Photos by Tim Weight

UNIVERSITY PARK – They were a team of destiny.

For the second time in year in-a-row, the Bald Eagle baseball team finished at the top of the PIAA Class AA mountain.

Thursday the Eagles would lock up their second consecutive PIAA state championship with an 11-3 late inning surge to defeat Tri-Valley.

The Eagles will add another banner for their gymnasium and trophy to their trophy case, sitting right beside last years.

The top of the Eagles’ order set the tone for the game as Kahale Burns and Gavin Burns both finished with three hits each.

Kahale Burns scored four times during the win while Gavin Burns tallied a game high 3RBIs.

Teammates Carson Nagle and Westin McClain both pounded out two hits each. The four combined pounded out 10 of the Eagles 11 hits in the morning contest.

Brayden Dubbs posted a 2RBI double for the other hit.

Picking up the win for the Eagles was  McClain, going sixth and two-thirds innings giving up three runs while scattering eight hits while striking out five.

Taking the loss for the Bulldogs was Caden Leonard.

Designated as the visitors, the Eagles got started posting a run in the first.

Kahale Burns got things started with a double. He then scored on a Gavin Burns single.

The game remained that way until the bottom of the third. Tri-Valley tied things as the game went into the fourth.

However, the Eagles flicked a switch on its offense and the runs started to accrue in a hurry.

In the fifth, the Bald Eagle bats exploded for five to take back the lead and give themselves a little cushion for its defense.

Cam Watkins led off the inning with a walk.

Kahale Burns was hit by a pitch, putting two runs on base still with nobody out.

Both Burns and Watkins moved up a base via a passed ball.

Gavin Burns again singles bringing in Watkins.

On the play, Kahale Burns scored on an error by the Bulldogs. Gavin Burns moved up to second.

Gavin Burns made it 4-1 as he scored on two passed balls.

Nagle kept things going as he tripled to left field.

Dubbs followed reaching on a Bulldog miscue. Nagle also scored extending the Eagles’ lead.

McClain doubled in Dubbs to give his team a comfortable 6-1 advantage.

Bald Eagle added four more in the sixth.

Tri-Valley battled back, plating two in the sixth.

Offensively, the Eagles had one more run left in them, scoring Kaden Burns to go ahead by eight runs.

That would all the defending champs would need, downing the Bulldogs in the seventh without a run.

And the celebration began!!

The Eagles finished the season with a 25-2 record and most importantly the title of being the best of the best.

Their two year run will not soon be forgotten and placed them in rare air in the long distinguished history of Bald Eagle baseball.