(Posted March 19, 2011)

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Juniata College baseball opened Landmark Conference Saturday afternoon against defending league champion Moravian College, dropping a pair of games to the Greyhounds at Gillespie Field.

Juniata fell to Moravian, 3-0, in game one, and dropped the second game of the doubleheader, 17-2.

Juniata (6-6, 0-2 Landmark) was held to just three hits in game one, with Johnny Martinez (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union), Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J./Immaculata), and Ian Thorne (Germantown, Pa./Seneca Valley) each stroking singles for the Eagles.

Moravian (9-4, 2-0 Landmark) scored all three runs in the fourth inning off two hits and two Juniata errors. Rocco Del Priore singled home one run, while a bases loaded walk issued to lead-off hitter Jason Huber plated another run.

Eagle starter John Love (Loysburg, Pa./Northern Bedford) pitched all six innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Brendan Close tossed the complete game shutout for the Greyhounds, fanning 11 Juniata batters with one walk.

After taking a 4-0 lead through the first two innings of game two, Moravian took command of the game with an eight-run fourth keyed by two-run singles by Huber and Austin Rock.

Juniata answered with two runs in the top of the sixth, scoring on a bases loaded drawn by Bradley Medellin (Lewisberry, Pa./Red Lion) and a hit by pitch to Chris Beall (Bluebell, Pa./Wisssahickon). However Moravian posted five more runs in the bottom of the frame, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Four different Juniata pitchers saw action in the contest, with starter Sforza allowing nine runs, four earned, on five hits in three-and-two-thirds innings of work in the loss. Ryan Morrison (Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon Catholic), Mario DeYulius (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria), and Marty Hauck (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) also saw action in the contest.

Moravian starter Rob Solano allowed one hit in five innings of work on his way to the win.

Juniata and Moravian will complete their three-game Landmark set on Sunday afternoon with a single nine-inning contest. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.