HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Hunter Price (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon Area) ripped a walk-off single to right centerfield with two outs in the ninth Sunday afternoon to give Juniata a 9-8 victory on the game and the series win against Merchant Marine. It is the second walk-off victory for Juniata this season.
Chris Sinisi (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona) earned his second win of the season on the mound as he tossed 1.2 innings and gave up just three hits. Isaac Kline (Everett, Pa. / Bedford) started on the mound for Juniata and went 5.2 innings, recorded two strikeouts and gave up five hits. Caleb Pepperday (Phillipsburg, Pa. / Phillipsburg-Osceola) came in as relief in the sixth inning, tossed 1.2 innings and gave up two hits.
The Mariners got on the board first with two runs in the top of the second.
Juniata trimmed the lead in the bottom of the third. Price reached first on an error by the catcher to get the offense started. A sacrifice bunt from Kline moved Price to second. Price would steal third and then score on a throwing error on the catcher. The Mariners turned two quick outs to end the inning.
Merchant Marine took a 4-1 lead after picking up runs in the fourth and fifth.
Price would get the offense moving again for the Eagles in the bottom of the fifth as he led off with a walk. An error then allowed Kline to reach first. Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona) loaded the bases for Anthony Lombardo (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona) on a bunt single. Lombardo took the first pitch from Kyle Clausen and blasted a grand slam, his first homerun of the season, to give Juniata the lead 5-4.
The Mariners tied up the game in the bottom of the sixth with an unearned run.
Chris Schreder (Lititz, Pa. / Lancaster Catholic) led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to left centerfield. Schreder advanced to second on an error from the shortstop. David DeFreest (Duxburry, Vt. / Harwood) hit an RBI-single out to right field to bring in Schreder and give Juniata the lead 6-5. A pair of walks would load the bases for Lombardo. Lombardo singled out to right field to bring in two and give the Eagles an 8-5 lead.
Merchant Marine's bats got hot in the top of the ninth and the Mariners tied the game up at 8.
USMMA quickly turned two outs on Juniata but the Eagles' patience would be rewarded. Zach Tobash (Macungie, Pa. / Allentown Central Catholic) and Alex Matoushek (Scranton, Pa. / West Scranton) drew a pair of walks to set up Price with the game-winning RBI.
The Eagles head to Peoples Natural Gas Field, home of the Altoona Curve, for a doubleheader against Penn State-Altoona Tues. March 22 at 1:00pm.
