Baran Earns Save and Win As Softball Sweeps Elizabethtown
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.- The Juniata softball team traveled to Elizabethtown on Wednesday to take on their Landmark rivals in a doubleheader, coming away with two wins over the hosts.
The Eagles jumped out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning in game one and never looked back, never once trailing during either game. Freshman outfielder Alex Douglass (West Chester, Pa. / West Chester East) kicked it off with a two-RBI single to right field, before fellow freshman Abby John () hit a single to get an RBI of her own. Senior Maya McLeod (San Diego, Calif. / La Jolla Country Day) continued her role at the center of Juniata's offense this season, going 2 for 4 at the plate and adding another RBI to her season total. It was Douglass who separated herself as the standout though, finishing the game going 3 for 4 at the plate and tallying three RBIs after hitting a double in the top of the seventh inning to pad the lead for Juniata. Catherine Miller (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) got the win for game one, tossing 4.2 innings and striking out four before giving way to Cate Baran (Tyrone, Pa. / Tyrone), who did a stellar 2.1 innings of relief duty, allowing just one hit and striking out four to close out the game and earn a save.
Baran would continue her work in the circle in game two, going the distance in the game, which took nine innings to reach a verdict. She continued to baffle the Blue Jay hitters, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out another four batters. Not only did she earn her sixth win of the season as a pitcher, but she also produced at the plate. Baran went 3 for 5 in the game and scored a run. McLeod again showed up with a multi-hit game, going 2 for 5 at the plate with a double and an RBI single while also scoring a run. Ruthie Betts (Hawk Run, Pa. / West Branch Area), Jessie Hunt (Bath, Pa. / Northampton Area), and Emily Eutsey (Mount Pleasant, Pa. / Southmoreland) all had multi-hit games, with Juniata totaling 13 hits in game two.
Despite Juniata's steady hitting, they were held off the board until the top of the sixth inning, when they finally pushed across the first run of the game. Elizabethtown would answer with their only run in the bottom of the frame, forcing the game to eventually go to extra innings. After a scoreless eighth inning, the Eagles broke through in the ninth with three runs in an offensive burst that included hits from Eutsey, Baran, McLeod, and Betts. Elizabethtown then went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, giving Juniata the victory.
The sweep of Elizabethtown comes after the Eagles were also able to get a win over Drew last Saturday, pushing them to 3-7 in the Landmark Conference and 11-21 overall. They'll look to continue their conference win streak on Saturday, April 30th, as the team travels to Scranton for a doubleheader and their regular season finale. Game one will begin at 1:00 PM.