(Posted April 22, 2005)

Juniata 3, Widener 2 (7 innings)

Huntingdon, Pa. ? Dan Kauffman (Penn Manor/Conestoga) delivered a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 2-2 and propel the Juniata College baseball team to a 3-2 victory over conference opponent Widener in Huntingdon Friday afternoon. The victory improved Juniata to 20-12 overall and 11-5 in the conference, while the Pioneers dropped to 20-10 on the year and 10-6 in the conference.

In a game played in a steady rain, Kaufman took a pitch the opposite way over the leftfield wall to lead off the seventh off to lead Widener pitcher Tom Pletcher to break the 2-2 score. It was the freshman?s fifth home run of the season, which tied him for the team lead. The rain then increased as the seventh continued. Widener actually batted in the top of the eighth, and scored a pair of unearned runs to take a 4-3 lead. But the umpires halted the game due to the increased rain, and when the game was eventually called, the score reverted back to the last completed inning as per NCAA rules to give Juniata the 3-2 victory.

Cody Zong (McVeytown/Lewistown) went the distance for Juniata to capture his fifth win of the year. The junior lefty allowed two runs while scattering four hits over seven innings. He fanned seven in the game.

Kaufman?s blast marked the third comeback of the game for the Eagles who earlier rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. After Widener took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single from Josh McLeod in the top of the first, Juniata countered with an RBI single from Darren Hake (Red Lion/Red Lion) in the bottom of the second.

The teams then traded runs in the third. Matt Gallagher led off the frame with a triple to right center for the Pioneers, then came home on a sacrifice fly from B.J. Hogan.

Then in the bottom of the inning, Troy Beaver (Bellwood-Antis/Bellwood) singled with one out, and moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) followed with an RBI single to tie the score at two. The RBI was the 42nd of the season for Goedkoop which ties the Juniata record for RBI in a season.

Pletcher kept the Eagles off the scoreboard the rest of the way until the seventh. The Pioneer hurler worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, and then stranded another two Eagle runners in the fifth. He was charged with the loss as he allowed three runs on 10 hits while striking out six.

David Saintz (Titusville/Titusville) and Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) were both 2-for-4 on the day, while Hake also added two hits and an RBI.

Juniata?s doubleheader scheduled for Saturday against Widener has been postponed, so the Eagles? next scheduled game is a doubleheader against Penn State-Altoona on Wednesday. The two games will be played at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona.

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