(Posted March 10, 2007)

ANTHEM, Ariz. - The Juniata College baseball team capped its spring break trip to Arizona by rallying from a 9-5 deficit to post a 10-9 victory over Wheaton Saturday afternoon in Anthem, Ariz. Juniata closed the trip with a 7-3 record in Arizona and have a 7-4 record overall. Brian Markovich (Northern Cambria/Northern Cambria) pitched 5 1-3 scoreless innings of relief to help Juniata overcome an early deficit. Trailing 9-5 in the fourth Markovich came on to work out of a first and third jam. He then surrendered just two hits and struck out two over the final five innings. Juniata then began rallying back, as the Eagles pushed across three runs in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 9-8. A lead-off double from Dane Ott (South Williamsport/South Williamsport) followed by an RBI single from Ben Yeager (Owen J. Roberts/Pottstown) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Eagles then pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Ott again led off with a double, and then pinch runner Matt Sullivan (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) came home on an RBI single from Andrew Kris (John Carroll/Forest Hill, Md.). The Eagles found themselves in a hole as Wheaton scored three runs in the second and third inning off Juniata starter Paul Dunklebarger (State College/State College). Juniata got three runs back in the bottom of the third on a two-run double from Cory Poff (Red Lion/Red Lion). Ott finished with three hits in the game, including his two key late-game doubles. Jordan Reitz (Waynesboro/Waynesboro) had a triple and a single for the Eagles, while Kriss also added two hits. Each player in the lineup had three hits for the Blue and Gold as the team posted 14 hits overall. Juniata is scheduled to open up conference play on Thursday when they travel to face Commonwealth Conference rival Susquehanna University. ###

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