(Posted April 28, 2007)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Entering its final conference doubleheader of the season the Juniata College softball team had a chance to play spoiler, but visiting Albright College handed Juniata a 3-2 loss in extra innings in game one and then outslugged the Eagles to win game two by an 11-7 score. Juniata (11-17, 3-11 Commonwealth) rallied from an early 2-0 deficit in game one and extended the game to extra innings. But Albright (13-22, 8-6 Commonwealth) hurler Meredith Mays helped her own cause by drilling a solo home run to lead off the top of the eighth and give the Lions a 3-2 lead. The Eagles were unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning as Albright earned the win. Alyssa Erb (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) went all eight innings for Juniata allowing three runs on seven hits. She struck out eight hitters in the game. Albright got started quickly in game one as the Lions put two runs on the board in the top of the first. Erica Romond brought home the first run with a groundout and Alex Keyes followed with a single to left. The Lions then loaded the bases with two outs, but Erb fanned the final hitter to get out of the jam. Juniata cut into the lead in the bottom of the third. Kaylee Kachik (Maplewood/Cambridge Springs) drew a leadoff walk, and then came home on a Sarah Eckard (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) double to pull Juniata within a run. The Eagles tied the score with another single run in the bottom of the first. With one out Liz Schmitt (H. Frank Carey/Franklin Square, N.Y.) singled. Stacy Nagy (Troy/Millerton) followed with a single off the leftfield wall to bring home Schmitt and knot the score at two. The Eagles had a good chance to claim the win in the seventh as the Eagles loaded the bases with one out on a walk and then consecutive singles from Kachik and Ashley VanOmmeren (Carlisle/Carlisle). But Mays got a lineout and a popout to get out of the jam. Mays surrendered two runs on six hits over eight innings to earn the victory in the game. Stacy Nagy paced Juniata with two hits in the game. Kelli Johnson had a pair of hits and a run scored for Albright in game one. The Lions started fast again in game two as they sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs in the opening frame. Romond drove in a pair of runs with a double and then Becky Moist helped her own cause with a two-RBI single. Schmitt put Juniata on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first as she doubled home Tara Carl (Otto-Eldred/Duke Center) to pull the Eagles within three. Albright got two more in the top of the second. A sacrifice fly from Romond made it 5-1 Albright and then Mays came home on a wild pitch. Erb came on in relief of Pam Mansell Mansell (Penns Valley/Centre Hall) and got out of the inning. Romond drove home another run in the top of the fourth with single that scored Mays to make it 7-1. Juniata got two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Amanda Albanese (North Hunterdon/Hampton, N.J.) singled home two runs with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Albright then pulled away with a run in the sixth and three more in the top of the seventh. Alex Keyes had an RBI double in the sixth and Mays singled home the final run in the seventh. Juniata made it interesting in the bottom half as the Eagles got an RBI single from Kachik and a run-scoring double from VanOmmeren before Moist got out of the inning. Mansell was charged with the loss as she allowed 10 runs, eight earned, in 4 1-3 innings. Erb surrendered one run in 2 2-3 innings of relief. VanOmmeren was 3-for-4 offensive for Juniata, while Schmitt also went 3-for-4 while scoring a run and adding an RBI. Moist went all seven innings for Albright, giving up just three earned runs despite allowing 14 hits. Mays and Keyes each had three hits for Albright. Juniata closes its season on Sunday as the Eagles play a non-conference doubleheader against Hood. ###

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