By Kenny Varner

SPRING MILLS – It was a tough pitchers duel to start the week in the Laurel Highlands

Two of the best premier pitchers met Monday when the Bald Eagle Area softball team traveled to Penns Valley.

Bald Eagle hurler Sierra Albright went head-to-head against Rams pitcher Taylor Bumgardner.

The two combined for 30 strike outs for the contest, Albright finished with 15 while Bumgardner also tallied 15.

It was a record breaking night for Albright as she set a new record for strikeouts posting a new Centre record 793 strike outs.

Offensively, Bald Eagle Area finished with nine hits while the Lady Rams were held to one.

In the end it would be the Eagles that came out victorious taking home a 4-0 victory.

“It’s always nice to come out and get the win,” said assistant coach Jim Gonder. “Taylor ( Bumgardner) pitched a good game. Sierra (Albright) pitched a good game. We are happy with it. She set a Centre County record in strikeouts today, which was one of our goals. I thought we had a couple good plays in the outfield. Sydney (Thompson) was 3-for-3. She was on fire tonight. She was our number three hitter. All-in-all I’m happy with the results.”

After a scoreless first inning which saw a combined 5-out – 6 combined batters were strike outs.

Bald Eagle got on the scoreboard in the second. Thompson got the inning started with a single into center. Teammate Alexa Baney moved Thompson to second on a fielders choice. Thompson scored on a double by Raelee Repasky.

Penns Valley kept the damage to just a lone run.

“Taylor battled. She lost a couple pitches in the fourth inning. She had a hard time getting back her rise ball. That hurt us there in the fifth,” said Penns Valley coach Terry Bumgardner. “Taylor is strong. She is our heartbeat. How she is on the mound is how we go. We’ll play again.”

Albright and company cruised through the Penns Valley line up in the second and third innings, heading into the halfway mark posting a no-hitter.

Penns Valley had a chance to plate some runs in the fourth as it threatened in the inning.

With one out, starting off the inning was Elle Dinges. Dinges laid down a bunt single. She was accompanied on base by Bumgardner who was hit by a pitch. Both advanced  base via a wild pitch.

Sydney Dalton blasted a long fly ball to right field that was caught by Baney. Dinges appeared to tag up to tie the game at one. While the play was still going Bumgardner was tagged out trying to score from second.

However, the play was appealed by Bald Eagle saying that Dinges left early.

On the appeal, the umpire reversed the call, calling Dinges out on the play, negating the run and reverting the score back to a 1-0 Bald Eagle lead.

Bald Eagle used that momentum in the fifth and plated two more runs in the inning.

With two outs in the inning, pinch hitter Casey Angellotti smacked a screamer into left field. She moved up a base on a wild pitch and scored on a Kailey Eckert RBI single. Maelee Yoder brought in Eckert hitting a blooping single over first base, upping the lead to 3-0.

Bald Eagle added an insurance run in the sixth and was able to hold onto the win from there. The win gave Albright the one-hit shut out victory.

Bald Eagle Area  4, Penns Valley 0

BEA 010 021 0 – 4 9 1

PV   000 000 0 – 0 1 2

WP: Sierra Albright

LP: Taylor Bumgardner

Multiple hitters: BEA – Sydney Thompson   3-for-3 2runs. PV –    None.

HR: BEA –   None. PV –    None.

3B: BEA –   None . PV –    None.

2B: BEA – Relee Raposky . PV –    None.