RUSSELLTON, Pa - The Juniata baseball team picked up two wins in their weekday neutral-site doubleheader against Thiel College.
In game one, Braelan Huber earned the win for Juniata, pitching a dominant four innings, allowing only three hits and striking out seven, while keeping Thiel off the scoreboard. He was backed up by Harrison Leister and Aedan Hrivnak, who each threw an inning and maintained the shutout with excellent strikeout performances. Leister struck out two and Hrivnak added another two strikeouts to seal the win.
Offensively, Juniata spread out their runs across the early innings. In the 2nd, Ricky Scott drove in a run with a single, followed by walks to Tim Coleman, Charlie Bakken, and a third RBI walk to Bakken, pushing the score to 3-0. Ethan Pfeffer added a key RBI single in the 3rd inning, bringing Joey Woodrow home to make it 4-0.
Woodrow and Pfeffer each had solid days at the plate with two hits and one run scored. Pfeffer also drove in a run, while Scott, Coleman, and Bakken each contributed an RBI. Despite a few strikeouts and runners left on base, the team managed to generate enough offense to support their strong pitching staff.
Defensively, Juniata turned a well-timed double play, and the pitching staff combined for an impressive 11 strikeouts to keep Thiel's batters at bay. The team was disciplined at the plate, taking advantage of walks and timely hits to produce their 4 runs.
Juniata kept to their winning ways in game two with a 10-2 victory.
On the mound, Connor Rohm picked up the win, going four innings and allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out two. Devon Coldren, Connor Blough, and Connor Krahulec each threw an inning of relief, maintaining the lead and shutting down any chance of a Thiel comeback. Coldren did not allow a hit in his inning, and Krahulec also kept Thiel scoreless, allowing just one hit.
Offensively, Juniata exploded in the 3rd inning, scoring eight runs. Zach Johnston led the charge with a 3-RBI double, while Jace Irvin added two RBIs during the inning. Coleman, Matthew Quigley, and Ricky Scott all walked in runs, further extending the lead. Irvin and Johnston combined for 5 RBIs in the frame, contributing to the team's impressive 10 total runs. Later, in the 6th inning, Jordan Chui delivered a 2-RBI double to cap off the scoring, bringing home Connor Meisner and Irvin to make it 10-2.
At the plate, several players contributed multiple hits, including Irvin with 3 hits, and both Scott and Bakken with 2 hits each. Johnston also had a standout day, driving in 3 runs with his double.
Overall, it was a well-rounded effort from Juniata, combining effective pitching with an explosive offensive outburst to claim a convincing 10-2 win.
