HUNTINGDON, PA- The Juniata softball team got to the bottom of the seventh in both games of a doubleheader down by a run but could not complete the rallies on Thursday afternoon at West End Field. The Eagles dropped 5-4 and 4-3 decisions.
Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, PA/Power Dauphin) started on the mound in the first game and pitched well. She went seven innings and gave up six hits, five earned runs, two walks and struck out four batters.
The Red Devils got on the scoreboard first with a three-run third inning to lead 3-0. Juniata answered in the bottom of the fourth. Paige Dennison (East Berlin, PA/Bermudian Springs) was hit by a pitch to get on base. Bettinger reached on a fielder's choice, which got Dennison out at second. Lindsey Kosicki (Patton, PA/Cambria Heights) followed with a single to left field and moved to second on an error by the Dickinson outfielder that allowed Bettinger to score. Kerigan was tagged out at third base. Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona) laced a single to left field to bring in Kosicki and it was 3-2 ballgame.
Dickinson moved another run across in the fifth inning to go ahead 4-2. The Eagles had two outs in the bottom of the sixth when Ammerman singled to center. With Kosicki at the plate, she hit a towering home run into the outfield and Juniata tied it all up. Lerchen then smashed a ground rule double into the right field bullpen. She was caught stealing third and the inning ended.
Bettinger got the first out in the seventh inning. The Red Devils took the lead back on a home run by Nicole Torlincasi. Needing another rally to tie or win, the Eagles looked poised to do that as Brooke Rideour (Thurmont, MD/Catoctin) singled to lead off and Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, Mifflinburg) got on base with her own single. Katie Schroeder's (Kempton, PA/Kutzdown) bunt attempt did not go as planned as she popped out to third base. Alicia Regnault (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgwater Raritan) hit a drive to right field that moved Ridenour to third base. The rally ended when Dennison grounded out to the pitcher.
The Eagles got production out of the 5-to-9 hitters as they went a combined 8-for-15 with four runs scored and four RBIs. Lerchen and Ammerman both went 2-for-3 with doubles. Walls was 2-for-3 in the leadoff spot.
Lerchen started the second game of the doubleheader. She scattered six hits, four earned runs, two walks, and struck out two across seven innings of work.
The Red Devils led 4-0 after four innings of play. Juniata halved the deficit in the bottom of the fourth. After Regnault popped out to second base, Dennison banged a triple to left field. Bettinger followed with a single to score Dennison. Kassie Taffola (Donna, TX/IDEA College Prep) came in as pinch runner for Bettinger. She moved to second on Ammerman's groundout and scored on a Kosicki double to left field.
In the fifth inning, Ridenour singled through the right side of the infield to start off. Walls sacrifice bunt moved Ridenour to second and she advanced to third on a passed ball. Katie Schroeder hit a single to center field to score Ridenour and make it 4-3. Schroder moved to second base and into scoring position on a wild pitch but a Dennison fly out ended the inning. Juniata had a chanced in bottom of the seventh but went down 1-2-3.
The Eagles return to West End Field on Saturday for a Landmark Conference doubleheader with Scranton. Game 1 starts on 1 p.m. with the second one beginning at 3 p.m.
