(Posted April 14, 2007)

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - The Juniata College softball team was unable to overcome big innings in both ends of its conference doubleheader with Elizabethtown College as the Eagles were defeated 6-1 and 8-3 in a pair of games Saturday afternoon. Juniata (8-12, 2-8 Commonwealth) fell behind early in both games and was unable to find the offense to rally back in the two games. Elizabethtown (11-11, 5-3 Commonwealth) scored four runs in the first inning of game one and never looked back as they cruised to the 6-1 win. The Blue Jays scored four runs on three hits in the first frame. Marian Guzik doubled in the first run of the game, and an error. Sarah Church doubled in two more runs to make the score 4-0. Juniata starter Alyssa Erb (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) settled in after that point, but she was still charged with the loss as she allowed six runs on 11 hits over six innings. She struck out seven in the game and only three of the runs that came home were earned. Elizabethtown added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to build a 6-0 lead. Church recorded an RBI single in the fifth and the Blue Jays got an RBI groundout in the sixth. The Eagles got one run back in the top of the seventh as Liz Schmitt (H. Frank Carey/Franklin Square, N.Y.) drilled a solo home run to lead off the inning. But Juniata got no closer. Tara Carl (Otto-Eldred/Duke Center) had two hits in the game to lead the Eagles. Elizabethtown\'s Alex Lee went the distance to get the win as she scattered five hits over seven innings. Church had three hits to pace the Blue Jays. Elizabethtown struck early again in game two as an infield error brought home a run in the bottom of the first. This time Juniata countered as the Eagles scored three times in the top of the third. Stacy Nagy (Troy/Millerton) singled in the first run and then Jackie Morley (Archbishop Wood/North Wales) doubled home two more to give the Eagles a 3-1 edge. But the lead was short lived as the Blue Jays scored five runs in the bottom of the inning to build a big lead. A bases-loaded triple from Lauren Hoover provided the big blow as the home team took control. The Blue Jays added two more runs in the fourth as Guzik tripled home a run and another came in on an error. Pam Mansell (Penns Valley/Centre Hall) pitched three innings and was charged with the loss for Juniata as she allowed six runs, five earned, on four hits. She walked four hitters in the game. Six different Juniata players finished with a hit in the game. Lee picked up the win in game two as well for Elizabethtown as she tossed another complete game, this time scattering six hits while allowing three runs. Kelli Thon and Melissa Martin each had three hits for the home team. Juniata returns to action on Thursday with a non-conference doubleheader at Penn State-Altoona. ###

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