(Posted April 27, 2005)

Penn State-Altoona 8, Juniata 7
Penn State-Altoona 9, Juniata 8 (8 innings)

Altoona, Pa. ? The Juniata College baseball team fell victim to a Penn State-Altoona rally in game one, and then had its own rally fall short as the Eagles dropped a pair of one-run games in a non-conference doubleheader against the Lions in Altoona Wednesday afternoon. Juniata fell in game one 8-7 and then dropped a 9-8 decision in extra innings in game two. The losses dropped Juniata to 21-15 on the season, while Penn State-Altoona improved to 15-17 with the victories.

Juniata burst out of the gates in game one, pushing across six runs on six hits in the frame. Dan Kauffman (Penn Manor/Conestoga) delivered the first two runs with a single, then a fielder?s choice bunt single from Jason Enoch (Hempfield/Landisville) made the score 4-0 Juniata. David Saintz (Titusville/Titusville) knocked in two more runs with a single which chased Lions starter Zach Grove. Lions? reliever Nate Diehl came on and got out of the inning, and was able to keep the Eagle bats quiet over the next five innings allowing the home team to pull back into the game.

After Penn State-Altoona went scoreless in the first, the Lions scored in every inning the rest of the way. They pushed across solo runs in the second and third, with a Tony Petulla solo home run providing the run in the third. An Eagle error led to two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the lead to 6-4 in favor of Juniata. A Chris Scelsi two RBI single in the bottom of the fifth knotted the score at six, and drove Juniata starter Darius Reed (Juniata Valley/Alexandria). Lance Tippett (Altoona/Altoona) and Josh Lingenfelter (Claysburg-Kimmel/Claysburg) each retired a batter to get Juniata out of the jam with the score tied at six. Reed allowed six runs, three earned, on 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings.

After getting out of the jam in the fifth, the Eagle pulled back in front in the sixth as an RBI triple from Kauffman plated Troy Beaver (Bellwood-Antis/Bellwood) with the go-ahead run.

But the visitors rallied again tying the game on a sacrifice fly from Shaun Greenland in the top of the sixth. Then in the seventh with one out Scelsi walked and Lingfelter fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt and overthrew the first baseman. Scelsi came all the way around from first with the winning run on the error. Lingenfelter was charged with his first loss of the year, while Chris Devola pitched the final inning to earn the win.

Kauffman went 2-for-3 with three RBI in the game. Saintz and Beaver each were 2-for-4 with Saintz driving in a pair of runs, and Beaver scoring two.

In game two, it was nearly the opposite story of game one, though this time the Lions held an early lead, then overcame a Juniata rally. The home team scored three runs in the first, and then added one more in the second off Juniata starter Eric Bridenbaugh (Central/Martinsburg). Bridenbaugh settled in from there, allowing the Eagles to rally and tie the score. Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) started the comeback with a solo home run in the top of the fourth. Juniata then scored three in the fourth when Dan DeRosa (Kingston/Kingston, N.Y.) drilled a solo home run. A single from Enoch was followed by a triple from Joe Donohoe (Northern Lehigh/Slatington). A Beaver sacrifice fly then knotted the game at four. Juniata then pulled in front in the top of the sixth when Goedkoop blasted another solo home run to leftfield.

The Lions had an answer one more time as Petulla delivered a two-run single to cap a three-run inning in the bottom of the sixth.

Juniata fought back again in the top of the seventh. Will Russell (Tyrone/Tyrone) singled home the first run to cut the score to 7-6. Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) followed with a two-RBI single to give Juniata the lead.

But as they had all day, Penn State-Altoona responded. A sacrifice fly from Scott Darhower tied the score in the seventh and sent the game into extra innings. Then in the eighth, with the bases loaded and one out, Dennis McKimm dropped a bunt single to score the winning run. Lance Tippett (Altoona/Altoona) was charged with the loss for Juniata, while Andy Stottlemeyer picked up the win.

Goedkoop paced the Eagles as he went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI and the two home runs.

Juniata returns to action with a game at Commonwealth foe Susquehanna on Friday.

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