AUBURNDALE, Fla.- The Juniata baseball team opened its Florida spring break trip with a doubleheader against King's College (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon. The Monarchs won 17-10 in the first game and 5-1 in the second.
In Game 1, Juniata trailed 3-0 in the first inning. In the Eagles' half, Chris Schreder (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) hit a two-out double down the left field line. Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) followed with a single up the middle to score Schreder as Juniata got on the board.
The Monarchs scored a pair of runs in the second inning to go ahead 5-1 and then tacked on three unearned runs in the third to lead 8-1. The Eagles rallied in the bottom part of the inning. Issac Kline (Everett, Pa./Bedford) singled and move to third on a single by Nick Stubbs (Hagerstown, Md./South Hagerstown). Stubbs then stole second. Joe Klusman (Wilmington, Del./St. Elizabeth) reached on an error to score Kline and Schreder followed with a single through the left side to score Klusman and Stubbs. Lombardo's single loaded the bases. With two outs, David DeFreest (Duxbury, Vt./Harwood Union) smashed a double to right center to bring in three runs and the Eagles were back in it as the score stood at 8-6.
The Eagles held the Monarchs scoreless in the fourth. Kline was hit by a pitch to lead off the Eagle's part of the inning and Stubbs followed with a double down the left field line to move Kline to third. After Klusman flied out, Schreder reached on a fielding error that scored both Kline and Stubbs to tie the game up. Schreder then stole second and Lombardo walked. A walk was then issued to Zach Tobash (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central) to load the bases. A Sinisi sac fly scored Schreder and with that the Eagles took the lead, 9-8.
King's took the lead back with two runs in the fifth. JC responded with a Klusman RBI single tie the game at 10-10. The Monarchs, however, put up seven runs in the sixth to pull away and win 17-10.
Starting pitcher Hunter Price (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) went three innings and gave up five hits, eight runs (five earned), walked six and struck out four. Ichiro Narita (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Latin) and Jonathan Geyer Newport, Pa./Newport) combined for three innings pitched, two hits, one earned run, and one walk.
The 1-4 hitters in the lineup went a combined 7-for-15 with seven runs scored and six RBIs. Schreder was 2-for-4 with a double, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Stubbs was also 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
The second game featured more defense than offense. King's got on the board first with a run in the first inning. Juniata wasted no time answering back in the second inning. Sinisi singled followed by DeFreest reaching base on an error. Price followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Sinisi and Defreest into scoring position. Kline grounded out to shortstop but was able to score Sinisi to knot the contest at 1-1.
A pitcher's duel than ensued as neither team would got a runner past first for the next five and a half innings of play. The only one to get on base was DeFreest in the top of the fourth when he got to first on a passed ball.
King's scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch. The Monarchs would add five more in the sixth. Juniata attempted to rally in the seventh as Sinisi led off with a double to left field. DeFreest grounded out but was able to move Sinisi to third. Sinisi would be left stranded as Price struck out swinging and Kline grounded out to end the game.
Jesse Beeler (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) went 5.2 innings and surrendered eight hits, five runs (two earned), one walk, and struck out three. Caleb Pepperday (Phillipsburg, Pa./Phillipsburg/Osceola) struck out the only batter he faced. Sinisi went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Juniata will play a doubleheader against Cazenovia College tomorrow afternoon. The first game will start at 2:30 p.m. with the second beginning around 4:30 p.m.
