HUNTINGDON, Pa.-The Juniata baseball team earned their first sweep of the year with a 5-4 and 4-0 win over Mount Aloysius, Thursday afternoon.
Mount Aloysius scored two runs on a single through the right-side. JC tied things up in the bottom half of the inning.
Dillion Hippensteel (Dillsburg, Pa./York Catholic) drew a walk before Chris Schreder (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) smashed a homer a to left center to tie the game.
The Eagles scored twice more in the third. With two outs Hippensteel singled through the right side and Schreder followed with a single of his own through the right side. Hippensteel went first to third on the play.Isaac Maclay (Belleville, Pa./Mifflin County HS) singled through the left to plate both runners.
The Mounties got one back via a solo homer in the top of the sixth. Cameron Livingston (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) drew a two out walk and stole second base. Josh Keszczyk (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area) hit a bloop single to center as Livingston scored from second. That insurance run turned out to be crucial as Mount Aloysius scored on a double to center which put runners on second and third with one out. Back to back slick plays at third by Maclay helped JC hang on for the win. First, he snagged a hard-hit ball and tagged the runner at third before he snagged a bouncing ball out the air and tagged third to end the game.
Schreder went 3-3 with a two-run homerun, a double and two runs scored. Maclay went 1-3 with two RBI while Hippensteel went 1-1 with two walks and two runs scored.
In game two, the Eagles pushed two runs across in the bottom half of the first. Hippensteel drew a walk with one out, stole second and got to third on a wild pitch. Schreder drew a walk and stole second. Maclay hit a sac fly to left which allowed Hippensteel to score and Adam Kipp (Mt. Wolf, Pa./Northeastern) singled to center to send Schreder home.
Matt Innella (Commack, N.Y./Commack) led off with a double down the right field line. Joshua Gery (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown Senior HS) reached on a throwing error by the pitcher while Innella scored from second. Gery got advanced to third on a wild pitch and Ryan McClain (Hughesville, Pa./Hughesville) drove him home on a groundout to short. The Eagles cruised to their first shutout win of the season.
Austin Suders (Marion, Pa./Chambersburg Area) went 6.0 innings, only allowed two hits and struck out seven. Nevin Wood (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-Antis)entered in the last inning to seal the win and struck out one batter.
Kipp went 2-3 with an RBI while Innella went 1-3 with a double and a run scored. Devyn Carper (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) went 0-1 with a walk and three stolen bases.
The Eagles will host Susquehanna in a three-game series starting Saturday. First pitch is at 12:30.