(Posted April 19, 2007)

ALTOONA, Pa. - The Juniata College softball team got more than enough offense and a strong pitching performance in game one of its non-conference doubleheader against Penn State-Altoona Thursday afternoon, but the Eagles then had the tables turned on them in the second game as the teams split the two-game series. Juniata (9-13) picked up a 10-2 win in game one, but then dropped a 9-1 decision in game two to the Lions (4-16) The Eagles pounded out 14 hits and scored at least one run in all but one inning in the first game en route to the victory. Rachel Nagy (Nazareth/Nazareth) got Juniata started with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first that gave Juniata a quick 1-0 lead. The home team answered back in the bottom of the second. Jess Ross doubled home a pair of runs in the inning, before Juniata starter Alyssa Erb (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) worked out of the bases-loaded jam without any further damage. Erb kept the Lions off the scoreboard the rest of the way as she went all seven innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits while piling up five strikeouts. Juniata tied the score at two on an RBI single from Rachel Nagy in the top of the third. The Eagles took the lead for good in the fourth when Liz Schmitt (H. Frank Carey/Franklin Square, N.Y.) reached on a bunt single, and then eventually came around to score on a steal of home. The Eagles then put the game away with three runs in the fifth and sixth innings, and then added one more run in the seventh. Schmitt knocked in two runs in the fifth and Stacy Nagy (Troy/Millerton) brought home one run with a single. Schmitt added to her RBI count with two more on a double in the sixth, and then Erb helped her own cause by doubling home another run. Rachel Nagy capped the scoring with her third RBI of the game as she drove home a run with a single in the seventh. Schmitt was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI in the contest. Rachel Nagy and Tara Carl (Otto-Eldred/Duke Center) each had two hits and scored twice for Juniata, while Sarah Eckard had three hits and scored a pair of runs. Janice Ashenfelder was charged with the loss for the Lions as she surrendered seven earned runs, nine runs total, in 5 2-3 innings. Katie Kauffman and Ross each had a pair of hits in game one for the Lions. The offensive fireworks belonged to the home team in the second game as the Lions pounded out 12 hits and scored at least two runs in four innings as they picked up the win. Ross got the scoring started with a two-run double in the bottom of the second for Penn State-Altoona. The Lions added three more in the third on a run-scoring single from Kuaffman and then a two-run home run from Amanda Shomo. An RBI double from Kara Myers and a single from Melissa Claver added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Juniata got one run back in the top of the sixth as Carl plated Ashley VanOmmeren (Carlisle/Carlisle) but Penn State-Altoona then finished the game with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth as a wild pitch and an RBI double from Shomo closed out the game in six innings. Pam Mansell (Penns Valley/Centre Hall) suffered the loss for Juniata as she pitched all 5 2-3 innings, allowing nine runs on 12 hits. Eckard, Schmitt and VanOmmeren each had a hit for Juniata. Emily Cummins limited Juniata to just three hits in game two as she picked up the win. She fanned eight Juniata hitters. Shomo went 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored in the contest. Ross also had three hits for the home team. Juniata will be back in action on Saturday with a road conference doubleheader against Lebanon Valley. ###

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