WILKES-BARRE, Pa.- The Juniata softball team picked up a pair of wins on the road at Wilkes College, 5-4 and 1-0, Sunday afternoon at the Ralston Athletic Complex.
Kassandra Roush led off with a double to left center, and Alex Douglass reached on an error to get to second. Alison Superka's sac fly to right scored K. Roush, and Jessie Hunt's single through the left side scored Douglass.
The Colonels cut the lead in half in the second, tied things in the third with an RBI single to right, and followed that with a two-run blast over the left field fence, leading 4-2.
Juniata left it late to retake the lead as they trailed 4-2 heading into the seventh. Douglass doubled to left with one out, and Superka walloped a ball over the fence to tie the game, which also broke the program record for career home runs. With two outs, two batters later, Claire Thomas smashed a ball over the wall in center, which proved to be the winning run.
Maryn Swank cruised through the seventh to get the win. She induced a pop-up to short, a fly-out to center, and an unassisted ground-out to end the game. She tossed 7.0 innings, allowing four runs on ten hits with two strikeouts.
Superka went 2-3 with three RBI and a run scored, Caleigh Love was two for four with a double, while Thomas was two for four with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored.
Game two saw Juniata manufacture the only run of the game in the first. K. Roush led off with a single but was out at second on Douglass's fielder's choice. Douglass stole second, and Superka drove her in with an RBI single to left.
Kenzie Tapias got the start and scattered five hits over 3.1 innings with two strikeouts. She got into a spot of trouble in the fourth, so Gracie Ruch entered with runners at second and third with one out. Ruch induced a ground ball as she fielded it and threw it to first. The runner tried to score from third, but Thomas got the ball to Superka, who applied the tag to preserve the lead. Ruch allowed just one hit over her 3.2 innings to get the win.
Juniata currently sits at 5-1, their best start to conference play in the Landmark in program history.
They will travel to take on Susquehanna on Tuesday at 3:00.
