(Posted March 7, 2009)

FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Juniata College sophomore John Love (Loysburg, Pa./Northern Bedford) struck out six Northwestern College (Minn.) batters in a complete game effort to lead Juniata to a 4-1 victory, completing a season-opening doubleheader sweep in Fort Pierce, Fla.

Love allowed eight hits, but spread the hits out across all seven innings and allowed two hits only twice - in the first and sixth innings.

The Eagles plated an unearned run in the first inning, when Johnny Martinez (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) scored on Greg Hoffman's (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) grounder to short which resulted in an error by Northwestern.

Northwestern got the run back in the bottom of the frame, Erik Dahl's sacrifice fly to right field allowed Dan Halstensgard to score from third.

Juniata pushed two more runs across in the third innning. Adam Spadaford (Asbury, N.J./Pennington School) reached on a lead-off single, stole second, and eventually crossed on a double-play grounder by Hoffman. Kevin Small (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North), who got aboard with a hit-by-pitch, scored an unearned run with two outs on a wild pitch by Northwestern hurler Josh Englund.

Juniata added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a Martinez sac fly to left that scored junior shortstop Kyle Saxman (York, Pa./York Suburban).

Juniata (2-0) will continue its spring break slate of games on Sunday night when it faces Martin Luther College (Minn.) starting at 8:00 p.m.

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