WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Juniata College baseball fell in its first game to Eastern Mennonite 7-2, but battled back to win the second game 7-6, at the RussMatt Invitational in Winter Haven, Fla. on Tuesday afternoon.
The Eagles' squad combined for 20 hits and 13 RBIs between the contests, while the Royals posted five RBIs on 12 hits.
In the Eagles' win, Juniata (3-3) put itself on top from the get-go by rallying for two runs in both the first and second innings. Eastern Mennonite (6-8) clawed its way back into the ballgame with two runs and a single score in the fifth to bring the game to within just one run.
The sixth inning was all offense for both the Eagles and Royals as each squad plated three runs in the game's final full inning.
Freshman Chris Fulton (West Chester, Pa./Unionville High School) opened on the mound for the Eagles, and allowed eight hits, six runs, one walk, and struck out two batters. Medellin pitched the remaining 1.1 innings, putting two batters on from walks and striking out one.
In Juniata's first game of the day, Juniata jumped to a 1-0 start in the top of the first with a Walters single that plated Mersky, who reached on a shortstop error earlier in the inning.
However, a pair of back-to-back three inning stretches and a solo run in the fifth for the Royals put the game out of reach for the Eagles, as Juniata was only able to plate one other run in the game. It was Mersky who reached home plate again for Juniata after crushing a double, batted in by a Dan Gray single.
Mersky, D. Gray, Walters, Russell Gray (Johnstown, Pa./Richland), and senior Matt Fritz (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) were the only Eagles to log hits in the contest.
Senior Nate Burkey (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) threw for the Blue and Gold in the first 4.1 innings and struck out one batter while giving up eight hits, seven earned runs and two walks. Junior Josh Green (Hagerstown, Md./Clear Spring) pitched what was left of the fifth innings and allowed just one hit. Sophomore Mario DeYulius (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) took over the mound for a single inning. DeYulius allowed two hits while in the pitching circle but did not allowed any runs.
Juniata continues play in Winter Haven, Fla. with a double header against Pitt-Greensburg after a day of rest on Thursday, March 8. The first game is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m.
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