(Posted April 9, 2005)

Albright 5, Juniata 0
Juniata 3, Albright 0

Huntingdon, Pa. ? The Juniata College softball bounced back from a tough first-game loss to split its doubleheader with conference foe Albright College Saturday afternoon in Huntingdon. The Eagles dropped the first game, 5-0, but bounced back nicely in the second game, blanking the visitors, 3-0, for the win.

The split keeps the Eagles at .500 in the conference and two games back of Albright for fourth place. Juniata is now 11-9-1 on the season and 3-3 in the Commonwealth. Albright?s records stands at 12-10 overall, 5-3 in conference play.

In the second game, Lizzie Bartosik (Penn/Granger, In.) shut down the Albright offense, pitching a complete game shutout for the win, while striking out six batters in the process. She gave up just three hits and didn?t allow a batter past second base all game.

The Eagles gave Bartosik all the offense she would need in the first when they scored their first run of the game off Albright hurler Ashley Young. Kim Wagner (Middletown/Middletown) led off with a single. Renae Hobbs (Mount Union/Mount Union) then moved her over to second with a sacrifice bunt; Leann Leymeister (Blue Mountain/Orwigsburg) then moved her to third when she grounded out. Cleanup hitter Allison D?Ambrosia (State College/Boalsburg) delivered the two-out single, giving the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish.

Juniata took advantage of some sloppy Albright fielding to score its other two runs. In the third, Wagner led off and reached first when first baseman Michelle Van Arsdale pulled her foot off the bag at first. Wagner then stole second and moved to third on another Leymeister groundout. Abbey Sener (Donegal/Marietta) then hit a grounder that should have ended the inning. Instead, Van Arsdale bobbled the ball at first, allowing Sener to reach safely and Wagner to score Juniata?s second run of the game.

In the sixth, Jen Piston (Central Bucks East/Jamison) reached first when shortstop Meredith Mayes couldn?t handle her groundball. Albright errors during Juniata?s next two at-bats allowed her to score, giving the Eagles a three-run cushion.

D?Ambrosia finished 1-for-2, with a walk and Juniata?s lone RBI. Wagner, Amanda Albanese (North Hunterdon/Clinton, N.J.) and Kim Stoia (Morris Hills/Rockaway, N.J.) also collected hits in the win.

Game one was a pitcher?s duel until Albright?s offense came through with five runs in the top of the sixth. It would be the only inning Albright would score a run in all day.

The Lions pounded out three hits in the inning of Juniata pitcher Kim Stoia (Morris Hills/Rockaway, N.J.), but also got the benefit of four Juniata errors in the frame which led to four unearned runs. Stoia was solid the remainder of the game, as she struck out six batters and allowed eight hits but was credited with the loss, dropping her season mark to 5-2.

Albright?s fifth stood up as the Eagles were unable to breakthrough against Young. She scattered three hits and fanned seven in the game. The Eagles had just one inning in which they put more than one runner on base. After winning game one, but dropping game two, Young?s record stayed even at 6-6 on the season.

Juniata gets back in action quickly as the Eagles will take on Lebanon Valley on the road for a Commonwealth doubleheader on Sunday.

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