LEESBURG, Fla.- The Juniata softball team earned a split again on Tuesday afternoon, as they defeated the Milwaukee School of Engineering 5-3 before falling to Suffolk University 8-7 on the third day of their Florida trip.
In game one against the Raiders, Alex Douglass led off with a bunt, Lexi Roush bunted her over, and she got third on the throw. Alison Superka's infield RBI single put Juniata ahead 1-0.
The Raiders scored twice in the third and added another in the fourth, and Gracie Ruch came in to relieve Maryn Swank.
Ruch locked down the Raiders the rest of the game as she allowed a single hit in 3.2 innings of work to get the win.
The Eagles mounted their comeback in the bottom of the fifth, trailing 3-1. Ashley Robuck started things with a single to left, and Regan Goldsmith followed with a single to center. Douglass bunted the runners over. Two batters later, Superka walked to load the bases with two outs. Jessie Hunt singled to right to tie the game at three, and Claire Thomas reached on an error, which allowed Superka to score. Emily Eutsey's single to left scored Hunt, and that was the final margin.
In game two, the Eagles jumped ahead 3-0 midway through the second inning, as Hunt drove in a run in the first, L. Roush scored on an error in the second, and Kay Magill crossed the plate on a Douglass flyout.
The Rams got two back in the second to make it 3-2, but Juniata's offense answered with a big third inning. Kassandra Roush singled to right, and Superka reached on an infield single. K. Roush got to third on Hunt's flyout to center, and a double steal saw Superka get to second while Roush stole home. Thomas singled through the left side and pushed Superka to third; Abby John came in to pinch run for Thomas before stealing second. Magill's single scored both runners, Robuck walked, and Goldsmith drove in Magill with a single to left. JC led 7-2 at the end of the inning.
The Rams scored a run in the third and fourth to get within three, which set the stage for their big sixth inning that saw them score four times to take the lead 8-7.
In the seventh, Hunt singled through the left side, and L.Roush reached on an error by the shortstop, but the Eagles couldn't get them home.
Juniata is off tomorrow before taking on Earlham at 10:00 and Ithaca at 12:45 on Thursday.
