ORLANDO, Fla.- The Juniata baseball team picked up a pair of victories as they defeated Nebraska Wesleyan 12-10 before defeating Vassar 10-4, Thursday in Florida.
The Eagles, as they have for most of their time down south, put runs up in the bottom of the first in game one against Nebraska Wesleyan. Larry Corle (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central High School) drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and stole third. He scored on Ryan McClain's (Hughesville, Pa. / Hughesville) sacrifice fly to right. Jake Swank (Portage, Pa. / Portage) was hit by a pitch prior to Isaac Maclay (Belleville, Pa. / Mifflin County High School), blasted a homer to left as the JC led 3-0 after one.
The Prairie Wolves got back within one as they crossed home plate twice in the top of the second to make it 3-2. In the bottom half of the inning. Joshua Gery (Pottstown, Pa. / Pottstown Senior High School) drew a walk, and Evan Mock (Mcveytown, Pa. / Mifflin County) reached on an error by the second baseman. Corle single to right to load the bases, and Swank sent Gery and Mock home with another single, this one to left. Corle crossed home plate on Maclay's single to center as Juniata went back up by four.
Swank's RBI-single in the fourth increased the lead to five, but Nebraska Wesleyan's solo homer made it 6-3 before the Eagles went for five more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Dakotah Snyder (Lewisburg, Pa. / Lewisburg) reached on an infield single and got to second on an error by the third baseman. Sam Craig (Mullica Hill, N.J. / Kingsway Regional) and Gery were both hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mock was then hit by a pitch that sent Snyder home. Corle hit a grounder to the shortstop who misplayed it, which allowed Craig and Gery to score. Corle stole second while Mock stole home, and two batters later Maclay tripled to left as the Eagles led 12-3.
The Prairie Wolves used three doubles in the seventh to score three times and two RBI-singles in the eighth to get back in the game as they trailed 12-8 heading into the ninth.
Dominic Hoyle (Woodbridge, Va. / Garfield) struck out the first batter looking and got the next batter to line out to left. The next batter reached on an error before back to back doubles suddenly had Nebraska Wesleyan within two. Tyler Seiffert (York, Pa. / West York) came in got the final out on a flyout to right to get the save.
Juniata faced an early deficit in game two, as a two-run double in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the inning, Corle scored on Maclay's groundout to third to slice the deficit in half.
The Brewers scored on an RBI-single to center in the second and a solo homer in the third to make it 4-1.
Mock was hit by a pitch to start the bottom half of the third and two batters later, Swank was hit by a pitch before Adam Kipp (Mt. Wolf, Pa. / Northeastern) drew a walk to load the bases. With two outs, Roberto Barranca (York, Pa. / Calvert Hall (Md.) singled to right to score Mock. Snyder walked as Swank scored to tie the game, and Craig's line-drive single to right plated Kipp and Barranca as the Eagles now led 5-4.
Swank's sac fly to right made it 6-4 after four innings, and Juniata tacked on two more runs in the sixth, scoring twice on wild pitches.
Kipp and Maclay drove in a run apiece in eighth to make it 10-4
Julius Thomas (Johnstown, Pa. / Ferndale Area High School) got the win in relief as he threw six innings, allowed three hits, one run, one walk, and struck out two.
Juniata will take on Keene State in their final game in Florida tomorrow at 9:30 AM.
