(Posted March 26, 2005)

Elizabethtown 12, Juniata 0
Juniata 4, Elizabethtown 1

Elizabethtown, Pa. ? After suffering consecutive lopsided conference losses the Juniata College baseball team got a stellar pitching performance from junior Cody Zong (Lewistown/McVeytown) to salvage a split in its conference doubleheader against Elizabethtown in Elizabethtown Saturday afternoon. After dropping game one 12-0, Juniata rebounded with a 4-1 win in game two to improve to 12-8 overall and 6-3 in conference play. The Blue Jays are now 9-5-1 on the year and 5-1 in the Commonwealth.

After surrendering eight runs in a loss on Friday, and 12 runs in the opener of the doubleheader on Saturday, Zong helped right the ship by tossing a complete-game victory. The junior surrendered just four hits and allowed one unearned run in seven innings. He fanned four Blue Jays batters as he improved to 3-0 on the year and lowered his earned run average to 2.86 on the season.

The Eagles provided Zong with all the support he needed in the top of the third. Jason Enoch (Hempfield/Landisville) led off with a single and David Saintz (Titusville/Titusville) followed with his fourth home run of the season to put the Blue and Gold in front 2-0. Saintz added to the lead with an RBI single in the fourth inning.

Juniata capped its scoring in the sixth. Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) doubled with one out, then came home on an RBI single from Darren Hake (Red Lion/Red Lion).

Zong was in control throughout as he allowed just one runner to reach second base through the first five innings. The Blue Jays put two runners on with one out in the sixth, but he induced a double play to get out of the inning. An error and an RBI double from Ryan White put Elizabethtown on the board in the seventh with two out, but the final batter grounded out to end the game.

Scott Beard was charged with the loss as he went 4 1-3 innings allowing three runs on four hits.

Saintz led the Eagle offense with two hits and three RBI and one run scored.

Game one was controlled by Elizabethtown as the home team battered four Juniata pitchers for 12 runs and 16 hits. The Blue Jays jumped in front with three runs in the bottom of the first with Steve Luongo helping his own cause with a two-RBI single.

Along with three hits, two RBI and two runs scored, Luongo kept the Eagle bats quiet as Juniata finished with just three hits. Juniata stranded seven base runners as Luongo issued five walks, but Juniata was unable to break through.

Elizabethtown continued to add to its lead as the Blue Jays scored in all six innings. Seth Guida was 4-for-4 in the game with three RBI for Elizabethtown which had at least one hit from each of its nine starters.

Jayme Fye (Philipsburg-Osceola/Philipsburg) was charged with the loss. Saintz, Troy Beaver (Bellwood-Antis/Bellwood) and Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) each finished with a hit for the Blue and Gold.

Juniata will return to action on Tuesday with a non-conference doubleheader against Baptist Bible College.

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