HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College baseball's late game rallies fell short against Catholic University Saturday as the Eagles fell 7-3 in the series finale on Langdon-Goodale Field. Juniata (5-14, 2-6 Landmark) had three hitters record three hits on the day and the team earned six extra base hits in the loss.
Catholic improved to 17-8, 6-3 in the Landmark.
Freshman Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) went 3-for-5 with two runs and a double. Juniors Dan Gray (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) and Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J./Immaculata) each went 3-for-4 with a double a piece.
Catholic took an early 2-0 lead in the first.
Juniata tried to rally in the bottom of the second. With two outs, sophomore Cody Krepps (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood-Antis) tripled to left center on 1-1 pitch. Freshman Jimmy Szamski (Glen Arm, Md./Eastern Tech) worked back to a full count and walked to put runners on the corner. But senior Chase Dykstra (Somerset, Pa./Somerset Area) got caught chasing a low outside pitch on a full count to end the inning.
Down 7-2, Sinisi led off the seventh with a single through the left side. Gray then walked on base but the next batter hit into a double play, moving Sinisi to third and putting two outs on the board.
Sforza then doubled to center, scoring Sinisi and pulling the Eagles within four (7-3). Reliever Josh Martin then hit Heath and he made it safely to second when the shortstop bobbled a hit by Krepps, loading the bases.
Rob Steinkopf then came in for Martin and got the next batter to fly out to right, ending the inning.
The Eagles pulled another run across in the bottom of the eighth inning when Sinisi doubled down the left field line and sent Mersky trotting home. But closer Chris Nee kept Juniata off the board in the bottom of the seventh to earn his sixth save of the year.
Junior Mario DeYulis (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) received the loss for the Eagles, dropping to 2-3 on the year. Fellow junior Brad Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Land) took over for DeYulis in the third inning. He struck out seven, walking none, and held the Cardinals scoreless for 6.1 innings.
Juniata hits the road next. The Eagles face Elizabethtown on Tuesday, April 2 at 4 p.m. and then Penn State Altoona at a neutral site on Wednesday April 4 at 1 p.m.
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