(Posted March 22, 2005)

Penn State-Altoona 12, Juniata 5 (8 innings)
Juniata 9, Penn State-Altoona 6

Huntingdon, Pa. ? The Juniata College baseball team scored nine runs on 11 hits to capture a 9-6 victory in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader with Penn State-Altoona in Huntingdon Tuesday afternoon. The win came after the Eagles surrendered seven runs in the eighth inning to drop game one of the two-game set by a 12-5 score. Juniata?s record stands at 11-6 while Penn State-Altoona finished the day with a record of 5-7.

Juniata put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first in game one, chasing the Lions starter from the game after just a third of an inning. A two-RBI double from Zach Sternberg (McCaskey/Lancaster) was followed by a Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Joe Donohoe (Northern Lehigh/Slatington) as Juniata moved in front 4-0. The Eagles then added another run in the second when David Saintz (Titusville/Titusville) drilled a solo home run to right center.

The visitors took a big chunk out of the lead in the third when they pushed across four runs off Juniata starter Andrew Snyder (Punxsutawney/Punxsutawney). Dennis McKimm singled to drive in two runs in the frame, while Juniata let its pitcher down with a pair of errors which led to a pair of unearned runs.

The lead was extended with a run in the bottom of the third when Matt Garner (Bellwood-Antis/Bellwood) came home on an RBI single from Saintz. The Eagles then took control with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Saintz and Jason Enoch (Hempfield/Landisville) each recorded RBI singles in the frame, and when Enoch came home on a wild pitch Juniata held a 9-4 lead.

Penn State-Altoona showed signs of a rally as they tallied three hits and two runs in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough as the Eagles held on for the 9-6 win. Snyder improved to 1-0 as he tossed six innings and allowed four runs, two earned on six hits.

Saintz was 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored in the game. Garner also finished with three hits and scored a pair of runs.

Game one saw Juniata rally from an early deficit, but the Eagles were unable to close out the game in regulation and then saw things fall apart in the top of the eighth.

Juniata overcame a 4-2 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Will Russell (Tyrone/Tyrone) drove home Saintz with an RBI double, and then came in on a two-run home run from Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) to give Juniata a 5-4 lead.

The Lions countered with a run in the sixth when one of the Eagles committed one of their four errors in the game which led to an unearned run. Juniata stranded two runners in the sixth and then got a runner on with one out in the seventh but couldn?t break the tie.

Then in the eighth, McKimm and Chris Scelsi each drove in two runs with RBI singles as the Lions knocked out seven hits in the frame. Juniata also committed a pair of errors in the inning which contributed to five unearned runs. Eagle hurler Paul Dunklebarger (State College/State College) was charged with the loss as he allowed all seven runs.

Penn State-Altoona built its lead with a pair of runs in the second and then a run apiece in the fourth and fifth innings. Each of those runs came off Juniata starter Darius Reed (Juniata/Valley/Alexandria) who pitched six innings on the game.

Juniata had single runs in the second and third, with Garner notching an RBI single in the second, and Saintz delivering a solo home run in the third.

Saintz was 2-for-5 on the game with two runs scored and an RBI. Goedkoop registered two hits while driving in two runs and scoring two runs.

Juniata returns to action on Wednesday with a home doubleheader against Mount Aloysius.

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