By: Jennifer Jones
Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – A late game rush by the Juniata College softball team fell short Thursday afternoon as the Eagles fell 8-6 to Penn State Altoona on West End Field. The matchup was supposed to be a doubleheader, but game two was halted due to field conditions. It will be rescheduled for a later date.
Juniata (3-16) was led by junior Katie Schroeder (Kempton, Pa./Kutztown). She went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI for a 1.333 slugging percentage. Juniata's .357 team batting average was better than the Lion's .344, but a couple of miscues in the field allowed key runs to score as the Eagles pitching staff gave up only five earned runs.
Penn State Altoona jumped on the board in the top the first inning of game one and the Eagles immediately responded. After walking on base, freshman Paige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) stole both second and third. Lion starter Raychel DeArmitts then hit the next to batters to load the bases. With one out, Schroeder hit a sac fly to right field that scored Dennison and tied the game up at 1-1.
After the Lions put three across in the third to take the 4-1 lead, Juniata's bats woke back up in the bottom of the fourth inning. Senior Lydia Gorba (Portage, Pa./Portage Area) led off with a single up the middle. Freshman Nikea Ulrich (Homer, N.Y./Homer) then hit a one out single to the pitcher and Dennison loaded the bases with a single to right field.
Sophomore Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, Pa./Lower Dauphin) flew out to left, but the runners advanced, scoring Gorba and leaving runners on second and third. Senior Rachel Smith (Martinsburg, Pa./Homeschooled) then singled through the right side to score Ulrich and pull the Eagles within one, 4-3. The next batter struck out swinging to end the inning and the rally.
The Eagles bats went silent for the next two innings as Altoona put four more on the board. But Juniata rallied again in the bottom of the seventh. Walls led off with a single to right field. Smith then walked and Schroeder hit a one out triple to right field, scoring both Walls and Smith.
Freshman Allie Baney (State College, Pa./State College Area) then hit a single through the left side that scored Schroeder and pulled the Eagles within two, 8-6. But the next batter grounded into a double play to end the game.
Juniata returns to action this Saturday, April 5 in a doubleheader against Landmark Conference rival Drew University. The first pitch will be thrown at 1 p.m. Juniata has split with the Rangers the past two years. This is their second conference matchup of the season. The Eagles are 0-2 in league so far this season.
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