(Posted April 18, 2006)

Seton Hill 8, Juniata 1
Seton Hill 9, Juniata 3

GREENSBURG, Pa. ? The Juniata College softball team found itself in early deficits in both games of its non-conference doubleheader against Seton Hill University Tuesday afternoon, and was unable to overcome those margins as the Eagles dropped both games on the day. Juniata fell by an 8-1 margin in game one and by a 9-3 margin in game two as the Eagles dropped to 9-25 on the season. Seton Hill raised its record to 14-15 on the year.

In game one the Griffins scored one run in the bottom of the first and then added six scores in the second to take a commanding 7-0 edge. The visitors got a run on an RBI single from Meredith Benson. Then in the second H Patton brought home two runs with a triple which was followed by an RBI double from Brittany Patton. Melanie Benson followed with a three-run homer to knock Juniata starter Renae Hobbs (Mount Union/Mount Union) from the game.

The Eagles would get run one back in the top of the fourth. Leann P. Leymeister (Blue Mountain/Orwigsburg) singled and then came home on a Seton Hill error to make the score 7-1. The home team would then score an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to extend the margin to 8-1.

Hobbs was charged with the loss for the Eagles as she allowed seven runs, six earned in 1 2-3 innings. Lizzi Bartosik (Penn/Granger, Ind.) pitched solid in relief as she allowed just three hits and one unearned run over 4 1-3 innings. Brittany Patton went the distance for the home team as she allowed five hits and a run over seven innings.

Leymeister and Abby Sener (Donegal/Marietta) each had two hits for the Blue and Gold. J Clark was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for Seton Hill, while Heather Patton added two hits while driving in and scoring two runs.

The Eagles found themselves in an early hole again in game two as the Griffins knocked in one run in the first and then added another five in the bottom of the second to take a 6-0 lead. A sacrifice groundout in the first brought in the first run of the game. Seton Hill then scored five runs on five hits in the second inning. Holly Thomas provided the big blow of the inning with a bases-loaded double that scored three runs.

The Eagles found their offense in the top of the fifth as they scored three runs to cut the Seton Hill lead in half. Hobbs doubled in Marcie White (Central Dauphin East/Dauphin) with the first run, and then came home on an outfield error. Liz Schmitt (H Frank Carey/Franklin Square, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single to give Juniata its third run.

But Seton Hill answered with three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Stephanie Gerber drove in two runs with a single in the inning and Emily Graham added another RBI single.

Bartosik was charged with the loss for Juniata as she allowed six runs, four earned, over a 1 1-3 innings. Elsann Machotka (South Regional/Manahawkin, N.J.) went 4 2-3 innings allowing three unearned runs. Jen Cardinale got the win for Seton Hill as she went 4 1-3 innings and surrendered three runs, two earned while striking out four.

Hobbs led Juniata with two hits a run and an RBI in the game, while Schmitt also had two hits and an RBI. Graham, Thomas and Gerber all had two hits for Seton Hill.

Juniata gets back into action with a conference doubleheader on Saturday against Lebanon Valley.

###

Our readers respond...

Be the first to provide a response.

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