AUBURNDALE, Fla.- The Juniata baseball team lost 10-9 in the bottom of the ninth on a walkoff home run to the University of Scranton in game one of the three-game series Saturday afternoon.
Jackson Cunnane went 2-4 with a home run, two RBI, a walk and three runs scored while David Beard went 2-3 with a double and two RBI. Zach Johnston went 3-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk and a run scored.
The Royals struck first, scoring twice in the top of the first. The Eagles responded as Tim Coleman drove in Ethan Pfeffer with a single to center, and Caden Collins scored Cunnane with an infield single to make it 2-2.
A Royal RBI-single to center in the second gave them the lead back. Cunnane smashed a ball over the fence in left to tie things back at 3-3.
Scranton put up four runs in the fifth, and Juniata responded with runs in the sixth and the seventh to get within two.
The Royals tallied two more in the bottom half of the seventh to increase their lead back to four.
The Eagles climbed all the way in the eighth, scoring four runs capped by a Beard RBI-single to center to tie things at 9-9.
Juniata got a runner to third twice but couldn't get the go-ahead run across the plate.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Royals' first batter hit a ball over the fence in left to take the game.
The teams will complete the series tomorrow, with first pitch of game two at 1:30.
