Eutsey, Superka Lead Eagles to Split At Drew

MADISON, N.J.- The Juniata softball team earned a split in New Jersey at Drew University. They lost game one 7-1 before winning in eight innings 6-5 in game two Saturday afternoon.

The Rangers built a 4-0 lead through four innings in game one and never let the Eagles get going. They held JC to one run on six hits.

Jessie Hunt (Bath, Pa. / Northampton Area) drove in Dani Berlin (Dover, N.J. / Morris Catholic HS) in the seventh for the lone Eagle run with an infield single. 

Berlin and Hunt both went 2-3 on the day, with Berlin adding a double. 

In the top of the first, Claire Thomas (Mount Airy, Md. / Linganore HS)reached on a fielder's choice and got to second on Hunt's single. Alison Superka's (Orefield, Pa. / Parkland) RBI single to center scored Thomas, and Superka stole second. Berlin reached on a fielding error as Hunt scored, and Emily Eutsey's (Mount Pleasant, Pa. / Southmoreland) fielder's choice bunt scored Superka. 

The Rangers got one run back on a home run to left center in the bottom half of the field. 

Juniata put up two more runs as Superka smashed a homer to left and Eutsey followed two batters later with another to the same area. 

The Eagles appeared to be headed to a relatively smooth win until the bottom of the seventh. The Rangers used two home runs, a bases-empty, and a three-run blast to left-center to tie the game at five. Rylea Lynch (Warfordsburg, Pa. / Southern Fulton Jr/Sr HS) managed to get the final two outs to end the inning, stranding two runners. 

Morgan Brumbaugh (McVeytown, Pa. / Mount Union Area HS) led off the top of the eighth with a double down the left field line, and two batters later, Kay Magill  (Sykesville, Md. / Century) drove her in with an RBI single to center. 

That proved to be all Juniata needed, as Lynch walked the first batter before a sacrifice bunt, a flyout to right, and a swinging strikeout ended the game. 

Juniata will return to Lycoming on Wednesday at 3:00 to finish their postponed doubleheader. The game will restart with the score 5-5 at the top of the fifth.