(Posted April 29, 2005)

Juniata 3, Susquehanna 2 (11 innings)

Selinsgrove, Pa. ? Two days after suffering a pair of one-run defeats the Juniata College baseball team turned the tables and rallied to claim a 3-2 victory over Susquehanna University in Commonwealth Conference play in Selinsgrove Friday afternoon. The win improved Juniata to 22-15 on the season and 13-6 in the Commonwealth Conference while the Crusaders fell to 8-24-1 on the year and 3-16 in the conference.

Will Russell (Tyrone/Tyrone) delivered an RBI triple in the top of the 11th inning to plate Walt Goedkoop (Manheim Township/Lancaster) with the go-ahead run.

Jeff Hayes (Indian Valley/Lewistown) then worked around a hit batter in the bottom of the 11th to seal the win for the Eagles and claim his fourth victory of the season.

Juniata forced extra innings after falling behind 2-1 in the second. Russell again drove home Goedkoop this time on an RBI single that put Juniata in front 1-0. Susquehanna responded in the bottom of the inning, as the home team pushed across two runs off Juniata starter Andrew Snyder (Punxsutawney/Punxsutawney). Matt Hess drove home the first run with a sacrifice fly, and then an RBI single by Andrew Salemme made the score 2-1. Snyder stranded a pair of runners in the frame, two of eight runners that Susquehanna left on in the game.

Juniata tied the score in the sixth getting another run off Crusaders starter Eric Damm. Dan Kauffman (Penn Manor/Conestoga) drilled a solo home run to right center for his sixth homer of the season.

Those were all the runs the Eagles managed against Damm who went 10 innings and scattered seven hits but didn?t factor into the decision. Bud Schmidt pitched the 11th and was charged with his fourth loss.

Snyder matched Damm for nine innings as he surrendered just six hits and a pair of runs but also was not a part of the decision.

Russell finished 3-for-5 in the game with a pair of RBI, while Kauffman also added two hits.

Juniata and Susquehanna will be back in action on Saturday when the two teams play a doubleheader in Huntingdon.

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