Ott's three RBI for Juniata not enough in 4-3 loss at Susquehanna
(Posted April 11, 2009)
SELINSGROVE, Pa. -- Susquehanna University scored the game-winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, edging Juniata College 4-3 in Landmark Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon at Bollinger Field.
Saturday's win allowed Susquehanna to claim the series, after the Eagles and the Crusaders split Friday's doubleheader.
Susquehanna's Justin Portzline forced in the game-winning run with his two-out, bases loaded single to left field that scored Geoff Hunter. Hunter reached on a grounder to third, which would have been the final out of the inning, but which resulted in a throwing error on the Juniata third baseman.
Juniata (9-15, 3-9 Landmark) held a 3-1 lead heading into the eighth inning, after scoring a single run in the third and two more runs in the fifth inning.
The Eagle run in the third was scoring on Dane Ott's (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) RBI single to left field, scoring Matt Sullivan (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown). Ott plated both Juniata runs in the fifth inning as well, with a single to right center that allowed both Kevin Small (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) and Adam Spadafora (Asbury, N.J./Pennington School) to score.
Susquehanna (18-10, 11-4 Landmark) rallied with one run in the eighth inning, when leadoff hitter Erik Tuomisto reached on a single to left center, and scored on Chris Price's single down the left field line. The Crusaders' Kyle Wertman sent the game into extra inning with his solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Juniata reliever Chad Kulik (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) allowed both the homer in the ninth and the winning run in the 10th inning, and was charged with the loss to fall to 2-1. Starter Matt Regan (Downingtown, Pa./Devon Prep) scattered six hits and allowed two earned runs, while striking out four Crusaders in the no decision outing.
Susquehanna reliever Jordan Thomas picked up the win, after coming on in the Juniata ninth. He struck out three Juniata batters and did not allow a hit in one-and-two-thirds innings of work, including fanning two of the three Eagle batters faced in the top of the 10th inning.
Juniata returns to the diamond on Monday, April 13, when the Eagles travel to Elizabethtown College to face the Blue Jays at 3:30 p.m.
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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.