Eagles Stay Hot With 6-3 and 5-0 Wins Over Montclair State and Ripon
Game 1: Juniata 6, Montclair State 3
Juniata started day two of their Florida spring break trip strong with a 6-3 victory over Montclair State. Juniata quickly took the lead in the first inning with an unearned run as Reagan Goldsmith scored on an infield fly, and the offense kept rolling with timely hits and smart baserunning.
In the second inning, Alex Douglass delivered a clutch single to bring Skyler Howlett across the plate, giving Juniata a 2-0 lead. They added another in the third when Howlett's single pushed Morgan Brumbaugh home, extending the advantage to 3-0.
The big inning came in the fourth. With the bases loaded, an error by Montclair's catcher allowed Ashley Robuck to score. Douglass then singled to left, bringing Goldsmith across the plate. Finally, Howlett's RBI on a third-base error completed a 3-run rally, putting Juniata ahead 6-0.
Montclair State rallied in the bottom of the fourth with three runs, including an RBI double and two more singles that brought in runs, narrowing the score to 6-3. However, Juniata's pitchers—led by Gracie Ruch, Rylea Lynch, and Maryn Swank—closed the game without allowing any further scoring.
Ruch picked up the win, striking out one and giving up just two earned runs over three innings. Swank finished strong, allowing only three hits in four innings of work to seal the victory. At the plate, Douglass led the way with three hits and two RBIs, while Howlett drove in two runs with timely singles.
Game 2: Juniata 5, Ripon 0
In a dominant performance, Juniata secured a 5-0 shutout victory over Ripon. The game was scoreless through the first two innings, but Juniata exploded for a five-run outburst in the third inning that ultimately secured the win.
Alex Douglass was the catalyst for the offense, knocking in two RBIs with a single to left, bringing in both Reagan Goldsmith and Ashley Robuck. Morgan Brumbaugh followed with another single, driving in Goldsmith to make it 3-0. Then Jessie Hunt's sac fly brought in Douglass for the fourth run, and Alison Superka's single to second added one more for a 5-0 lead.
Ripon struggled to break through against Juniata's pitchers. Gracie Ruch was outstanding in the circle, throwing three scoreless innings, striking out four while giving up only two hits. Isabella Countryman, Maddy Detz, and Courtney Clippinger continued the stellar pitching performance, combining for four more scoreless innings. Detz and Clippinger each struck out one batter to ensure the shutout remained intact.
At the plate, Douglass led the team with two RBIs, while Brumbaugh, Hunt, and Superka each added a run driven in. The offense was efficient, with six hits and five runs scored, while the defense committed just one error.
Juniata will play Trinity College and Gallaudet tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM.