(Posted April 10, 2006)

Juniata 6, Messiah 2
Messiah 12, Juniata 1

HUNTINGDON, Pa. ? A five-run fifth inning propelled the Juniata College baseball team to a 6-2 victory in the opening game of its Commonwealth Conference doubleheader against Messiah, and then the Falcons overwhelmed the Eagles with 11 runs on 16 hits to earn a 12-1 victory as the two teams split the conference twinbill. With the split, the Eagles are now 14-8-1 on the year and 8-3-1 in the conference while the Falcons moved to 11-17 on the year and 4-8 in conference action.

Trailing 2-0 after four innings of game one, the Eagles erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth. Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the first run, and that was followed by a two-RBI double from Will Russell (Tyrone/Tyrone) that put the Eagles on top 3-0. Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) then capped the inning by bringing home two runs with a single, giving the Eagles a 5-0 lead.

That was enough for Juniata hurler Cody Zong (Lewistown/McVeytown) who went all seven innings, allowing just two runs on four hits, while fanning a season-high eight batters. Messiah?s Jeremy Stoltzfus was charged with the loss as he allowed five runs in five innings of work. His control problems were a big factor as he handed out eight free passes for the Eagles.

The only runs of the game for Messiah came in the fourth as the home team took a 2-0 edge. A pair of RBI groundouts brought in the two runs, giving the Falcons the lead, which they held until the fifth.

Juniata then added on an insurance run in the sixth as Steven Wilk (Blairsville/Hollidaysburg) drilled a solo home run to make the score 6-2 in favor of Juniata.

Leonard and David Saintz (Titusville/Titusville) each were 2-for-4 in the game. Leonard drove in a pair of runs, while Saintz scored a run for the Eagles. Chris Heisey had three of Messiah?s four hits in the game.

Game two was all Messiah from the start as the home team scored seven runs over the first three innings. The Falcons pushed across four runs in the first on RBI singles from Ben Kirk and Kyle Stuckey and then a two-RBI double from Ben Snyder to take a 4-0 edge. The Falcons added two more runs in the second, to knock Juniata starter Andrew Snyder (Punxsutawney/Punxsutawney) from the game. Messiah then scored another in the third to take a commanding 7-0 edge.

While Messiah knocked out 16 hits in the game Falcons hurler Nick Lindner went all seven innings, allowing six hits and one earned run while fanning six.

Juniata got its lone run of the game in the fourth inning as a run came home on a double play grounder. That made the score 7-1, before Messiah put the contest well out of reach with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Saintz again led Juniata offensively in the game as he knocked out a pair of hits. Heisey finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored for Messiah. Joshua Clabaugh also had three hits, and scored four runs for the home team.

The Eagles will be back in action on Wednesday with a non-conference game against Saint Vincent.

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