(Posted March 23, 2009)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Juniata College pounded out 10 runs on 12 hits on its way to a 10-2 win over St. Vincent College, in the first game of a softball doubleheader Monday at Weis Field in Huntingdon.

St. Vincent salvaged a split of the doubleheader with a 5-2 victory in game two of the twinbill, as Bearcat pitcher Mollie Stock held the Eagles to just three hits. Juniata helped the St. Vincent cause with four errors that led to three unearned runs for the Bearcats.

In the first game, Juniata (9-5) jumped all over St. Vincent starter Angela Sleith with three runs in the first innings.

Sarah Eckard (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) belted a lead-off triple, and scored on Tara Carl's (Duke Center, Pa./Otto-Eldred) grounder that was mishandled by Bearcat shortstop Emily Petrowsky. Liz Schmitt (Knoxville, Tenn./H. Frank Carey, N.Y.) hit her first home run of the season two batters later, also plating Carl to give the Eagles the 3-0 lead.

Juniata added one run in the second inning when Stacy Nagy (Millerton, Pa./Troy) singled home Denalyn Spratt (Haddon Heights, N.J./Haddon Heights).

The Eagles added three more runs in the fourth on the back of three singles and three walks by Sleith, and ended the game in the fifth on the 'eight-run rule' with three more runs. Schmitt and Jackie Morley (North Wales, Pa./Archbishop Wood) had RBI singles, and Nicole Fronczkowski (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant) took a bases loaded walk to force Melissa Moffat (Oceanside, Calif./Oceanside) across the plate for Juniata's third run of the inning.

Righthander Alyssa Erb (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) scattered five hits and struck out three Bearcats on her way to the complete game win, improving her record to 6-4. St. Vincent's Sleith fell to 0-5 with the loss.

Juniata struggled to get to Stock, who started in the circle for St. Vincent in game two, and did not get a hit off the Bearcat pitcher after the third inning.

The Bearcats took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third with three runs on five hits. Angela Doyle's RBI single scored Rachel Komarinski with what proved to be the game-winning run.

Juniata answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame, as Stacy Nagy drove in Eckard with a single to end St. Vincent's shutout bid. Rachel Nagy (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) plated a second Eagle run later in the third when she singled home Carl, who reached on an error by Stock.

St. Vincent added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, with both runs unearned.

Righthander Pam Mansell (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) started in the circle for Juniata, and evened her record at 1-1 with the loss. Pam Heinrichs (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) came on for Mansell in the third and finished out the game, fanning seven Bearcats over her four-and-two-thirds innings of work. Only two of the five runs allowed by Mansell and Heinrichs were earned.

Stock picked up the complete game win for St. Vincent, after striking out three Eagles and allowing no earned runs.

Juniata continues its eight-game home stand on Thursday, March 26, when it hosts Penn State-Altoona at 3:00 p.m. on Weis Field in Huntingdon.

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