Kardiac Kids? Walk Off Warriors? Baseball Wins Twice in Thrilling Fashion with Pair of Walk Offs Against Drew
HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata baseball team won two games against visiting Drew University in dramatic fashion as they won both games via walk-off, 9-8 in game one in the 10th and 13-12 in game two, Saturday afternoon at Langdon Goodale field.
The Rangers struck first, scoring on a sac fly in the first, a bunt in the second, and a two-run single to left as they pushed ahead 4-0 early.
Aaron Bollinger led off the fifth with a double to left, and Charlie Bakken bunted him over to third. Two batters later, Corey Daniels bopped an RBI single to left to score the first Eagle run of the game.
The Rangers used a two-run home run to left and a RBI single to left to increase their lead to six, 7-1.
Bollinger and Bakken started the seventh with back-to-back singles. Dakotah Snyder singled to left, which allowed Bollinger to score. Bakken advanced to third on Michael Warren's flyout to right before Jackson Cunnane blasted a double to center, which cleared the bases and brought the Eagles within three at 7-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, with Bollinger at second and Snyder at first, Daniels doubled down the right field line to score Bollinger. Warren's sacrifice fly to left allowed Snyder to score from third and bring the Eagles within one, 7-6.
Jason Waguespack capped his strong relief appearance with a 1-2-3 ninth, so the Eagles took over needing one run to tie and two to win.
Joey Woodrow crushed a one-out double down the right field line, and Sebastian Tringali came in to pinch run for him. Joey Allegrini came in to pinch hit and smacked a ball into right field, which pushed Tringali to third. JR Harrison came in to pinch run for Allegrini, and Bollinger put a ball in play that allowed Tringali to beat the throw home to things at 7-7.
Drew started the 10th with a blast over the left field fence to take an 8-7 lead. Zachary Malone navigated the rest of the inning without too much hassle, striking out the final two batters as Juniata went into the 10th, needing two runs.
Daniels started the inning with a single up the middle, and Warren stepped up to the plate. He got a pitch he liked and sent the ball soaring over the fence in left and handed the Eagles their second straight win, 9-8.
Daniels went 4-6 in game one with two doubles, two RBI, a stolen base, and a run scored. Snyder went 2-6 with a RBI and two runs scored, while Woodrow went 3-4 with a walk and a double.
Game two saw the Rangers tally a run in the first and third inning as the Eagles trailed by two.
In the third inning, Bakken, Snyder, and Daniels all walked to load the bases. Warren lined a two-run single to left which tied things at 2-2. Warren stole second, and Cunnane singled to right center, which plated Daniels to give Juniata the lead, 3-2. Warren was thrown out at home on Evan Mock's fielder's choice, Mock stole second, and a throwing error allowed both Mock and Cunnane to score. Bollinger stole third, and Chatram Persaud drove him in with a fielder's choice as the Eagles led 6-2 after three.
Jace Irvin's RBI single in the fifth pushed the lead to five.
Drew scored one in the sixth and four more in the seventh to tie the game at 7-7.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Snyder singled through the left side for his 100th hit of his career.
In the bottom half of the seventh inning, with Bakken at first and Matthew Quigley at third, Snyder tripled down the right-field line to put JC back on top. Two batters later, Warren teed off on another baseball for his second home run to left of the day to get the Eagles back up by four.
The Rangers wouldn't go quietly, scoring two in the eighth and then adding three more in the ninth, the final two on a two-run single up the middle that made it 12-11. With runners at first and third with two outs, Ari Lonstein came in and got a ground out to third to end the inning without further damage.
Daniels singled through the left side, and Warren did the same. Cunnane's chopper to first allowed both runners to advance, and a wild pitch moved both again, with Daniels scoring the tying run. Mock was intentionally walked, and Allegrini came in to pinch hit and hit the first pitch he saw to left to end the game.
Warren was 3-5 with a homer, four RBI, a walk, and two runs scored, while Snyder went 3-5 with a triple, two RBI, a walk, and two runs scored, along with his 100th career hit.
The Eagles will host Drew in the final game of the series tomorrow at 11:00 am.