WINCHESTER, Va.- The Juniata softball team split at Shenandoah, winning game one 3-1 in large part due to Cate Baran's almost no-hitter, before losing 7-6, Tuesday afternoon at Rotary Field.
Juniata continued their strong starts to games as Baran led off with a single up the middle and stole second. She got to third on Dani Berlin's ground out and scored on a wild pitch as Juniata led 1-0.
Baran was strong early on the mound; she struck out the side in the third inning with a baserunner yet to reach up to that point.
In the fourth inning, Emily Eutsey drove in Madison Wrightstone from third with an RBI single up the middle.
Jessie Hunt scored Baran from second with a double to left in the fifth as the Eagles led 3-0 midway through the fifth.
Baran's perfect game continued to the sixth when an error on a throw allowed a Hornet to reach safely. Baran retired the next three batters to keep the no-hitter alive.
In the bottom of the seventh, after a pop-up to short and a groundout to the pitcher had the Hornets on their final out, the hosts unleashed a homer to left to break the no-hitter. A flyout to center cemented game one as a win for the Eagles.
Eutsey went 2-3 with a double and an RBI, while Baran threw 7.0 innings while allowing one hit, one run, and striking out four to get the win. She was also 3-4 with two runs scored.
In game two, the teams traded zeros until the third inning when Alex Douglass reached on an infield single and got to second on a wild pitch. Hunt's single advanced her to third, and Claire Thomas drove her in to put Juniata up 1-0.
The Hornets struck back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring seven runs on five hits and three Eagle errors as Juniata found themselves down by six.
Baran's RBI single scored Kay Magill in the bottom of the sixth to get one back, but JC trailed by five heading into the seventh.
Hunt led off with a walk and got to second on a groundout. Alison Superka's single sent her to third, and Eutsey walked to load the bases. Magill and Paige Loudenslager both drew walks to bring Juniata within three, 7-4. Reagan Goldsmith's ground out to third allowed Eutsey to score. Magill scored on a wild pitch to bring Juniata within one at 7-6, but the rally ended there as the Eagles couldn't quite complete the comeback.
Douglass went 3-4 with a run scored, while Magill went 1-1 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored, and three walks. Isabella Countryman came in and pitched 3.1 innings in relief; she allowed two hits, an unearned run, and had one strikeout.
Baran's five strikeouts in game one pushed her to 172 in her career, which is good for fourth all-time in program history.
Juniata returns to action with their home opener tomorrow when they host St. Vincent. First pitch of game one is at 3:00.
