LATROBE, PA- Juniata softball played St. Vincent College in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday. The Eagles lost 7-3 and 4-1.
Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona) pitched the first game and went six innings. She gave up seven hits, seven runs (four earned runs), one walk and struck out five.
The Bearcats got a solo home run in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Juniata got on the board in the fourth as Lindsey Kosicki (Patton, PA/Cambria Heights) hit a homer to left centerfield.
A three run homerun by St. Vincent's Kelsey Lineberger put the Bearcats ahead 4-1 in the fourth. Another three runs came across in the bottom of the sixth as the Bearcats went ahead 6-1.
The Eagles made a rally in the seventh inning. Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) led off with a single and Alicia Regnault (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Kerigan Ammerman (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) popped up to first base. Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) then hit a double to score Bettinger and Regnault but was thrown out at third while trying to stretch into a triple. Brooke Ridenour (Thurmont, MD/Catoctin) singled to right field but the inning ended when Natalya Sizdahkani (Gaithersburg, MD/Quince Orchard) struck out.
Walls was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. Kosicki finished 1-for-3 with a homerun, one run scored, and one RBI. Paige Dennison (East Berlin, PA/Bermudian Springs) was 1-for-3 with a double.
Bettinger pitched the second game and went six innings. She gave up four hits, four runs (three earned), walked five, and struck out one. Bettinger also was 1-for-2 hitting with a double.
Juniata's lone run came in the fourth inning. With runners on first and second and two outs, Allie Baney (State College, PA/State College Area) came in to pinch hit for Ridenour. Baney reached on an error by the St. Vincent first baseman, which allowed Kosicki to score. She then stole second to move into scoring position but Katie Schroeder (Kempton, PA/Kutztown) struck out to end the inning.
The Eagles face Penn State-Altoona on the road in another non-conference doubleheader on Thursday. Game 1 will begin at 3 p.m. with the second game following at 5 p.m.
