HUNTINGDON, Pa.- Raindrops fell and there was a chill in the air but that did not stop the Juniata softball team from hosting a doubleheader with Pitt-Greensburg on Thursday afternoon. The Eagles upped their winning streak to five as they swept the Bobcats to even their record at 9-9 on the season.
Juniata took Game 1 by the score of 8-0. The Eagles led 3-0 going into the bottom of the fifth and plated five runs to mercy rule the Bobcats.
Chrisi Lerchen (Annville, Pa./Annville-Cleona) pitched all five innings and gave up just three hits and one walk while striking out one. She helped her cause with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with a double, one run scored, and three runs batted in.
Alyssa Shedlock (State College, Pa./State College) was 2-for-2 with a run scored. Allie Baney (State College, Pa./State College) batted 1-for-2 with two run scored and one batted in. Kerigan Ammerman (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
In Game 2, Baney led off the Eagle first with a triple. She would then score on a fielder's choice. Jordan Wahrenberger (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) followed with a blast over the left field fence for her first career homerun to give JC a 2-0 lead.
Pitt-Greensburg scored once in the second to get the score to 2-1. The Eagles got the run back when Jennifer Carthew (New Paris, Pa./Chestnut Ridge) scored on a passed ball in the JC second inning.
It was 3-2 Juniata after the top of the third when the Bobcats Jen Miller doubled home Jaimie Schleicher. JC piled the runs on in the bottom half with a Lerchen sacrifice fly, a two RBI double by Shedlock, and a RBI double from Carthew to increase their lead to 7-2.
A Miller two-out, two-RBI double in the fourth cut the Eagles advantage to 7-4. Juniata scored a run on a passed ball to go up 8-4. A Schleicher solo homerun in the sixth inning was the last of the scoring in the game.
A total of five pitchers came in the circle for the Eagles. They combined to give up five runs on nine hits, two walks, and struck out four batters. Reliever Raeleigh Redden (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield) picked up her second career win as she went two innings giving up just one run on two hits.
Ammerman led the Eagles with three hits while scoring two runs and batting in a run. Carthew hit 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and a run batted in. Shedlock had a double, a run scored, and two runs batted in.
Juniata travels to Bethlehem on Saturday for a Landmark doubleheader with Moravian. The first game begins at 1:00 p.m. with the second game following at 3:00 p.m.
