(Posted May 15, 2004)

Frostburg State 7, Juniata 3

Huntingdon, Pa. - Visiting Frostburg State scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie as the Bobcats topped the Juniata College baseball team 7-3 in Huntingdon Saturday afternoon. The loss drops Juniata to 24-15 on the year, while Frostburg upped its record to 26-17. Juniata will now wait until Sunday May 16 to discover where the Eagles will go for the NCAA Regional. Frostburg is hoping to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Frostburg's big eighth inning came after the Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing 3-2, Zach Sternbeg (McCaskey/Lancaster) singled to start the inning which brought in Bobcats reliever Jimmy Hardy. Hardy promptly bounced a wild pitch and Sternberg moved to second. A sacrifice bunt pushed him to third, then with two outs another wild pitch scored the run and tied the game at three.

But Frostburg answered by pounding out three hits, and getting the benefit of a pair of Eagle errors to score four runs in the eighth. Todd Holmes had an RBI double, and Scott Feller drove in a pair of runs with a single to highlight the frame. All of the runs came of Juniata hurler Jayme Fye (Philipsburg/Philipsburg) who was in his second inning of relief.

Fye was on the mound in relief of Andrew Michanowicz (Bishop Guilfoyle/Altoona) who pitched four innings of scoreless relief for Juniata. He allowed just two hits and struck out three on the afternoon.

Cody Zong (Lewistown/McVeytown) started the game for Juniata, and struggled in his two innings. The visitors scored a pair of runs in the first as an outfield error, an RBI single from Chris Baugher coupled with a pair of walks led to Frostburg's 2-0 lead.

Juniata answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. David Saintz (Titusville/Titusville) was hit by a pitch, and Will Russell (Tyrone Area/Tyrone) reached on an error. After a double steal, Darren Hake (Red Lion/Red Lion) drove in both runners with a single up the middle to knot the game at two.

In the second Frostburg took the lead again as a single from Feller drove home Chris Jones who had doubled. Zong would then work out of a bases-loaded one-out jam by getting a strike out and a ground out to keep the score 3-2 Frostburg State.

Fye was charged with the loss for Juniata, dropping his record to 6-4. Hardy earned the win in relief.

The Eagles had five players with one hit apiece. Hake was 1-for-4 with two RBI, while Sternberg was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Russell, Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) and Troy Beaver (Bellwood-Antis/Bellwood) had the other hits for Juniata.

Feller finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBI and one run scored. Jones was 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored.

The NCAA Regional of the Division III Tournament will begin Thursday May 20 at locations yet to be determined.

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