Eagles Fall to Mariners In Final Conference Game
KINGS POINT, N.Y. – On the final day of the Landmark Conference regular season, the Juniata College baseball team was looking to play spoiler for U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s playoff hopes. The Mariners got the better of the Eagles, 8-1, to sweep the 2014 series, 3-0, and earn a spot in the postseason tournament. Senior shortstop Derek Heath (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) finished 2-for-4 in the game and scored Juniata’s only run.
By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: Jennifer Jones
KINGS POINT, N.Y. – On the final day of the Landmark Conference regular season, the Juniata College baseball team was looking to play spoiler for U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's playoff hopes. The Mariners got the better of the Eagles, 8-1, to sweep the 2014 series, 3-0, and earn a spot in the postseason tournament. Senior shortstop Derek Heath (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) finished 2-for-4 in the game and scored Juniata's only run.
Senior Brad Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa. / Red Land) took to the mound for the Eagles and after a rocking first inning, during which Juniata gave up two early runs, settled into a pitcher dual. The line on Medellin finished 8.0 innings pitched, 11 hits, six earned runs, and seven strikeouts. Six of the eight runs scored by Merchant Marine came in the final two innings. Medellin only allowed five hits through the first six innings.
The Eagles looked to have a two-out rally on their hand in the top of the second inning, but the runners were left stranded. Juniata left six runners on base over the nine innings. The Eagles got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth when senior Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J. / Immaculata) ripped a one-out single to score Heath from second. Sforza finished 2-for-4 on the day. But the Mariners were able to get a groundball double play to end the inning.
Juniata threatened again in the top of the seventh when freshman Eric Grace (Hopewell, Pa. / Northern Bedford) and sophomore Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) notched back-to-back singles. Merchant Marine got a fly out to end the threat and, after a leadoff single in the top of the eighth by Heath, the Mariners closed out the final two innings with six consecutive outs.
The Eagles will finish the 2014 season with a single game at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Monday, April 28, at 3 p.m.
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