Juniata Scores Six in the 9th, Falls to Elizabethtown 8-7

By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: J.D. Cavrich Photography 

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Juniata College baseball team came up one run short of yet another final inning comeback and fell to Elizabethtown College 8-7. Sophomore designated hitter Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs batted in and a run scored and senior catcher Dan Gray (Johnstown, Pa. / Richland) also went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored.

Elizabethtown (15-16) started the game with a leadoff single, but junior pitcher Chris Fulton (West Chester, Pa / Unionville High School) got the next three batters out in order for a scoreless top of the first. Juniata (7-26) senior Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J. / Immaculata) laced a two-out double to left centerfield in the bottom of the inning, but he stopped there and the inning ended scoreless.

Fulton worked his way out of a jam in the top of the second with a strikeout for the third out of the inning. Juniata threatened with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, but was unable to push a run across home plate. Elizabethtown threatened with one out and a runner on third in the top of the fourth, but the Eagles managed a strike-out-throw-out double play when Fulton delivered strike three and Gray picked off the runner at third base.

Gray then lead off the bottom of the frame with a double down the right field line and advanced to third on a single by Lombardo. The Eagles got on the board first when Gray scored on a groundout by freshman first baseman Brady Cotler (Chadds Ford, Pa. / Salesianum). The Blue Jays came back with three runs in the top of the fifth and four more in the top of the sixth for the 7-1 lead.

Gray drove another double to the right center gap to leadoff the bottom of the sixth, but was stranded in scoring position. Freshman pitcher Wayne Hydak (Northern Versailles, Pa. / Serra Catholic) shut down Elizabethtown in the top of the seventh. Junior Nick Stubbs (Hagerstown, Md. / South Hagerstown) led off the bottom of the inning with a bouncing single through the right side and then stole second to advance into scoring position. Junior Cody Krepps (Tyrone, Pa. / Bellwood-Antis) loaded the bases with a two-out walk behind a fielder's choice from Sforza, but the Eagles left three on base at the end of the inning.

Staring at an 8-1 deficit, sophomore Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) leadoff the bottom of the ninth with a double over the left fielder and senior Brad Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa. / Red Land) followed with a walk for the first two runners on base in the final frame. Sforza looped a single over the second baseman to load the basses and the Elizabethtown right fielder saved a run snagging a slicing liner on the edge of fair territory. Gray forced home Sinisi with a one-out walk for the Eagles second run of the game.

Lombardo ripped a two-RBI single up the middle and freshman Eric Grace (Hopewell, Pa. / Northern Bedford) notched an RBI single to pull Juniata to 8-5. Sophomore David DeFreest (Duxburry, Vt. / Harwood Union) loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. Stubbs pounded an infield single for the RBI and Sinisi was hit by a pitch scoring pinch runner Sheridan Doan (Timonium, Md. / Dulaney High School), bringing Juniata within one, but the comeback came up short and the Eagles fell 8-7.

Juniata will host Penn St.-Altoona in the final home games of the season this Wednesday, April 23. The doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m.

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