(Posted April 12, 2006)

Juniata 4, Saint Vincent 3

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Jason Enoch (Hempfield/Landisville) delivered a two-run RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn the Juniata College baseball team a win in its final at-bat for the second-consecutive home game as the Eagles rallied past Saint Vincent College 4-3 in Huntingdon Wednesday afternoon. The Eagles are now 15-8-1 on the season while Saint Vincent dropped to 15-16.

The Eagles trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but loaded the bases on a pair of infield errors and a walk. Enoch then drove a single into leftfield to bring home Will Russell (Tyrone/Tyrone) and Steven Wilk (Blairsville/Hollidaysburg) to give the Eagles the 4-3 triumph.

Jeff Hayes (Indian Valley/Lewistown) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning to earn the victory for the Blue and Gold who also won a conference game on a walk-off hit in its last home game.

The two unearned runs in the ninth spoiled a strong outing for Bearcats hurler Anthony Fuhrer who went all nine innings and allowed just eight hits and four runs, just two earned.

Early on it appeared as though offense was going to be the story of the day as each team got off to a quick start. After Juniata starter Drew Michanowicz (Bishop Guilfoyle/Altoona) got the first two outs in the first, a walk followed by three consecutive hits gave the visitors a 3-0 lead. Danny Consuegra had an RBI double in the frame while Colin Nickerson and Dave Russell each added RBI singles.

After the rocky first, Michanowicz settled in nicely, scattering four hits and allowing no runs over the next five innings. The senior hurler fanned three batters in the outing.

Juniata cut into the lead with one run in the bottom of the first. David Saintz (Titusvill/Titusville) singled with one out and then stole second. Dan Kauffman (Penn Manor/Conestoga) followed with one of his two singles on the day to score Saintz and make the score 3-1.

The Eagles got another run back in the bottom of the seventh. Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) singled and stole second to start the frame, and then came home on an RBI double from Zach Sternberg (McCaskey/Lancaster) to pull the Eagles within one.

Brian Markovich (Northern Cambria/Northern Cambria) worked the seventh and eighth innings for the Eagles and kept Juniata within a run before handing the ball to Hayes for the ninth.

Kauffman, Sternberg and Leonard each finished with two hits for Juniata, with Leonard scoring a run and Sternberg and Kauffman each notching an RBI.

Mike Adams, Consuegra, Nickerson and Russell all had two hits for the visitors, who finished the game with 10 hits.

Juniata returns to action on Friday when the Eagles play a Commonwealth Conference game at Elizabethtown.

###

Our readers respond...

Be the first to provide a response.

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