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Juniata College

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Juniata College

(Posted April 21, 2007)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - The Juniata College baseball team got its offense going in time to capture a split of a Commonwealth Conference doubleheader against Lebanon Valley Saturday afternoon in Huntingdon. The Eagles won game two of the two-game set by an 11-4 score after falling 4-0 in game one. The split kept Juniata\'s (15-14-1, 8-8-1 Commonwealth) postseason hopes alive as the Eagles are currently in fifth place in the conference with the top four teams earning a berth in the postseason. Lebanon Valley (15-15, 11-7 Commonwealth) entered the day in third place in the conference and had a nine-game winning streak snapped with Juniata\'s win in game two. After being held to five hits in game one, Juniata pounded out 15 hits including four extra-base hits in the second game. The Eagles got the offense started in the first when Dan Kauffman (Penn Manor/Conestoga) launched a two-run home run to center to give Juniata a 2-0 cushion. The home run was the 27th of Kauffman\'s career, tying the Juniata career record for home runs. The Flying Dutchmen got two runs back on a two-run homer off the bat of John Mentzer in the top of the second, and threatened to do more damage as they put runners at second and third with no outs. But Juniata starter Paul Dunklebarger (State/State College) pitched out of the jam without further damage. Juniata extended its lead with a three-run third inning. Kevin Small (Wheaton North/Wheaton, Ill.) brought in a run on a fielder\'s choice groundout, and then Andrew Kriss (John Carroll/Forest Hill, Md.) brought in two more runs with a bases-loaded single. Dunklebarger left the game with one out in the top of the fourth with an injury, but Brian Markovich (Northern Cambria/Northern Cambria) came on and pitched 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief to get the win. Juniata put the game out of reach with four runs in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded and no one out, Dane Ott (South Williamsport/South Williamsport) cleared the bases with a triple. Small followed with a single to score Ott and give Juniata a 9-2 cushion. Lebanon Valley got two runs back in the sixth on an RBI double from Brandon Stoothoff and an RBI single from Brandon Thompson. Juniata answered back in the bottom half of the inning as Greg Hoffman (Dulaney/Phoenix, Md.) singled home a pair of runs to give the Eagles the final margin. Kauffman was 3-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored offensively for Juniata. Ott also had three hits and drove in three while scoring twice. Kriss, Small, Steve Wilk (Blairsville/Hollidaysburg) and Ben Yeager (Owen J. Roberts/Pottstown) all added two hits for the Eagles. Travis Smart was tagged with the loss in the game for Lebanon Valley as he went 2 2-3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. Mentzer, Richie Schwartz and Corey Lamoureux all had two hits for the Flying Dutchmen. In game one, Juniata hurler Andrew Snyder (Punxsutawney/Punxsutawney) tossed a solid game but the Eagles were unable to solve Lebanon Valley starter Nick Faria. Snyder went all seven innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on 10 hits. He fanned six in the game. The Flying Dutchmen scored a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to break through and take the game. Schwartz brought home the first run with an infield single, and then an infield error accounted for the second run. That was all Faria needed as the southpaw scattered six Juniata hits over seven innings. He did not record a strikeout but also did not issue a walk. Lebanon Valley built a bigger cushion with two more runs in the fifth. Lamoureux singled to center to score Charlie Parker who had singled to start the frame. With two outs, Mentzer dropped a single into shallow center to score Lamoureux. Juniata had stranded five runners in the game and also hit into a pair of double plays. Five different Eagles finished with a hit in the contest. Mentzer was 3-for-3 for the visitors with an RBI and a run scored. Dan Kelly also knocked out three hits in the game. Juniata returns to action on Wednesday with a non-conference game at Gettysburg. ###

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