Baseball takes two off Stevenson, 3-1 and 5-4

GLEN BURNIE, Md. --  The Juniata College baseball team improved its record to 8-9 with a doubleheader sweep over Stevenson University, winning by scores of 3-1 and 5-4 on Tuesday night at the Bachman Complex in Glen Burnie, Md.

Juniata scored what would ultimately be the winning runs for game one in the first inning. Adam Spadafora (Asbury, N.J./Pennington School) stroked a leadoff double into left center to open the frame, and scored on Greg Hoffman's (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) single into right field. Hoffman eventually scored on an Andrew Kriss (Forest Hill, Md./John Carroll) single to left.

Stevenson spoiled the shutout bid with an unearned run in the third inning, and the Eagles tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh. A Kyle Saxman (York, Pa./York Suburban) single began the inning, and he was sacrificed over to second by Thomas Eck (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic). Spadafora plated Saxman with an RBI single up the middle.

Freshman lefthander Will Hoffman (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) gave up four hits to the Mustangs while striking out six, on his way to the complete game win to improve his record to 1-1. Stevenson starter D.J. Milliken also went the distance, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. 

In game two, Juniata's Dane Ott (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) drove in the game winning run with a two-out single up the middle, scoring Kevin Small (Wheaton, Ill/Wheaton North) who reached on a triple to center field. 

The Eagles had broken a 1-1 tie with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, when Greg Hoffman forced in a pair of runs with his two-out single into center field. Juniata stretched its lead to 4-1 in the sixth when Josh Roy (Fredericksburg, Pa./Northern Lebanon) tripled to right center, scoring Andrew Hirsch (Annandale, Va./Falls Church) who got aboard through a fielding error by Stevenson second baseman Sean Dolan. 

Stevenson tied the game with a three-run uprising in the bottom of the sixth, keyed by Andrew Chase's two-run double to right field off reliever Michael McGonigal (Peters Township, Pa./Peters Township), setting the stage for Ott's heroics in the seventh. 

Reliever Chad Kulik (Johnstown, Pa./Richland), who cane on for McGonigal with two outs in the sixth, was credited with the win to remain undefeated at 2-0. Mustang reliever Chris Maienshein, who pitched the final three innings for Stevenson, was charged with the loss.

Juniata will have a bye week this weekend in Landmark Conference play. The Eagles will return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 31, when they face Allegheny College at 3:00 p.m. on Langdon-Goodale Field.

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