HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College softball handed Landmark Conference rival Catholic University it's second shutout loss of the season to open the doubleheader at home Sunday. Juniata defeated Catholic 5-0 in game one, but the Cardinals came back and took game two, 7-2, splitting the day. The Eagles are now 7-9 overall, 3-3 in the Landmark. They currently sit tied for third in the league with Catholic who moved to 13-9 overall.
This year, Juniata has more than doubled its conference wins from the past two seasons combined. Junior Kelsea Decker (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) pitched a three-hit shutout in game one. The righty struck out seven of the 27 batters she faced, walking only two.
Senior Steph Frith (Pottstown, Pa./Pottsgrove) hit .500 on the day and recorded the Eagles only stolen base.
Game One
Sophomore Katie Schroeder (Kempton, Pa./Kutztown) hit her first collegiate home run in the win. Her bomb over the center field wall in the second inning was the eventual game winner for the Eagles. Juniata scored the remainder of its runs in the fourth inning.
Junior Meghan Decker (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) singled through the left side. Kelsea Decker then singled to short and both advanced when the next batter grounded out to first.
Senior Paige Robertson (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) hit a ball back to Cardinal pitcher Keri Apicella. When Apicella tried to get catch Decker off third, she overthrew the bag, allowing both Decker's to score and putting Juniata up 4-0. Robertson moved third on a single up the middle by Frith.
Frith stole second and with two outs on the board, freshman Jasmine Assad (Lambertville, N.J./South Hunterdon Regional) sent them both home on a single to right field. That spelled the end for Apicella. Reliever Victoria Capozucca got the Cardinal out of the inning. Apicella received the loss.
Game Two
Catholic jumped out to a 3-0 lead early. The Eagles answered in the bottom of the second inning. Schroeder led off with a single up the middle. With two outs and runners on first and second, freshman Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) singled to right field, scoring Schroeder.
The Eagles second run came across when Assad singled up the middle. But Walls was caught trying to sneak an extra base so the Eagles could only pull within one, 3-2.
Juniata would get runners into scoring position two other times, but were unable to catch the Cardinals.
Freshman Aly Smith (McVeytown, Pa./Mount Union) received the loss and dropped to 3-3 on the season.
Juniata stays home to face Dickinson College on Thursday, April 11. in a doubleheader that starts at 3 p.m. The Eagles are 4-6 against non-conference opponents this year.
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