ALTOONA -- The previous time Burrell played in a PIAA championship, the Bucs had more errors than hits and lost handily.

Seven years later, their second championship appearance wasn't much better.

Burrell fell behind early, never recovered and lost to Loyalsock, 8-3, in the PIAA Class AA championship yesterday morning at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona.

"I don't know what it was, but we just didn't show up," said Mark Spohn, Burrell's coach in both championship losses.

Loyalsock (22-4), a District 4 school near Williamsport, won its first PIAA baseball title while Burrell, the No. 3 team from the WPIAL, finished 20-3. The three runs Burrell scored tied for its second-lowest offensive output of the season.

"I just think they were a better team today," Spohn said of Loyalsock. "As flat as Sharon looked against us the other day [in the semifinals], we had to look that way today."

Burrell started ace Seth Napierkowski (11-2), who pitched all seven innings and gave up only one run in the victory Monday against Sharon. Napierkowski said he felt strong, despite pitching on only three days rest. But Loyalsock got to Napierkowski for five runs in 4¹/₃ innings before he was relieved by Dave Kunkle, who gave up three runs and four hits in 1²/₃ innings.

"I actually felt I had pretty decent stuff, better than I had against Sharon," Napierkowski said.

Spohn said: "I didn't think [Napierkowski] threw that bad. They didn't hit him that hard. They hit Kunkle hard."

Loyalsock had nine hits, and catcher Brian Stopper continued his hot postseason hitting with two doubles and two RBIs. Colin Kelly and Stephen Stopper also had two hits.

Loyalsock took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second and held a 5-1 advantage after five. A three-run sixth put the game out of reach.

Burrell had runners on second and third with one out in the second, but scored only one run on Shane Welsh's sacrifice fly. Burrell added two more runs in the seventh on Eric McAlpine's two-run single.

Loyalsock's Colin Kelly pitched the first 2²/₃ innings, and Alex Cillo went the rest of the way. Cillo struck out six in 4¹/₃ innings.

"We needed to jump on the first kid and we didn't do that," Spohn said. "The other kid was better."