By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – In a match rescheduled from almost a month ago, the Juniata College baseball team earned its first Landmark Conference series win of the 2014 season by taking game three against The University of Scranton 15-7. The Eagles had previously earned the doubleheader split with the Royals back on April 2, at Bucknell University. Juniata ripped 17 hits to Scranton's seven, driving in 15 of the teams' 17 total runs.
The Eagles started off on the right foot scoring six runs in the top of the first inning. Senior Derek Heath (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon) leadoff with a walk followed by a single from senior Brad Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa. / Red Land) and another walk by senior Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J. / Immaculata) to load the bases. Heath scored on a groundout and Juniata jumped ahead by three when Medellin and senior Dan Gray (Johnstown, Pa. / Richland) crossed home on a double by sophomore Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area).
Heath finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a walk while Medellin also had three hits and two runs scored going 3-for-6. Lombardo was the third Eagle to rip three hits in the game going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and, along with Sforza, Krepps, and Gray, finished with two runs batted in.
The hits kept coming for the Eagles with sophomore David DeFreest (Duxburry, Vt. / Harwood Union) singling home Lombardo and freshman Eric Grace (Hopewell, Pa. / Northern Bedford) belted a two-out homerun to left field for the first inning 6-0 advantage. Grace finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Senior pitcher Mario DeYulis (Ebensburg, Pa. / Central Cambri) sat down the Royals in the bottom of the first and both teams went scoreless in the second.
Juniata added another run in the top of the third when Grace laced a two-out single to score Lombardo from second. Scranton got two runs back in the bottom of the third, but DeYulis was able to force a groundout and a pop out to end the Royals threat. The Eagles stranded one in the top of the fourth and the Royals left two in the bottom of the inning to give Juniata the 7-2 lead into the fifth inning.
Gray and DeFreest scored for the second time in the game when junior Nick Stubbs (Hagerstown, Md. / South Hagerstown) launched his first homerun of the season giving the Eagles the commanding 10-2 lead. Heath and Medellin followed suit with back-to-back singles and Sforza loaded the bases with a walk to bring junior Cody Krepps (Tyrone, Pa. / Bellwood-Antis) to the plate. Krepps delivered with an infield single to plate Heath for the 11th Eagle run of the day.
Scranton managed one run in the bottom of the frame, but DeYulis again was equal to the task. The senior threw five complete innings in the game giving up three runs on just three hits with one strike out. Juniata stranded two runners on base in the top of the eighth inning and the Royals threatened with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area) was able to pitch his way out of the jam with a fly out for the scoreless eighth. Sinisi did not surrender a run over three innings pitched and only allowed two hits.
Juniata did stop there as the Eagles scored four more runs in the top of the ninth inning. Stubss drew a leadoff walk followed by a double to left field by Medellin. Sforza, Krepps, and Gray hit back-to-back-to-back doubles with Sforza and Gray's hits each plating two. Scranton wouldn't go down without a fight, scoring four runs in the ninth before Medellin induced three consecutive fly outs to close the game.
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