CLERMONT, FL- Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, PA/Lowe Dauphin) hit a two- run triple in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Juniata softball team defeated Mount Ida 5-4 on Monday. The Eagles trailed 4-1 and scored four runs to come away with the win.
Bettinger not only was big at the plate but on the mound too as she went seven innings and gave up seven hits, four unearned runs, and struck out four. She batted 2-for-3 with her triple and two RBIs.
The Eagles threated in the bottom of the third when Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) led off with a single and Brooke Ridenour (Thurmont, MD/Catoctin) bunted to put runners at first and second. Walls and Ridenour both pulled a double steal and moved to second and third. Katie Schroeder (Kempton, VA/Kutztown) then struck out and Paige Dennison (East Berlin, PA/Bermudian Springs) reached on an error to load the bases. Juniata could not bring the runners in as Alicia Regnault (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) reached on a fielder's choice and Walls was thrown out at home and Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona) grounded out to third.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when the Mustang's Alexis Boswell hit a triple that scored two runs. Juniata got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. With Schroeder at second, Regnault singled to right center to bring her in and the Eagles cut the lead to 2-1.
Mount Ida scored on two errors by the Juniata defense and led 4-1 in the final inning. In the Eagle half of the inning, Dennison walked and Regnault's single put runners at first and second. Lerchen reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Kerigan Ammerman (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) bashed a double into left field to bring Regnault in. Lindsey Kosicki singled in Lerchen to make it 4-3 and the game ended on Bettinger's two run triple.
Ammerman and Regnault both finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. Ridenour was also 2-for-4. Walls and Kosicki were both 1-for-2 and each had a walk with Kosicki also scoring a run and picking up a RBI.
The Eagles are off on Tuesday and return to the field on Wednesday. Juniata will play Roger Williams at 9 a.m. followed by Emerson at 11 a.m.
