(Posted March 28, 2006)

Juniata 10, Alvernia 8

HUNTINGDON, Pa. ? The Juniata College baseball team pounded out 12 hits en route to scoring 10 runs as the Eagles outlasted visiting Alvernia College 10-8 in non-conference action Tuesday in Huntingdon. The Eagles raised their record to 12-6-1 on the year while the Crusaders fell to 9-7 on the year.

With the score tied at six through four innings, Zach Sternberg (McCaskey/Lancaster) delivered an RBI single to score Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) giving Juniata the lead for good. Steven Wilk (Blairsville/Hollidaysburg) followed with another RBI, giving Juniata an 8-6 edge.

After an Eric Bonds sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth cut the lead to 8-7, Juniata?s Dan Kauffman (Penn Manor/Conestoga) launched his ninth home run of the season to put Juniata back up by two.

Alvernia would threaten again in the top of the seventh, putting runners at second and third with just one out. From there Juniata starter Jason Enoch (Hempfield/Landisville) worked out of the jam with a pair of fly-outs to preserve the lead. An RBI single from Troy Beaver (Bellwood-Antis/Bellwood) brought Juniata?s lead to 10-7 in the bottom of the seventh.

Enoch went seven innings to capture his fourth victory of the season. The sophomore hurler allowed seven runs, four earned on 10 hits while striking out two.

Alvernia would add one more run in the eighth on an RBI single from Zach Lutz, but Jeff Hayes (Indian Valley/Belleville) was able to limit the damage in the eighth and then pitched around a lead-off walk in the ninth to claim his first save of the season.

Both teams came out of the gate hot offensively as Alvernia quickly put two runs on the board on a Jason Zeigler RBI single and a sacrifice fly in the top of the first.

Juniata answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, as Kauffman delivered a two-RBI double. Josh Lingenfelter (Claysburg-Kimmel/Claysburg) added an RBI single and Sternberg brought home a run with a groundout to make the score 4-2.

Alvernia struck back with four runs in the top of the second. RBI singles from Lutz and Chris Raniere along with a fielder?s choice and a sacrifice fly put the visitors back on top 6-4. Juniata countered with a pair of runs in the second as a Lingenfelter fielder?s choice groundout and a Will Russell (Tyrone/Tyrone) sac fly tied the score at six. Both teams committed costly errors in the inning as four of the six runs scored in the frame were unearned.

Edwin Tavarez came on in relief of Alvernia starter Artie Gehret in the second inning, and was saddled with the loss as he allowed four runs on eight hits over 5 2-3 innings.

Kauffman finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate for Juniata with three RBI and two runs scored. Beaver added two hits, two runs and an RBI while Wilk also finished with a pair of hits, a run scored and a run driven in. Darren Hake (Red Lion/Red Lion) also knocked out two hits and scored a run.

Lutz finished the day 4-for-4 for the Crusaders as he also scored two runs and drove in a pair. Steve Burdan added two more hits for the visitors who finished with 11 hits on the day.

Juniata gets back in action with another non-conference game on Thursday as the Eagles host LaRoche College.

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