Harrisonburg, Va.- The Juniata baseball team lost a doubleheader at Eastern Mennonite, falling 4-2 in game one before an offensive outburst from both teams led to a 14-8 loss for the Eagles in game two.
In the opener, Austin Suders (Marion, Pa./Chambersburg Area) went 1-2 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Hunter Price (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area) went 1-3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Drew Harshbarger (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) went 3.0 innings, allowed four hits and had four strikeouts.
JC went three and out to start the game, and Eastern Mennonite had their first two batters reach via walks. JC threw the lead runner out at third, Harshbarger struck the next batter out looking and a fly out to left closed the inning.
Zach Tobash (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) led off the second with a walk and Suders followed by smashing a double to left. Cameron Livingston (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) grounded out to second which advanced both runners, scoring Tobash. Price's single through the right side plated Suders as JC led 2-0. The Royals got one back in the bottom half of the inning.
In the top of the third, Chris Schreder (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) singled and got to second on an error by the centerfielder, but he was left stranded. Eastern Mennonite managed to push two more runs across the plate in the bottom half as they took a 3-2 lead. They added another run in the bottom of the fourth via a RBI-double to right center.
The Royals sat the Eagles down in order in the final three frames.
Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) went 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Dillon Hippensteel (Dillsburg, Pa./York Catholic) went 1-2 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Isaac Maclay (Belleville, Pa./Mifflin County High School) went 2-4 with a double and three RBI while Ryan McClain (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) went 2-3 with a walk.
Juniata scored a run a Maclay single before Eastern Mennonite put up five runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Matt Innella (Commack, N.Y./Commack), Sam Craig (Mulicahill, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and Joshua Grey (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown Senior High School) drew three straight walks to load the basses before they all moved up on a wild pitch. McClain walked to load the bases, Carper singled to move everyone up one and plate Craig. Schreder reached on a fielder's choice to score Grey. Finally, Maclay doubled to left to score Schreder and carper as the Eagles retook the lead at 6-5.
The Royals scored six runs across the third, fourth and fifth as Juniata trailed 11-6 at the end of the fifth. Zane Morgan (Bigler, Pa./Clearfield Area High School) singled to right center to get on and eventually scored on Carpers fielder's choice when the pitcher made a throwing error. The Royals scored three more in the bottom half of the sixth to push their lead to 14-7. The Eagles scored one more in the ninth to complete the scoring at 14-8.
The Eagles return to action at Bridgewater for a doubleheader. First pitch is at 12:00 p.m.