(Posted March 29, 2008)

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Juniata College allowed the University of Scranton to score a combined six runs in its final at bats and dropped both games of a Landmark Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon in Scranton, Pa. The Lady Royals plated a pair of runs with two out in the bottom of the seventh for a 3-2 win in game one, then scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 7-3 victory in the second game of the twinbill. Juniata (8-9, 1-3 Landmark) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning of game one, after back-to-back-to-back doubles by Stacy Nagy (Millerton, Pa./Troy), Rachel Nagy (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth), and Liz Schmitt (Knoxville, Tenn./H. Frank Carey, N.Y.). Scranton (8-4, 2-0 Landmark) responded with a single run in the fifth, after Erin Moreau reached on a walk and later scored on a error at third by Juniata's Tara Carl (Duke Center, Pa./Otto-Eldred). The Eagles still held a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh, and had recorded two outs on the Lady Royals, when Mia Collarini singled and stole second, and scored on a base hit by Samantha Russo. A double by Mary Beth Vogel and a single by Annie Zeleniak eventually drove in Russo, ending the game. Juniata starter Alyssa Erb (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) allowed two earned runs in sixth-and-two-thirds innings of work, striking out four Royals while walking five, while seeing her record even out at 5-5 with the loss. Royal starter Isabel Mendez scattered five hits and struck out five while walking none in the complete game win. In game two, the Eagles again took the lead, thanks to a lead-off triple by Sarah Eckard (Hollidasburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) and a sacrifice bunt to short by Caley McCool (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley). The two teams traded runs in the second, and Juniata grabbed a 3-1 lead in the top of the third with Stacy Nagy's RBI single that plated Eckard, who reached on a lead-off walk. Scranton tied the game in the bottom of the frame on Kasey Borbridge's two-run double. Juniata starter Pam Mansell (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) retired nine of the next 11 batters she faced after the Borbridge double in the third, and the Eagles were still tied with the Royals 3-3 in the sixth. A walk, three singles, and a double by Scranton with one out in the sixth scored four runs for the Royals, with two-run singles by Vogel and Zeleniak accounting for the runs. Mansell finished with four stikeouts and four walks while allowing 12 hits over her six innings of work; her record fell to 3-4 with the loss. Scranton's Borbridge pitched all seven innings, yielding eight hits and striking out just two Juniata batters for the complete game win. Juniata will travel to Latrobe, Pa., on Monday, March 31, to face St. Vincent College. -30-

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