HUNTINGDON, PA- Juniata softball hosted their final doubleheader of the season on Saturday afternoon at West End Field. The Eagles showed determination in both games but dropped 4-2 and 16-8 decisions to the Cardinals.
Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, PA/Annville-Cleona) pitched the first game for Juniata. Despite giving up two homeruns, she scattered seven hits across seven innings and surrendered four runs (three earned), four walks, and struck out one batter.
JC took an early 2-0 lead in the game. In the bottom of the first, Paige Dennison (East Berlin, PA/Bermudian Springs) hit a one-out single to center field.
Lindsey Kosicki (Patton, PA/Cambria Heights) was then hit by a pitch and awarded first base. Holly Bettinger (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) hit a double to left field to bring in Dennison. Katie Schroeder (Kempton, PA/Kutztown) singled to the third base side to score Kosicki and later stole second base.
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard in the fourth on a solo homerun by Erin Adams. In the following inning, Rebekah Hoisel lifted a Lerchen pitch over the centerfield wall to put Catholic ahead 3-2. The Cardinals tacked on another run when Any Laughner scored on a wild pitch.
The Eagles did not get a runner past first base for the remainder of the game. Brooke Ridenour (Thurmont, MD/Catoctin) tried to stretch a single into a double in the bottom of the fifth but was tagged out at second.
Dennison and Schroder were 2-for-3 at the plate. Both players had stolen bases.
In the second game, Juniata rallied from an early 8-0 deficit. In the bottom of the third, Kosicki walked to lead off. Bettinger struck out but Kosicki was able to move to second on the passed ball. Schroeder grounded out to first to move Kosicki to third. Alicia Regnault (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) reached on an error by the Catholic first baseman to score Kosicki.
Brooke Walls (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) singled and Lerchen walked to load the bases. Ridenour singled to right field to bring in Walls and Regnault to make it a 7-3 game. Kerigan Ammerman (Alexandria, PA/Juniata Valley) tripled to center field to score Ridenour and Lerchen. After a pitching change, a Dennison home run plated two runs. The inning ended on a Kosicki pop out to shortstop but Juniata was back in the game as it trailed 8-7.
Catholic expanded its lead with a pair of runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth to go up 15-7. The Eagles got one run on a Kosicki RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Juniata put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh with runners on second and third and two outs, but Kosicki struck out swinging to end the game.
Ammerman and Dennison both were 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and two RBIs. Ammerman had a triple while Dennison was a triple short of hitting for the cycle. She also stole her team-leading 16th stolen base. Ridenour finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Kosicki, Regnault, and Walls were all 1-for-4 with a run scored and Kosicki also had a RBI.
The Eagles travel to Dover, DE to play Wesley College in a doubleheader on Sunday. Game will start at 1 p.m. with Game 2 following around 3 p.m.
