Jones helps add another chapter to BEA/Bellefonte baseball lore

By Kenny Varner
WINGATE – Another chapter has been added.
With numerous memorable moments in the Bellefonte and Bald Eagle Area baseball lore, the two teams proved once again how seriously the two teams take this rivalry.
Trailing 7-2 going into their last at bats, the Eagles staged a nail biting rally that ended on the bat of Jade Jones.
With two runners on base, Jones took the second pitch he saw and ended things as he brought his team home the victory, 10-7 in walk off fashion.
Ironically, Jones was the first batter in the inning and hustled our a grounder that was overthrown at first, starting the rally.
Picking up the win for the Eagles was Hunter Brooks while Seth Shuey took the loss.
“That’s a great, great win for us. That was a great comeback. I think it’s just perfect heading into the playoffs. You beat your biggest rival in the last game of the season going into the playoffs. It should be great motivation for us. Bald Eagle Area coach James Gardner said. “To come from behind against a really good ball team to begin with we worked the count on (starting pitcher Adam) Armstrong enough to get him out of there and get the pitch count up. Got him out of there.”
Multiple hitters for Bellefonte on the night were CJ Funk 2-for-3 2RBI, run and CJ Lauck 2-for-2. Bald Eagle Area got multi hit contests from Kael Gardner 2-for-4, RBI, run, and Grant King 2-for-4, 2 runs.
Things looked bleak for the Eagles going into the bottom of the seventh, trailing 7-2.
Jaden Jones stepped in to start the inning, he ground a chopper to shortstop and reached safely via a miscue by the shortstop.
Grant King moved Jones to third as he plastered a single into left center, putting runners on the corners.
Trent Donely brought in Jones on a single.
With Matt Reese up the bat, Donely attempted to steal and the throw went into deep centerfield, scoring King. Donely moves up to third on the play, cutting it 7-4.
Reese brought I. Donely scored on a chopper that bounced its way over the third baseman’s head and into left.
Brooks helped his own cause minutes later blasting a shot deep in the the annals of centerfield, resulting in a triple.
With Reese closing the gap, the Red Raiders were able to put one out.
With one out Garret Barnhart took one for the team, getting hit in the neck. Gardner followed him in the base paths when he singled.
Facing two outs and a tied game, Jones stood tall one more time and ended the game with a huge blast that cleared the fence to let the celebration begin.
However, up until the final at bats, Bellefonte had had its moments as well.
“Bald Eagle has a lot of quality kids out there. They are a quality ball club and when you play each other there is a little more at stake when your doing that. You tell the kids your never out of it on either end. Hopefully we can learn from it. Bellefonte manager Jon Clark said. “They has some nice approaches at the plate in the last inning and they waited on he pitches they wanted to hit. Boy did they hit them. They took care of business.”
The Red Raiders opened the scoring in the top of the third.
Nick Capperelle got the inning started on an innocent single and moved over to second on a Cade Fortney bunt.
Kolbe Koleno scored Fortney on a blast into left field. A juggle by the left fielder, gave the Raiders a lead to start things off.
With one on, CJ Funk brought himself and Koleno home, smacking a round tripper, making it 3-0.
Bald Eagle rallied back in the fifth, plating two runs, cutting it to 3-2.
But Bellefonte got hot again at the plate in the sixth, plating three more. Highlighting it all was an home run by Fortney.
When the dust settled the Red Raiders had a seemingly comfortable 6-2 advantage.
But Bobby Marsh tried to add an insurance by blasting a home run himself.
But it wasn’t meant to be for Bellefonte had four errors to go along with the last chance surge of offense by the Eagles.
When all is said and done, this game will not quickly be forgotten by players and fans of either team.