SCRANTON, Pa.-The Juniata baseball team tried to rally but couldn't quite complete the comeback as they fell to the Royals, 8-6, in game two of the weekend series Saturday afternoon.
The Royals put up a three in the top of the first through a sac fly, an RBI single through the left side and the third on a pass ball. An RBI-double in the third to center pushed their advantage to four.
In the top of the fourth, the Eagles started to make up some ground. Adam Kipp (Mt. Wolf, Pa. / Northeastern) led off with a single through the right side andIsaac Maclay (Belleville, Pa. / Mifflin County High School) lined a double to left center. Jake Swank (Portage, Pa. / Portage) grounded out to first to advance both runners and to put the Eagles on the board. Hunter Price (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon Area) flew out to center which allowed Maclay to tag up from third and score. Larry Corle 's (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central High School) infield RBI-single pulled the Eagles within one, 4-3.
The Royals padded their lead in the fifth, tacking on three more to make it 7-3.
Swank led off the sixth for the Eagles with a double down the left field line and advanced to third as Price reached safely on a fielding error. Matt Innella's (Commack, N.Y. / Commack) single to left scored Swank. Colton Kubicki (York, Pa. / West York) advanced Innella and Price with a sac bunt and two batters later Price scored on Ben Raab's (Langhorne, Pa. / Neshaminy) ground out as the Eagles trailed, 7-5. A bases loaded walk in the bottom half of the frame pushed the Royal advantage back to three.
Price plated Swank with a double to left center, but the Eagles couldn't get any closer.