Baseball Takes Game Two to Earn Split Against Rams

AUBURNDALE, Fla.- The Juniata baseball team avenged their 7-6 loss in game one with a 2-1 victory on the backend of their doubleheader against Suffolk, Thursday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park. 

Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) opened the game by lining a double to left. Two batters later Adam Kipp (Mt. Wolf, Pa. / Northeastern) singled up the middle to quickly put the Eagles ahead. Isaac Maclay (Belleville, Pa. / Mifflin County High School) smacked a double to center as Kipp reached third before Jake Swank (Portage, Pa. / Portage) walked to load the bases. Kipp crossed home plate after the Suffolk pitcher's failed pickoff attempt to second.

Juniata's lead was short lived however, as the Rams used a two-run ground rule double and a two-run single to venture ahead 4-2.

In the bottom of the third the Rams got two more runners to touch home as the Eagles fell behind 6-2.

The top of the fifth saw Carper start things off with a walk and Larry Corle (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central High school) smacked a single to right-center that put Carper at third. Corle stole second and Kipp mashed a triple to right to plate both runners to cut the deficit in half. Swank's sacrifice fly allowed Kipp to tag up and score as the Eagles got within one. The Rams added an insurance run in the bottom half of the fifth, which proved vital. 

Maclay RBI single in the top of the seventh had the Eagles threatening to tie things up. Jake Safko (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon Area) entered to pinch run, advancing to second on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball, but no one managed to get him home as Juniata dropped game one, 7-6. 

Julius Thomas (Johnstown, Pa. / Ferndale Area High School) pitched 2.1 innings of one-run ball in relief for JC.

The second contest saw the Eagles get on the board first as well. In the bottom of the first Carper doubled to right-center, Corle's groundout advanced him to third and Kipp sent him home with a double to right as the Eagles led 1-0 after one.   

In the bottom of the fourth, Sam Craig (Mullicahill, N.J. / Kingsway Regional) smashed a one-out homer to left to double the Eagle lead. 

The top of the fifth saw the Rams slice the lead in half with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1. 

Jon Janocko (Clearfield, Pa. / Clearfield Area) entered in the sixth to get the six out save for the Eagles and lock up the win for starter Jack Johnson (Alexandria, Pa. / Juniata Valley). Johnson went five innings while allowing six hits and struck out two. 

The Eagles face Colby-Sawyer, tomorrow at 9:45.