The Bellefonte High School Baseball team made history May 23 after a blowout 9-1 win against Juniata secured their title as PIAA District 6 4A Champs. The game marked the team’s seventh district win in eight years, excluding a canceled game in 2020, and their third straight District Championship title.

Junior first-baseman Jacob Corman went into the game knowing that the team had the potential to win for the third-year straight. 

“This would be one of the few times it has ever happened in our program, so it was something all of us were looking to achieve,” Jacob said.

Entering the District Championship, Bellefonte was favored over their opponents, Juniata. This was based off an impressive regular season played by the Raiders that even named them the Mountain League Champions.

But just because they were favored did not mean the Raiders would ease up. Going into the finals, Bellefonte had prepared with practice and scouting trips to watch their opponents. This preparation would later pay off in the Raiders’ favor.

Shortly into the first few innings, Bellefonte jumped to an early lead over Juniata, with junior Trevor Johnson leading a hit and senior Alex Ebeling knocking him in with an RBI triple. By the third inning, the score was 2-0.

“It was pretty cool hitting a triple in the District Championship game. Myself and the team have been working all year for the title, so to hit a triple in the game was an experience I will never forget,” senior Alex Ebeling said. 

Their strong offensive start was matched by the Raiders’ defensive effort, much of which was led by senior pitcher Dominic “Dom” Capperella. Dominic would throw a shutout for six straight innings, striking out 11 batters and giving up only four hits. 

“It was really exciting getting to pitch in my team’s district championship game. It was even more special because I was able to throw a complete game and during it I reached 100 career strikeouts as a pitcher. Definitely something I’ll forever remember,” Dom said.

The Raiders would eventually take a significant lead mid-way through the game, with a late offensive effort led by Trevor Johnson’s 2-run homerun. 

Eventually, Dom would finish out the game in the seventh and final inning, earning himself a complete game victory, giving up only one run for the final score of 9-1.

The Red Raiders’ remarkable  efforts closed out an even more remarkable regular season, one Alex was especially proud of.  

“It was incredible to win a third District Championship and it was even better knowing we were the first team to ever do so in program history. Hopefully we can continue the streak next year,” Alex said.

As of press time, the Raiders will head to the PIAA 4A District 6/8/9 Sub-Regional Championship State Playoffs on June 1 to play against St. Mary’s. The winner of the game will advance to the PIAA State Tournament.