HUNTINGDON, Pa - Juniata held off a late surge from visiting Susquehanna to pick up a 5–4 win on Tuesday afternoon at Langdon Goodale Field, improving to 8–19.
The Eagles got contributions up and down the lineup, highlighted by Connor Blough (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona Area HS), who reached base four times and scored twice while also earning the win on the mound. Zach Johnston (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel Area HS) and Ricky Scott (Pottsgrove, Pa. / Pottsgrove HS) each drove in a run and crossed the plate themselves, while Ethan Pfeffer (Camp Hill, Pa. / Trinity HS) delivered a clutch two-RBI single in the fifth to give Juniata a much-needed cushion.
After falling behind 1–0 in the top of the first, Juniata immediately responded in the bottom half as Scott doubled home Blough to even the score. The Eagles added two more in the third behind RBI singles from Johnston and Joey Woodrow (Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland), then struck again in the fifth with Pfeffer's two-run knock to go up 5–1.
On the mound, Blough went 4.0 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out two. Devon Coldren (Frederick, Md. / Governor Thomas Johnson) and Landen Eichhorn (Belleville, Pa. / Mifflin County HS) bridged the middle innings before Robbie Pliszka (Perkasie, Pa. / Pennridge HS) slammed the door with a 1.1-inning save—his first of the season.
Susquehanna made it interesting with three runs in the eighth, aided by a pair of Juniata errors, but Pliszka came in to record the final four outs and seal the win.
Juniata finished with 10 hits and six walks, showing patience and timely hitting. Defensively, the team committed four errors, but strong pitching and a key double play from Pfeffer and Tim Coleman (Swedesboro, N.J. / Kingsway Regional HS) kept the game in control.
The Eagles will play Elizabethtown this Saturday at 12:00 PM.
