(Posted April 5, 2005)

Juniata 1, Elizabethtown 0
Juniata 9, Elizabethtown 3

Elizabethtown, Pa. ? Searching for its first conference victories of the season the Juniata College softball team got just enough offense to go with a stellar pitching performance from freshman Kim Stoia (Morris Hills/Rockaway, N.J.) in a 1-0 game one win, and then got more than enough offense en route to 9-3 triumph in game two as the Eagles claimed a sweep of conference foe Elizabethtown in Elizabethtown Tuesday afternoon. Juniata improved to 10-8-1 on the season and 2-2 in Commonwealth play, while the Blue Jays dropped to 1-13-1 on the year and 0-4 in conference play.

Game one belonged to Stoia as the Eagle freshman improved to 4-1 with the complete-game victory. It was the second-consecutive complete game for the hurler, as this time she limited Elizabethtown to just two hits while striking out six. She faced just two batters over the minimum as just three Elizabethtown batters reached base.

Juniata did most of its offensive damage in the third. With two outs, Kin Wagner (Middletown/Middletown) reached on an infield single. After Wagner stole second, Renae Hobbs (Mount Union/Mount Union) added another infield single. A passed ball then brought Wagner home from third with the game?s only run. Hobbs and Wagner each had a pair of hits for Juniata, as the duo combined for all four Juniata hits.

That was nearly as much offense as Juniata managed against Blue Jays hurler Alex Lee who allowed just four hits and the one unearned run in seven innings, but was tagged with the loss.

Elizabethtown put together its biggest threat in the sixth. A double and an error put runners on first and third with one out, but Stoia induced a ground out and a fly out to end the inning and preserve the shutout.

Game one belonged to Stoia as she claimed her team-high fourth win of the season as she limited Pitt-Greensburg to three hits in seven innings of work. It was the freshman?s first career shutout as she struck out seven batters.

Juniata then found its offense in game two as the Eagles scored nine runs on 13 hits. The Eagles were also beneficiaries of four Elizabethtown errors, which accounted for four unearned runs.

The Eagles got started early as they pushed across four runs in the top of the first. Leann Leymeister (Blue Mountain/Orwigsburg) and Jen Piston (Central Bucks East/Jamison) each had RBI singles in the inning as Juniata pounded out six hits in the inning to take a 4-0 lead. A sacrifice bunt brought home another Eagle run in the second, and then a double from Julie Hatfield (Southern Cayuga/Scipio Center, N.Y.) knocked in another run in the third.

Elizabethtown finally broke through against Hobbs with a pair of run in the third. They were the only two that Hobbs allowed as surrendered six hits in five innings of work to earn her first win of the season. Tanya Konek pitched 2 2-3 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and was charged with the loss.

The Blue and Gold then tacked on to the lead with a run in the fourth, and two more runs in the sixth. Leymeister knocked in her fourth run of the game with an RBI single in the sixth that capped Juniata?s scoring. The Blue Jays added a run in the bottom of the seventh off Juniata reliever Lizzie Bartosik (Penn/Granger, In.). But Juniata held on to secure the win.

Wagner was 3-for-4 with four runs scored in the game. Allison D?Ambrosia (State College/Boalsburg) added three hits, while Leaymeister finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and a run scored. Hatfield contributed a pair of hits and two RBI.

Juniata returns to action on Saturday with a home doubleheader against conference foe Albright.

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