Baseball Closes the Year with Split at Susquehanna

SELINSGROVE, Pa.- The Juniata baseball team wrapped up their season by earning a split at Susquehanna, losing a tight 3-2 game one before cruising to a 8-2 victory in game two, Saturday afternoon. 

In the top of the first, Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) led off with an infield single and advanced all the way to third on Larry Corle's (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central High School) single down the right field line. Two batters latter Isaac Maclay (Belleville, Pa. / Mifflin County High School) walked, and Jake Swank (Portage, Pa. / Portage) sent Carper home with a sacrifice fly to center to put the Eagles up 1-0.

In the top of the second, Sam Craig (Mullicahill, N.J. / Kingsway Regional) singled to center and two batters later he advanced to second on Carper's ground out to second. Craig crossed the plate on Corle's RBI-single to center field to double the Eagles lead. 

Gavin Grimaldi (Clymer, Pa. / Penns Manor) managed to keep the River Hawks off the board until the fifth, when an RBI-single was followed with a two-run double to put Susquehanna ahead 3-2 and the Eagles couldn't manage to tie the game in the final two innings.  

Game two saw the pitchers trade zeros until Juniata broke through in the third. Carper hit a one-out single to center and advanced to second on a passed ball. Two batters later Adam Kipp (Mt. Wolf, Pa. / Northeastern) lined a single to center which allowed Carper to score. JC went up 1-0, two innings later the Eagles exploded for five more runs. 

Carole was hit by a pitch and Kipp crushed a ball over the fence in right center to add to the JC lead. Maclay tripled to left and Swank smacked an RBI-double down the left field line to continue the onslaught. Craig's two-out RBI single to left scored Swank. Matt Innella (Commack, N.Y. / Commack) reached on an infield single and a double steal got him to second and Craig crossed home plate. William Duffy's (Bronx, N.Y. / Fordham Prep/Clark University) single to left scored Innella as the Eagles led 6-0. 

Susquehanna got one back with a sac fly in the sixth.

In the eighth, Corle led off by getting hit by a pitch and Kipp drove him in with a double down the right field line. 

Susquehanna knocked in one more run in the ninth with a solo homer.

Hunter Price (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon Area) went the distance to get the win in game two, throwing 137 pitches while allowing five hits and striking out six. 

Juniata closes the year at 13-26.