WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Juniata baseball team started off Landmark Conference play with a doubleheader against Catholic on Saturday. In game one, the Eagles lost 9-5, and in game two, they lost 13-2 in seven innings.
Three Eagles had multi-hit games in the opener, led by Corey Daniels going 4-for-6 with one home run, two RBIs, and one run. Michael Warren went 3-for-6 with one RBI, and Dakotah Snyder was 3-for-6 with one RBI and one run. Joey Woodrow and Jordan Chui (1-for3, one run, two walks) each had a double.
Snyder opened the game with a single up the middle, and Daniels immediately made the Cardinals pay with a home run to left field. Following a 1-2-3 bottom of the first and top of the second, Catholic got on the board in the bottom of the second. They started their inning with two singles, with the two advancing to second and third on an error in the outfield.
An RBI groundout two batters later scored one, while the runner on third was stranded on a strikeout. Snyder, Daniels, and Warren opened the third with three straight singles, but the Catholic pitcher recovered with three straight strikeouts to escape the jam. Catholic got two runners aboard on the double, walk, and double steal to put both in scoring position, while another runner reached on a dropped third strike. A double play got two outs, but the runner scored from third to tie the game.
Catholic added two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings to make it a 6-2 scoreline. The two in the fourth came via a walk, single, walk, and a runner scoring on a wild pitch, later followed by a walk with the bases loaded. Juniata escaped the fourth with back-to-back strikeouts. Two walks and a wild pitch to advance both runs into scoring position set the stage for a two-out RBI single for Catholic in the fifth.
Juniata scored a pair of runs in the sixth to make it a 6-4 game. Caden Collins started the game with a walk, followed by a Tim Coleman sacrifice bunt. A wild pitch advanced Collins to third, then Chui walked aboard. Coleman scored on a one-out Snyder single to left, while Chui was batted in on a Warren single up the middle following a fielder's choice one batter before.
Juniata got within a run as they added another in the seventh. Bakken was hit to start the frame, and Collins walked aboard again. A wild pitch scored Collins, while back-to-back walks loaded the bases with one out. Catholic induced an infield fly and caught a Juniata runner out at the plate for a double play.
Catholic added two runs in their half of the seventh to make it 8-5 on a two-run home run down the right-field line. Juniata loaded the bases in the eighth, but were unable to execute. Daniels and Warren singled to start, then Warren was caught out at second on a double steal. Two straight two-out walks followed, and then Catholic generated a strikeout.
Catholic added insurance with a one-out single in the eighth, while Juniata stranded a pair of runners in the ninth following a Chui double and Daniels single to end the game.
Following a solo Daniels home run in the first inning to get the Eagles out front, Catholic was swift to get back out in front in game two. They tagged Juniata pitching for four runs in the first inning and seven in the fifth inning, totaling three home runs and three doubles.
Juniata fell to the new 10-run rule after scoring one run in the seventh inning but standing behind 13-2.
Daniels and Snyder each had two hits in the contest, as Juniata struggled for just five hits total.
Juniata concludes their series against Catholic tomorrow at noon at Talbot Field.
