By: Jennifer Jones, Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Eastern Mennonite University hit a walkoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning to upend the Juniata College softball team 4-3 in game one of their doubleheader Tuesday afternoon. The Royals bats remained hot in game two as their defense held Juniata off the board for five innings in an 8-0 victory.
The Eagles (3-20) were led at the plate by freshman Paige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs). She went 3-for-5, hitting .600 on the day. Freshman Nikea Ulrich (Homer, N.Y./Homer) collected two hits of her own, and scored one of the Eagles runs.
Juniata jumped on the board first in game one, but the Royals tied it up in the bottom of the second inning. Ulrich led off the third with a single to shortstop. After Dennison was hit by a pitch, freshman Allie Baney (State College, Pa./State College Area) singled up the middle, scoring Ulrich and moving Dennison to third. She advanced to second when Dennison was caught trying to steal home.
Junior Katie Schroeder (Kempton, Pa./Kutztown) then reached on an error by the second baseman and Baney took advantage, coming around to score and giving the Eagles the 4-2 lead. Eastern Mennonite put up a run in the sixth but Juniata got out of the inning without more damage. Unfortunately they weren't able to hold the Royals off in the bottom of the seventh.
Game two was all Royals as their bats caught fire and the defense clamped down. Dennison went 2-for-2 and senior Rachel Smith (Martinsburg, Pa./Homeschooled) was the only other Eagle to earn a hit in the game. She went 1-for-2 at the plate.
Freshman Aly Smith (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union), sophomore Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin), and senior Lydia Gorba (Portage, Pa./Portage Area) each spent time on the mound. Smith collected her third complete game of the season.
Juniata remains on the road. The Eagles head east for a Landmark Conference matchup with the University of Scranton on Saturday, April 12. They return home this coming Sunday, April 13 to make up their conference bout against Drew University. The first pitch against Drew is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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