WINTER HAVEN, FL.- The Juniata baseball team lost on their last day in Florida, 9-5, to Lawrence Saturday morning at Chain of Lakes Stadium on the final day of the RussMatt Invitational.
The teams traded zeros until the Vikings struck for six runs on four hits and three Eagle errors in the third. JC would respond in the top of the fourth.
Dillon Hippensteel (Dillsburg, Pa./York Catholic) singled and Chris Schreder (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) followed with a single of his own before Isaac Maclay (Belleville, Pa./Mifflin County HS) walked to load the bases. After the next two batters were retired, Matt Innella (Commack, N.Y./Commack) lined a two-run single and Josh Keszczyk (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area) drove in one more as the Eagles halved the deficit.
The Vikings crossed the plate three more times in the sixth to push their lead back up to six.
In the ninth, Keszczyk singled and Ryan McClain (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) mashed a double to put runners at second and third. Devyn Carper's (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) single allowed pinch runner Zane Morgan (Bigler, Pa./Clearfield Area HS) to score. Dillion Hippensteel drove in McClain, but that was the final run JC would score.
Juniata travels to Gettysburg, Wednesday with first pitch at 3:30.
