Juniata falls to visiting Moravian College

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College couldn't find outs against Moravian and fell 27-5 to the Greyhounds in the final game of the teams' three-game Landmark Conference series Monday afternoon at Langdon-Goodale Field.

Moravian (13-7, 6-0 Landmark) blasted 30 hits on the day including seven doubles, one triple, and a single home run, while also taking advantage of five Juniata errors, six walks and four hit by pitches to plate a season high 27 runs combined with a demanding .545 team batting average. 

Juniata's (7-11, 1-5 Landmark) first two runs came in the first inning, getting started from a Brad Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) single to center field. Junior Cole Walters (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) smacked a single into left to move-up Medellin, and both runners advanced on a Moravian balk. Sophomore Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J./Immaculata) doubled into right field, plating both Medellin and Walters. 

The Eagles third run of the game came in the seventh inning when Jace Rhoads (Summersville, Pa./Clarion-Limestone) got on base with a walk. Senior Matt Fritz (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) had an infield base hit that advanced Rhoads to second. A Chase Dykstra (Somerset, Pa./Somerset Area) grounder gave Moravian a double play, but the hit moved Rhoads to third, and a wild pitch brought Rhoads full circle to score.

Zachary Risso (Millville, Pa./Millville) scored Juniata's fourth run of the game in the eighth inning after Juniata had just given up 10 runs. Risso hopped aboard after being hit by a pitch and moved around as a result of a Sforza walk, a Mario DeYulius (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) fielder's choice and a Rhoads sacrifice fly to right field.

Juniata's final run of the contest came in the bottom of the ninth sparked by a freshman Lucas Corbin (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) single to the pitcher. Derek Heath (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) singled to third base, advancing Corbin to second and a short stop fielding error allowed Corbin to move to third. Senior Brett Shippey (Bedford, Pa./Bedford) roped a single to right field to plate Corbin.

The Eagles logged 13 total hits on the day with Walters, Sforza, and Fritz each charting two apiece.

Sophomore Ryan Morrison (Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) is charged with the loss for 3.0 innings of work and allowing seven earned runs, five walks and six hits. Senior Nate Burkey (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) got 3.0 innings on the mound and Moravian tacked on six more runs off eight hits and struck out once against Burkey.

Nathan Strom (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) made a one-inning appearance and gave-up three hits, three runs and one homerun. Andrew Groninger (McAlisterville, Pa./East Juniata) saw time in the eighth but didn't not record an out, and junior Josh Green (Hagerstown, Md./Clear Spring) was called upon to pitch the remainder of the eighth and did so striking out one batter and giving up three runs on five hits. Junior Justin Miller (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-Antis) closed out the game only giving up one hit while walking one batter and striking out one.

Juniata travels to Lock Haven University on Wednesday, March 28, for a 3:00 p.m. game at Foundation Field. 

-30-