Juniata softball falls to Penn State Altoona, 3-2 and 16-9

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College softball made two strong showings on Saturday against visiting Penn State Altoona, but eventually dropped a pair of games to the Lions, 3-2 and 16-9, at Weaver Park Field.

Juniata (5-7) came up short in game one, as both squads had plenty of scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalize. The Eagles finished with 10 runners left aboard, while the Lions stranded nine on the base paths. 

The two teams traded runs in the second inning, before Penn State Altoona (11-1) posted a pair of runs in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead. The Lions scored one run on Lily Glunt's sac fly to left field, and plated a second on a wild pitch with runners on second and third.

The Eagles cut the deficit in half with one run in the sixth, when Paige Robertson (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Katie Schroeder (Kempton, Pa./Kutztown). That left the bases loaded with one out, but a double play grounder back to the pitcher allowed Penn State Altoona to get out of the jam.

Juniata went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the seventh, allowing the Lions to post the win.

Juniata starter Kelsea Decker (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) allowed three runs, only two of which were earned on eight hits and three walks, with three strikeouts.  She fell to 4-3 with the loss. Jackie Smith got the start in the circle for Penn State Altoona, and scattered four hits while issuing seven walks against five strikeouts in the win.

In game two, Penn State Altoona was on the verge of posting a win in a shortened game, grabbing a 12-1 lead by the midway point of the fourth inning. Glunt belted a home run to lead off the Lions' third inning, and Allison Stugart hit a two-run shot early in the fourth.

Juniata answered with a four-run uprising in the bottom of the fourth on no hits, as the first four Eagle batters all drew walks and the fifth was hit by pitch. A fifth walk scored another Juniata run, with the Eagles' plated its' fourth run on Kelsea Decker's grounder to third.

The Eagles cut the Lions' lead to 12-8 with four more runs in the sixth, keyed by Steph Frith's (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) two-run single through the left side, followed by RBI base hits from Ali Vogatsky (Johnstown, Pa./Central Cambria) and Schroeder.

Penn State Altoona put the game away with four runs in the top of the seventh on three hits and a pair of Juniata errors, with Juniata unable to respond in the bottom of the frame.

Eagle starter Rachel Smith (Martinsburg, Pa.) went the distance for Juniata, but allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits and was charged with the loss. Penn State Altoona starter Stugart picked up the win, despite allowing five earned runs on eight hits.

Juniata returns to Weaver Park Field on Tuesday, March 20, when it hosts Penn State Harrisburg at 3:00 p.m. for a non-conference doubleheader.

-30-