Juniata Falls 12-4 as Bullets' Offense Takes Off

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – After tying the game at 3 in the fourth, the Juniata baseball team fell 12-4 to Gettysburg Thursday evening.

The Bullets jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first inning and held the Eagles without a run through three. 

Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) hit a leadoff bunt-single to open up the fourth inning. Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) was hit by a pitch to take first, advancing Carper to second. With Joe Klusman (Wilmington, Del. / St. Elizabeth) at the plate, both Carper and Lombardo would steal. Kluman then singled out to right field to bring in Carper and put the Eagles on the board. Lombardo would score on the next batter while the Bullets turned a double play. 

A throwing error from the third basemen allowed David DeFreest (Duxburry, Vt. / Harwood Union) to reach first and keep the offense moving. Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) then ripped a double down the left field line. An RBI-single through the right side from Isaac Kline (Everett, Pa. / Bedford) would bring in DeFreest and tie the game up at 3.

Gettysburg picked up a pair of runs in the fifth and one in the sixth before the Eagles would get back on the board. 

In the top of the seventh, Kline led off with a bunt single to third and later stole second.  A wild pitch on a full count took Alex Matoushek (Scranton, Pa. / West Scranton) to first and moved Kline to third. Lombardo knocked in Kline on a single through the left side before a pitching change would get the Bullets out of the inning. 

Gettysburg locked down defensively and opened up at the plate to go on to win by a 12-4 final. 

Caleb Pepperday (Phillipsburg, Pa. / Phillipsburg-Osceola) started on the mound for the Eagles and tossed 4.0 innings, striking out two batters. DeFreest came in as relief and tossed 2.0 innings and struck out two. Jon Geyer (Newport, Pa. / Newport) and Ichiro Narita (Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Latin) pitched an inning apiece to finish the game. 

Juniata prepares for a three-game Landmark Conference series against Drew this weekend. The conference opponents play a single 9-inning game Fri. April 1 at 4:00 p.m. and a doubleheader Sat. April 2 at 1:00 p.m.