Eagles Swept by #6 Blue Jays to Open 2024
BALTIMORE, Md.- The Juniata baseball team suffered a pair of losses at #6 Johns Hopkins to open the 2024 season, losing 15-2 in game one and 11-2 in game two.
Dakotah Snyder had the team's best offensive performance in game one, going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs. Michael Warren went 1-for-4 with one double and and an RBI, while Charlie Bakken went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks. Joey Woodrow drew three walks, going 1-for-2, while Zach Johnston walked a runner in during the fifth inning for an RBI.
Snyder got aboard on a single up the middle to start the game, while Bakken followed with a double to the left-center gap, although Snyder was caught out at the plate on the throw from the cutoff man. Woodrow walked with two outs to get runners on the corners before a groundout ended the frame.
After a flyout to open the bottom half of the first, the Blue Jays got two runners in scoring position via a walk and double. They scored two on an RBI groundout and an infield error before a flyout ended the first.
Snyder opened the third inning with a double to left center, but he advanced no further to leave Juniata down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third. Johns Hopkins struck for seven runs in their half of the third to go ahead by nine. The inning started with them drawing three walks from the first four batters followed by a streak of six straight hits including a three-run home run to right field, forcing Juniata to change pitchers early.
The Blue Jays added another run in the fourth inning following a leadoff triple, while the Eagles got one run on the board in the fifth, started by Snyder reaching on an infield error, a Bakken walk, and a Woodrow single to load the bases. A strikeout was followed by a Johnston walk to get one run in, while the inning ended on an infield groundout and just one run.
With two outs, Juniata added a second run in the sixth inning via a Snyder double, a Bakken walk, and a Warren ground-rule double to left field to score one. Woodrow walked to load the bases before a swinging strikeout ended the inning with the bases loaded yet again. Johns Hopkins added three more runs in the sixth inning and two more in the eighth, while Juniata was unable to add to their two runs in the final three innings.
Juniata was kept to two runs and two hits in the 11-2 game two loss. Snyder and Warren each had a single, with Warren going 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Bakken didn't register a hit but had two walks and one run.
Bakken got Juniata on the board following a one-out walk, two wild pitches, and a balk to bring him home. Warren got aboard on a walk and advanced to second on the balk, but the Blue Jays pitcher recovered with back-to-back strikeouts. A one-out walk, single, and fielder's choice to put runners at the corners for Johns Hopkins, while a Juniata infield error scored one before a lineout ended the frame.
Both sides went down in order in the second, while Juniata returned in the third inning and reclaimed the lead again. Snyder got aboard with one out, followed by a Bakken walk; the two advanced to second on a wild pitch, followed by a Warren RBI groundout to second to regain the advantage.
The Blue Jays kept that lead short as they put together five runs on six hits, including two doubles and a triple to go ahead 6-2. They added one more run in the fourth and fifth innings, each along with three runs in the eighth inning, while Juniata was unable to get a runner into scoring position the rest of the way.
Juniata will look for a bounceback as they head to Morehead City, N.C. for the Crystal Coast Clash from Saturday, March 9th through, Monday, March 11th. They'll play five games against opponents, including Stevenson, Wilson, and St. Joseph's of Brooklyn.