Bellefonte softball at 5-1 after busy week

BELLEFONTE — Down 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth on April 10, Bellefonte Area High School softball was in a tough spot after struggling at the plate early on and surrendering a home run to Huntingdon first baseman Clare Alexander.

Led by starting pitcher Tara Baney, Bellefonte battled its way through a two-out rally and completed a 7-4 comeback win over the Bearcats with a six-run fifth inning.

Baney, a senior, logged a complete game and finished the afternoon with eight strikeouts.

Bellefonte now stands at 5-1 on the season, after a busy week that also included wins over Tyrone and Juniata and a loss to Conemaugh Valley.

“There is no question that Tara is the leader of our team,” Bellefonte head coach Fred Caldwell said. “She is the one that keeps the girls together and keeps their heads in the game.”

It was a pitchers’ duel out of the gate, as Baney and her counterpart Amanda Norris dealt three scoreless innings.

After jumping out to a 2-1 lead in the fourth with the help of some Bellefonte miscues, Alexander poured it on with a towering, no-doubter homerun over the center-field fence, ultimately silencing the Bellefonte dugout.

While the home run was a huge blow, Baney was able to stay composed in the circle and rally her teammates to stage an impressive comeback.

“Never give up when you’re behind because you can always come back. Just tell yourself to settle down,” Baney said. “I have my great team behind me. They’re all skilled in everything that they do, and their energy fuels my energy, too.”

The tides turned in the bottom of the fifth when shortstop Alexis Wetzler reached base on a fielder’s choice. Baney drew a walk, giving the Lady Red Raiders two base runners, but with two outs.

Third baseman Rianna Trexler finally got to Norris and hit a sharp grounder right back up the middle to score Wetzler, cutting the Bearcat lead to 3-2.

In the next at-bat, center fielder Angela Capparelle blooped a single onto the edge of the right field grass, allowing Baney to score after a throwing error by Huntingdon.

With the game tied, the Raider bench was rowdy, as momentum was on their side. Back-to-back RBI singles to center field from designated player Jaelyn Smith and first baseman Lissi Przybys extended Bellefonte’s lead to 7-3.

Caldwell was pleased with his lineup’s production because of the team’s ability to create offense anywhere in the order.

“A lot of our production came from our younger players,” Caldwell said. “They did a great job today.”

Huntingdon would not go down quietly, posting another run in the top of the sixth to pull within three. But Baney was too dominant for the Bearcats, striking out the first two hitters in the seventh and ending the game on 1-3 putout with quick reactions after the ball was hit right back to her.