DANVILLE, Va.- The Juniata softball team ended their first week of games with a pair of dramatic victories at Averett University as they hung on to win 4-3 in game one before exploding for ten runs in the top of the eight to win game two 17-9, Sunday afternoon at Cougar fField.
In game one, Cate Baran got things started with a single to right and stole second. Jessie Hunt drew a walk, and a double steal got her to second. A fielding error by the third base person allowed Baran to score the first run of the game.
In the top of the fifth, Baran led off with a triple and scored on Hunt's single through the right side.
In the sixth, Kay Magill singled up the middle. Abby John came in to pinch run and stole second. Alison Superka bunted her over, and Alex Douglass brought John home on a single to right center. Two batters later, Douglass scored after stealing second on a double to left by Hunt.
The Cougars managed to plate three in the bottom of the seventh. An RBI single with the bases loaded scored one run. Superka got the ball and threw to second; Magill applied the tag to end the game, with the Eagles holding on for a 4-3 win.
Baran got the win in game one, going the distance while allowing nine hits and three runs while striking out seven.
An RBI single by Hunt opened game two with the Eagles scoring in the first inning again.
Averett responded in the third, scoring three runs in an inning that included two Eagle errors.
Hunt drove in Baran from third with an infield single in the third, then Baran scored Madison Wrightstone in the fourth with a single up the middle that tied things at 3-3.
The Eagles managed four runs in the fifth, highlighted by a Superka double to right-center that scored two runs. The Cougars got three back in the bottom half of the inning as the Eagles led by one, 7-6.
The Cougars scored the tying run with an infield single. With runners at first and second with two outs, Maryn Swank got a swinging strikeout to send the game to extras.
The Juniata offense exploded in the eighth, tallying ten runs on six hits with one error by the Cougars, helping Juniata build an insurmountable lead. Averett got two back in the bottom half of the inning as their first four batters reached safely. A fly-out to center and two strikeouts ended the game for the Eagles as they earned their first sweep of the year.
Juniata will return to action on the road where they will take on Shenandoah Tuesday at 4:00.
