Punxsatawney pitcher Kylee Lingenfelter was able to keep Bethlehem Catholic’s batters off balance just enough for the Chucks to defeat the Hawks, 2-0, in the PIAA State Class 4A Softball final last Friday at Penn State.

Kylee Lingenfelter, who will attend Penn State this fall, had 15 strikeouts.

“She was everything we heard she was,” said Becahi coach Rich Mazza. “Penn State doesn’t offer a full scholarship as a pitcher if she’s not pretty good.”

The Chucks scored both of their runs in the third inning, one on an RBI double by Lingenfelter and one on an RBI single by Madison Stonbraker.

In the fifth inning, Becahi’s Jess Indelicato and Tatum Kresley had base hits, and in the sixth inning, Julia Sledz hit a double.

“We did have some chances, and definitely in the seventh inning. We just couldn’t push them across,” Mazza said.

That’s when Becahi’s Addie Roche walked and Jaden Spigner reached on an error, but that was as far as it would go for the Hawks.

“There were some tears, but I told them they have to take positives away from it,” said Mazza. “Out of all the girls who played softball this year, there were only 12 teams in the state final, and we were second in the state.”

Earlier last week, Becahi won its semifinal game against Greater Nanticoke, 11-0, on Tuesday at Pine Grove Area High School.

One run in the second inning and another run in the fifth was only the beginning for the Hawks as they scored nine runs in the seventh inning.

Indelicato led off with a single, Alyssa Jiminez had a triple, Tasha Miner hit a single, and Sledz and Kresley had an RBI single apiece.

Kresley had eight strikeouts in the game.

Becahi also won its quarterfinal game against Tunkhannock, 4-1, at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, Pa.

Jiminez and Miner had doubles in the first inning to tie the game, 1-1, and Alexa Panuccio put the Hawks ahead, 2-1, with an RBI, also in the first inning.

In the fifth inning, Jiminez led off with a triple, and Julia Sledz had an RBI single to score Jiminez, 3-1, and in the sixth, Roche hit a single and scored on an error for the Hawks’ final run of the game.