Baseball can’t overcome early leads, drops twinbill to Pitt-Greensburg

BELLE VERNON, Pa. – The Juniata College baseball team spotted the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg six runs before getting on the board in game one, and 10 runs through the first two innings of game two, before losing both ends of the doubleheader, 8-4 and 14-8, on Tuesday afternoon at DiVirglio Complex in Belle Vernon, Pa.

In game one, the Bobcats tacked on runs in the first, second and fourth innings to take a 6-0 lead before the Eagles got on the board with two runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh.

But the true story of the first game was the 11 runners left on base for Juniata. The Eagles left multiple runners on base in the top half of the first, third and fourth innings, without scoring a run. Even in the sixth where they did their most damage, they left the bases loaded. In fact, the fifth inning was the only inning Juniata did not leave at least one runner on base.

Will Hoffman (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) went the distance for the Eagles, giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits. He punched out three Bobcats, but gave up four free bases.

Two Mt. Union grads, Johnny Martinez and Cole Walters, led the Eagles offense, having two hits apiece. Martinez went 2 for 4 and added an RBI while Walters finished 2 for 3. 

Marty Hauck (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) took the loss in game two, giving up 10 runs through an inning and a third.

Juniata (10-20 overall) tied the ball game at 5-5 in the second, as they responded with a four run second.

With one out, the Eagles hit three straight singles to load the bases. Then three batters later, now with two outs, Martinez hit a bases clearing double, after an error by the first baseman kept the inning alive.

But the Bobcats came back and put another five spot on the board, taking control of the game again.

Pitt-Greensburg (13-17 overall) added a single run in the fifth, and three more in the sixth to ease to the final score.

Ben Sealy (Seneca Fall, N.Y./Mynderse Academy) was the most effective pitcher in the nightcap, pitching two scoreless innings, only giving up one hit. 

The offense ended with 10 hits, led by Chase Dykstra (Somerset, Pa./Somerset Area) and Ian Thorne (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) who came away with two hits each. Dykstra went 2-5, adding two RBI's and crossed the plate twice. Thorne finished game two 2 for 5 with a run batted in

The Eagles return to conference play this weekend, when they host rival Susquehanna University for a three game series. Both squads are tied for the forth and final spot in the playoff race with two weekends to play.

The doubleheader starts on Saturday, at 1:00 p.m.

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