Eagles Earn First Win in Walk Off Against Wildcats

AUBURNDALE, Fla.- Down 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Juniata baseball team got the big hit when they needed it. Freshman centerfielder Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa/Altoona Area) hit a triple to right centerfield to score two runs as the Eagles stunned Cazenovia 6-5 in eight innings on Tuesday night in the nightcap.

The two teams were scoreless after 2 ½ innings of play. In the bottom of the third, Carper led off with a single to center and moved to second on a single from Chris Schreder (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic). Joe Klusman (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move runners to second and third base. Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) followed with a double to right field to score Carper and Schreder to put JC ahead 2-0. A David DeFreest (Duxburry, Vt./Harwood Union) groundout pushed Lombardo to third. Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) then laced a single to right to score Lombardo as Juniata led 3-0.

The Wildcats threatened in the fifth inning. With runners on first and second, a passed ball moved both to second and third. Cazenovia's Matt Sheridan hit into a fielder's choice, which scored a run. After a walk, Josh Allen reached on a fielder's choice but an error by Schreder scored Chris Schad to make it a 3-2 game.

Juniata got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Klusman led off with a triple. He scored as Lombardo roped a single down the left field line and the Eagles increased their lead to 4-2.

The Wildcats would tie the game in the sixth with two unearned runs. In the eighth, Cazenovia scored to take its first lead of the game at 5-4. In the Eagles' half, Zach Tobash (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central) led off with a walk. Hunter Price (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) also walked and both advanced on Ichiro Narita's (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Latin) sacrifice bunt. On a 2-2 count, Carper then delivered the ball deep enough to bring both runners across the plate and give the Eagles their first win of the season and the first career win for first year head coach Adam Sheibley.

Starting pitcher Isaac Kline (Everett, Pa./Bedford) went five innings and only gave up three hits, two runs (one earned), two walks, and struck out two. Caleb Pepperday (Phillipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) pitched 2/3 of an inning and gave up one hit and two unearned runs while striking out two. The win went to Sinisi who moved from second base to the mound and lasted 2.1 innings with two hits surrendered, one earned run, and three strikeouts.

Carper, Klusman, and Lombardo all went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Lombardo knocked in three runs.

In the first game, Cazenovia won 10-3. The Wildcats scored a run in the first three innings to lead 3-0. Juniata responded with a three-run fourth inning. With one out and men on second and third, Schreder doubled to center field to score two runs. After Klusman hit into a fielder's choice to move Schreder to third, Lombardo followed with a double to score Schreder and tie the game up at 3-all.

The Wildcats took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as they scored two runs to go up 5-3.  They would break the game open with a five-run sixth inning to win the game.

J.D. Weyant (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) got the start and pitched 3.1 innings. He gave up six hits, five runs (two earned), six walks, and struck out two batters. Wayne Hydak (North Versailles, Pa./Serra Catholic) went two innings, giving up one hit and two runs. Jonathan Geyer (Newport, Pa./Newport) pitched 2/3 of an inning and yielded five hits and three earned runs.

Schreder had a pair of doubles and finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs. Carper was 2-for-3, had a double, and scored a run.

The Eagles return to the field on Wednesday afternoon when they play Albion in Winter Haven. Game time will be at 2:30 p.m