(Posted April 13, 2005)

Juniata 14, St. Vincent 12

Latrobe, Pa. ? Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) pounded out five RBI as the Juniata College baseball team outlasted NAIA foe St. Vincent College 14-12 in Latrobe Wednesday afternoon. The Eagles improved to 19-10 with the victory, while St. Vincent dropped to 14-17-1.

Juniata finished the game with 19 hits, and overcame deficits of 4-0 and 9-7 in the game to claim the win. St. Vincent finished with 12 hits off the Juniata pitching staff, while the two teams also combined for 10 errors in the contest.

After the home team scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth of Juniata hurler Cody Zong (McVeytown/Lewistown), the Eagles answered with six runs in the top of the second. Troy Beaver (Bellwood-Antis/Bellwood) delivered a two-RBI double in the frame, while Paul Evans (Huntingdon/Huntingdon) and Goedkoop each delivered RBI singles in the frame. Another RBI single from Evans plated Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) in the third to extend Juniata?s lead to 7-4.

The home team responded by pushing across five runs in the fourth to chase Zong from the game. Mike Killian delivered a two-run home run to start the inning, and three more runs came across before Juniata reliever Paul Dunklebarger (State College/State College) worked out of the inning.

But Juniata?s offense again responded as the Blue and Gold pushed home two runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and three more in the seventh. Goedkoop tied the game in the fifth by driving in two more runs with a single. In the sixth Zach Sternberg (McCaskey/Lancaster) doubled home a run, and another run came home on a passed ball.

The Eagles finally built enough of a cushion with three runs in the seventh. Goedkoop knocked in another two runs with a single to left, and then came home on an error to give Juniata a 14-9 edge.

The home team came back one more time, pushing across three runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Josh Morrow knocked in two runs with a single and represented the tying run at first. Josh Lingenfelter (Claysburg-Kimmel/Claysburg) came on in relief and record the final two outs of the inning, and then held the home team scoreless over the final two innings to capture the save.

Dunklebarger pitched three-plus innings to earn the win for Juniata, while Craig Conforti was charged with the loss.

Goedkoop finished 3-for-6 with five RBI. His RBI total for the season now stands at 41, one shy of tying the Juniata single-season record. Leonard was 4-for-6 in the game with two runs scored. Evans and Beaver both added two hits with two RBI apiece.

The Eagles will return to action on Sunday with a non-conference doubleheader at Washington and Jefferson.

###

Our readers respond...

Be the first to provide a response.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.