PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Juniata College baseball team scored three unanswered runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn't enough as the Eagles fell to Medaille College, 6-5, on day six of spring break in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Junior John Love (Loysburg, Pa./Northern Bedford) pitched 6.2 innings, giving up six earned runs while striking out two Mavericks. Freshman Josh Green (Hagerstown, Md./Clear Springs) came on in relief and threw the remaining 2.1 innings, allowing one hit, and recording two strikeouts.
But Medaille (5-2) got on the scoreboard first, scoring the first three runs of the ballgame. The scoring starting in the top half of the fourth inning when the Mavericks got their first two runners on base. Dan Barrancotta laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the two runners into scoring position. That led to a two run scoring single through the right side by Brandon Lumadue to put the Mavericks up 2-0.
Trailing 3-0, Juniata (1-5) got on the board in the bottom half of the sixth inning. Senior Andrew Kriss (Forrest Hill, Md./John Carroll) started the inning off with a beautiful bunt down the third base line for a single. Ian Thorne (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) followed that up with a double down the left field line, chasing Kriss all the way to third. John Martinez (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) took the next pitch he saw and laced a single up the middle, plating Kriss. Greg Hoffman (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) was able to score Thorne from third, but grounded into a double play to end the threat in the inning.
Medialle quickly came back and extended its lead to 6-2 with a three run seventh. But the Eagles tried to mount a comeback again in the home half of the inning. Freshmen Cole Walters (Mt. Union, PA./Mt. Union) and Evan Pappas (Potomac, Md./Thomas Sprigg Wootton) worked back to back walks to start the inning.
After back to back strike outs, pinch runner Matt Fritz (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) touched home after two straight passed balls by the Mavericks catcher. Kriss stepped in and lined a double down the left field line, as Pappas scored easily. Thorne was next up to bat, and swiftly rolled one through the right side, allowing Kriss to come home, cutting the lead to 6-5. But the Eagles couldn't break even the rest of the game.
The Eagles will compete in their last double-header on Friday, when they take on Kenyon College. Game one is slated to start at 10:00 a.m.
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