Juniata Shocks No. 24/25 Bridgewater, Earns Split In Virginia

By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net

BRIDGEWATER, Va. – On the second day of the 2014 season, the Juniata College baseball team upset the No. 24/25 team in the country on the road at Bridgewater College. Juniata earned its first win of the season in a dramatic top-of-the-ninth-come-from-behind performance to take game one 8-7 before falling just short of a second comeback and dropping game two 4-3.

"We came out and played the baseball that we know we can play and executed all phases well," said head coach Jesse Leonard. "We came out with a hard fought win – they're a good team. Playing with a team of that caliber, we know we can play with anyone when we do what we need to do and execute our game plan. It's a confidence booster. Hats off to them they battled us and played hard."

Bridgewater opened scoring in game one in the bottom of the first. Juniata responded back in kind with a solo homerun from sophomore Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) in the top of the second. Both teams went scoreless until Bridgewater added two runs to its lead in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Cody Krepps (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood-Antis) laced a one out single in Juniata's half of the sixth to score seniors Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J./Immaculata) and Brad Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) and pull within one at 4-3 Bridgewater. Krepps finished 3-for-5 in the game driving in two runs.

"Brad's a senior and he's been here before," said Leonard. "His attitude coming into the weekend was good. He's provided some leadership for the team both on and off the field. He was seeing the ball well. He had great at bats all weekend and really hit balls where they were pitched."

Down 7-3 in the top of the eighth, Medellin led off the inning with a single and later came around to score an unearned run when Krepps reached on an error. With one out in the top of the ninth, Medellin ripped a two-RBI single, scoring sophomores Sheridan Doan (Timonium, Md./Dulaney High School) and Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) to pull within one at 7-6. Medellin was 3-for-4 in game one with two runs batted in and three runs scored. With two outs, Sforza drove in Doan from second with a single to shortstop to tie the game. Sforza was 2-for-5 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored. Krepps singled followed by Lombardo drawing a walk to load the bases.

With two outs and the bases loaded in a tie game in the top of the ninth against a nationally ranked team, freshman Eric Grace (Hopewell, Pa./Northern Bedford) stepped up to the plate and laced a single to right.  Pinch runner David Smyers (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) scored the go-ahead run from third before Krepps was cut down at the plate. Juniata took an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Freshman pitcher Chris Richman (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) got the first batter of the inning to fly out to right before senior Mario DeYulis (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) took over and the game ended on a strikeout and a runner caught stealing by senior catcher Dan Gray (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) for the upset victory. Junior Chris Fulton (West Chester, Pa/Unionville High School) threw six complete innings giving up six runs, only three earned, with two strikeouts.  Freshman Jamie Fell (Frazier, Pa./Frazier) earned the win hurling two innings giving up two hits and one earned run with one strikeout.

"Everybody that we put out on the mound executed our game plan," said Leonard. "We had some guys that haven't been out on the mound since high school. The freshmen stepped up and were fearless. From what we got out of the bullpen, they did enough to keep us in the game. We made the plays behind them to keep us in games."

Game two was a defensive battle through and through that remained scoreless until the top of the fifth inning. Junior Nick Stubbs (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown) reached first on a fielding error and advanced to second with Doan executing fundamental baseball with a sacrifice bunt. He came around to score two batters later on a fielding error by the Bridgewater left fielder to take a 1-0 lead.

Bridgewater came back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take the late 3-1 lead. Doan walked with two outs in the top of the eighth and scored on a triple by Medellin. Juniata went into the top of the ninth down 4-2 and managed one run, but fell 4-3.

"We kept ourselves in the game and limited the damage when they got guys on base," said Leonard. "We put some runners on and gave ourselves some chances as well. In the end we just didn't have quite enough."

DeYulis continued his day on the mound after finishing game one and tossed 6.1 innings in game two, six scoreless before surrendering two earned runs in the bottom of the seventh. He took the loss for Juniata after earning the save in game one. Sinisi saw two thirds of an inning on the mound and freshman Wayne Hydak (Northern Versailles, Pa./Serra Catholic) threw his first full inning of college ball after tossing one third of an inning in both games yesterday.

"We have some role players on our pitching staff and everyone stepped up and filled their roles," said Leonard. "Mario had a great start in game two. Fulton came out and gave us our best game in game one."

Juniata, now 1-3 on the year, continues play on the road next Sunday in New Market, Va. against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford before traveling to Florida to take part in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational over spring break.

"It was a team win," added Leonard. "More so than ever it was a team win - the dugout was different, the atmosphere was different, the attitude was different. Our success today was not just individual efforts, but the efforts of the entire team."

Follow Your Eagles! Stay up-to-date on your Juniata College Eagles by following us on twitter (@JuniataEagles) and on Facebook (Juniata Eagles).