Sentinel photo by JEFF SHOMO Juniata's Hayden Burd (2) looks to the official for a call on the play at second base on Wednesday in their D6 title game against Bellefonte.

By Kenny Varner

Sports correspondent

BELLEFONTE — For the past four seasons the Bellefonte and Juniata baseball teams locked horns in a winner-take-all contest in the District 6 Class 4A championship game.

Juniata was looking to get in the winning column having lost the first three contests while the Red Raiders looked to add to its undefeated streak.

Juniata came into the title tilt on Wednesday at Governor’s Park with a record of 6-12 while the Red Raiders finished the regular season with a record of 15-4.

Despite hitting ball hard at times, the Indians mustered only three hits in the contest.

The night belonged to Zach Lehman and the Bellefonte offense as the captured the title winning 10-0 in five.

Highlighting the night for the Red Raiders was the offensive prowess of Oliver Thornburg who took two over the fence while finishing with three RBIs.

Bellefonte went with hurler Zach Lehman on the mound while Juniata retaliated with Brady Hack.

“I thought the team played exceptionally well today. We knew it was going to be a tough battle.

There are an above normal team,” said Juniata coach Aaron Geedey. “They hit the ball well. They hit the ball over the field, and are fundamentally sound. I thought we played a great game. They fielded everything. Their pitcher was a great pitcher. He was the best we’d seen all year. So, It was going to be an upload battle from the beginning.”

In the first, Hayden Burd started the hitting as he poked a one-out single to centerfield. He stole second, putting a runner in scoring position.

He was left stranded to end the inning.

Then the lightning flashed and the game was delayed for an hour.

When the game resumed Bellefonte had its first at-bats.

Lehman blasted a one-out double to left to start things off for Bellefonte.

He scored on a double by Evan Mattern.

Hack looked strong in his first allowing just a run and posted two strikeouts.

Lehman cruised through the second, striking out all three batters that he faced in the inning.

Leading off the bottom of the inning, Quentin Crouthamel walked.

But from there Hack shut the defending champs down in the inning with no damage done.

Juniata continued to battle as leadoff hitter Daylyn Kennedy roped a 2-out double to threaten to score the tying run.

But Lehman took care of the last as he snagged a comebacker and got it to first, ending the threat.

Braeden Fortney led off the third with a walk. He stole second, setting the stage for Lehman. He moved Fortney to third on a high fielder’s choice chopper to the third.

Mattern singled in Fortney to add to the Red Raiders.

Oliver Thornburg added to the Bellefonte score, roping a huge 2-run homer over the left field fence.

Parker VonGunden reached on an Indians miscue.

Crouthamel kept things going with a walk.

Cole Houser blasted a sacrifice fly to right to advance VonGunden to third.

Carsen Henry’s blast to the gap, scoring one.

Alten Howell got into the act hustling out a bunt single while scoring Crouthamel. When the dust settled the Red Raiders led 6-0.

Kennedy came in in the fourth for the Indians and went right to work.

He struck out Lehman and made Mattern ground out.

However, Thornburg blasted his second home run of the game, upping it to a 7-0 advantage.

The Red Raiders ended the contest posting three runs in the fifth to win its sixth D6 title in a row. But the Indians finished their season as D6 runner-ups and will have a good number of returners for next year’s squad.

Bellefonte 10, Juniata 0 (five innings)

JUN 000 00x – 0 3 2

BEL 105 13x – 10 11 0

WP: Zach Lehman

LP: Brady Hack

Multiple hitters: JUN – None. BEL – Evan Mattern 3-for-4 run, 3RBI , Oliver Thornburg 2-for-3 3RBIs, 2runs, Alten Howell 2-for-3 2RBIs.

HR: JUN – None. BEL – Oliver Thornburg (2).

3B: JUN – None. BEL – None.

2B: JUN – Daylyn Kennedy. BEL – Zach Lehman, Evan Mattern

SOFTBALL

Juniata-Bellefonte rained out

BELLEFONTE — The District 6 softball championship between Juniata and Bellefonte was rained out on Wednesday and will be placed at noon today at Bellefonte Middle School.