By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: Jennifer Jones
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Langdon-Goodale field was the sight of some of the most dramatic baseball of the 2014 season for Juniata College, as the Eagles earned a doubleheader split of Mount Aloysius College. Juniata got into an early hole in game one, but came back for the 9-6 win thanks to a stellar performance in relief by senior pitcher Nathan Strom (Ebensburg, Pa. / Central Cambria). In game two, the Eagles again were down early, but fought back to level the game in the bottom of the sixth on a grand slam by sophomore left fielder David DeFreest (Duxburry, Vt. / Harwood Union) before falling 8-7. The Eagles move to 5-20 on the year with the split.
Mount Alyosius opened game two with five runs in the top of the first inning and one more each in the top of the second and third. Freshman first baseman Eric Grace (Hopewell, Pa. / Northern Bedford) led off the bottom of the second for the Eagles with a double down the leftfield line. He advanced to third on a ground out by DeFreest before scoring Juniata's first run of the game on an RBI single by sophomore designated hitter Joe Klusman (Wilmington, Del. / St. Elizabeth High School).
The Eagles continued to chip away at the Mounties lead with a sacrifice fly from DeFreest to score junior centerfielder Cody Krepps (Tyrone, Pa. / Bellwood-Antis) from third for the 7-2 Aloysius lead. In the bottom of the fifth, DeFreest reached base on a fielders' choice, followed by an Aloysius error to allow Klusman to reach first, and a pinch-hit-two-out walk by sophomore right fielder Sheridan Doan (Timonium, Md. / Dulaney High School) to load the bases. Senior shortstop Derek Heath (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) delivered another walk to force in DeFreest from third, but the damaged ended there and the Mounties took a 7-3 lead into the sixth inning.
After shutting down Aloysius in order in the top of the sixth, Juniata dealt the biggest blow of the day in the bottom of the frame. Senior Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J. / Immaculata) drew a five-pitch walk to lead off the inning. Krepps laced a single through the left side and both runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch. Grace drew his second walk of the game to juice the bags for DeFreest who planted the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to tie the game at 7-7. The slam was DeFreest's first homerun of the season and gave him two runs scored and five runs batted in on the day.
The Mounties were able to score one in the top of the seventh and despite a leadoff single in the final half inning and advancing the tying run to third base, the Eagles were unable to mount another comeback and fell 8-7.
In game one Juniata went down 5-0 after just two innings of play, but Strom entered the game and completely shut down the Aloysius offense, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing just two hits, and striking out three while tossing just better than a 9:1 strike to ball ratio.
The Eagles got two runners in scoring position with no outs in the bottom of the third and sophomore second baseman Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) capitalized, driving in junior right fielder Nick Stubbs (Hagerstown, Md. / South Hagerstown) from third. Heath scored on a one-out RBI single by senior catcher Dan Gray (Johnstown, Pa. / Richland) to cut the Mounties lead down to 5-2. Gray finished 2-for-3 with three runs batted in.
Juniata got one more run back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Heath to score freshman first baseman Brady Cotler (Chadds Ford, Pa. / Salesianum). Meanwhile, Strom continued his pitching gem, setting down Aloysius in order in the top of fifth. Krepps doubled home Sforza and Sinisi in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 5-5 and Stubbs ripped a two-out RBI-single to plate the go-ahead runs, scoring Krepps and freshman pinch runner Brendan Hower (New Bloomfield, Pa. / West Perry) for the 7-5 lead.
Strom got into a little bit of trouble in the top of the sixth, allowing one run to scored, but closed out the inning with a fly out to left field. The Eagles added two insurance runs in the bottom of the frame off the bat of Gray to score Krepps and Sforza and Strom closed out the seven-inning game for his first win of the season.
Juniata will host Drew University at home this weekend with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, and a single nine-inning game on Sunday, April 13, at noon for senior day.
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