strong grounder that handcuffed the shortstop for the single.

Once again, Eckert blasted a double sending pinch runner Casey Angellotti to third.

With one swing of the bat by Burns, the game was no longer a scoreless one as she blasted a 2RBI double putting her team ahead 2-0 with no one out.

Butterworth that would be all the Lady Eagles were able to push through, making it 2-0.

In the bottom the Cardinals cut the Bald Eagle lead in half when Callee Leffler tripled and scored on an Eagles errant throw, making it a 2-1 contest going into the fourth.

Pine Grove tied the contest in the fourth via an RBI double by Dinger.

She was replaced on the base paths by courtesy runner Kendra Unbenhaurer. Umbenhour scored on a soft single into shallow left by Tailyn Bohr.

When the dust settled in the fourth, the Lady Cardinals took the 3-2 lead.

The score stayed that way until the seventh where the “Never Say DIe Lady Eagles” sent the game into extra innings.

It was a contest where both teams showed how they punched their ticket to the PIAA championship game.

Albright gave a strong effort striking out 12 and scattering only five hits on the day.

Despite the loss, Bald Eagle Area finished the season with a 22-4 record.

Pine Grove 4, Bald Eagle Area 3 (13 innings)

BEA 002 000 100  000 0 – 3 12 5

PG   001 200 000  000 1 – 4    8 2

WP:  Jamie Dinger

LP: Sierra Albright

Multiple hitters: BEA – Kailey Eckert 3-for-4,run, Addisyn Burns 2-for-5 2RBIs, Sierra Albright 2-for-5. PG – Jamie Dinger 2-for-6 2RBIs, run.

HR: BEA – None. PG – None.

3B: BEA – None. PG – None.

2B: BEA – Kailey Eckert(2), Addisyn Burns, Raelee Repasky, Sierra Albright PG – Jamie Dinger .