LAKELAND, FLA.- Juniata baseball was finally able to celebrate victory as the Eagles swept a doubleheader from Cazenovia on Monday afternoon. JC came back to score twice in the top of the seventh to win 5-4 in Game 1 and had a season-high 12 runs in a 12-1 win in Game 2.
In the first game, the Eagles got their offensive going right away. Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) led off the first inning with a single and then stole second base. Chris Schreder (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Issac Kline (Everett, Pa./Bedford) struck out swinging but Carper and Schreder pulled off a double steal to move into scoring position. Kevin Starner (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) then hit a double into centerfield to score Carper and Schreder to put JC on the board 2-0. Adam Kipp (Mt. Wolf, Pa./Northeastern) followed with a single to right to score Starner as the Eagles led 3-0.
Starting pitcher Drew Harshbarger (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) got the first two outs in the bottom portion of the first but walked the next batter and then surrendered a single. Another walk loaded the bases and then a third walk scored a run with a fourth walk scoring a second. Harshbarger was able to get out without further damage on a fielder's choice.
The Wildcats got a run back in the third on a passed ball to tie the game at 3-3. Cazenovia took the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a Chris Schad RBI single. Needing to rally, the Eagles started out the seventh with a Cameron Livingston (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) walk. Hunter Price (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) pinch hit for Josh Keszczyk (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area) and reached on fielder's choice. A Shane Buss (Warrenton, Va./Highland) single moved Price to second. Carper struck out for the second out. Schreder came up big with a single to right to score Price and tie the game. With Buss at third, he would score on a passed ball to give the Eagles a 5-4 lead.
Jerry Hobbs (Scranton, Pa./Old Forge) came in relief in the sixth and closed out the seventh. He got the first batter to ground out but then gave up a walk. Hobbs got the next out unassisted with the runner moving to second. A passed ball pushed the potential tying to third. Hobbs was able to get the last out with a strikeout to clinch the win.
Harshbarger lasted three innings and gave up three hits and two earned runs. He walked five batters but also struck out five. Austin Suders (Marion, Pa./Chambersburg Area) came on for two innings and gave up one hit and one walk while striking out one. Hobbs registered the win with one run on two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.
In Game 2, the Eagles scored a run in both the first and second innings to lead 2-0. After the Wildcats scored once in the third to make it 2-1, JC exploded for six runs in the bottom portion of the inning to blow the game open. Juniata totaled 16 hits in the game with every starting position player registering at least one hit.
Jesse Beeler (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) got the start on the bump and gave up three hits in five innings. He conceded just one unearned run, no walks, and struck out five. Alek Vujanic (Bel Air, Md./Patterson Mill) surrendered two hits in one inning and Ichiro Narita (Brooklyn, NY/Brooklyn Latin School) only gave up one walk.
Matt Innella (Commack, NY/Commack) was 3-for-3 with a triple and his first career homerun, a solo shot, that happened in the sixth inning. He scored two runs and had four runs batted in. Devin McLaughlin (Monmouth Beach, NJ/Shore Regional) was 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored. Carper also had three hits for the Eagles with two runs scored and a run batted in.
Juniata is off tomorrow and will next play Pitt-Greensburg on Wednesday morning. Game time from Chain of Lakes Stadium with be at 9:00 a.m.