March 6, 2011

Baseball drops both ends of doubleheader to Hiram to open 2011 season

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Juniata College baseball opened its 2011 season by dropping both games of a doubleheader, 7-4 and 17-6, to Hiram College, Sunday afternoon at Polk State College Field.

John Martinez (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) had a double for the Eagles in game one, while Ian Thorne (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley), Cole Walters (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union), Andrew Hirsch (Annandale, Va./Falls Church), and Bradley Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) each had singles.

John Love (Loysburg, Pa./Northern Bedford) allowed six runs on five hits in two-and-a-third innings of work in the start. Nate Burkey (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) came on in the third and scattered one hit over three-and-two-thirds innings on the hill in relief.

In game two, starter Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J./Immaculata) yielded nine runs on five hits over three-and-two-thirds innings, while walking seven and fanning eight Hiram batters. Four different Juniata pitchers finished up the remaining three-and-a-third innings.

Medellin went 3-for-4 at the plate in game two, with a triple and two doubles. Martinez and Ben Mersky (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) also stroked doubles for Juniata.

The Eagles return to action on Monday, Mar. 7, when it takes on Bridgewater College in Lakeland, Fla.

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