Submitted photo Penn State’s Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park is a sea of red as Juniata Indian fans pack the ballpark to watch their team play for the PIAA Championship against Mid Valley Saturday.

UNIVERSITY PARK – Juniata Indian fans came by the droves, decked from head to toe with as much red as they could find.

They helped pack Penn State’s Beard Field at the Nittany Lion Softball Complex ready and eagerly waiting to support their beloved Indians. Mother Nature made them wait an extra day as inclement weather pushed Friday’s PIAA Class 3-A softball championship to Saturday afternoon.

That didn’t dampen the Juniata fans’ enthusiasm one bit. They sat on the edges of their seats, cheering on every hit, every throw and every pitch down to the last out of the ballgame.

“Oh man, it was amazing,” Juniata head coach Erin Cressman said of the crowd at the 1,084-seat facility. “So many people came, it was standing room only!”

In the end, the thrill of victory eluded Juniata and its supporters, and they suffered the agony of defeat. The Indians dropped a 1-0 decision to the Mid Valley Spartanettes in a good, old-fashioned pitchers’ duel between Juniata’s Elizabeth Gaisior and Mid Valley’s Maranda Runco. An unearned run in the first inning held up as Mid Valley won the crown.

“To be able to play in this game brought the program to a whole new level,” Cressman said. “This experience is something the girls will never forget, and it will motivate them and future players to strive to get back there.

“It also put Juniata softball on the map and the community rallied around them,” she added. “There’s so much excitement for the seasons to come!”

After the final out, their fans gave them a standing ovation as a thank you for an amazing campaign.

The same could be said for the Mount Union Trojans, who lost to Bald Eagle Area Saturday in the PIAA Class 2-A baseball championship at Penn State’s Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The Trojans lost 11-0 in five innings to BEA. Mount Union finished 24-3, with all three losses coming at the hands of the Eagles.

More coverage of the PIAA baseball and softball championships on Page B1.