(Posted March 29, 2011)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Juniata College successfully staged two game-tying comebacks in the latter innings but couldn't find the run it needed for a third, as Frostburg State University posted a 5-4 win over the Eagles in nine innings to complete a doubleheader sweep at Langdon-Goodale Field.

Juniata (8-11, 1-5 Landmark) dropped game one of the twinbill, 14-1.

Trailing 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh of game two, Cole Walters (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) and Ian Thorne (Germantown, Pa./Seneca Valley) opened the frame with base hits.

That brought Joe Sforza (Pittstown, N.J./Immaculata) up to bat for Juniata, and he tied the game with a three-run home run that cleared the fence just slightly left of straightaway center field. The Eagles were unable to plate a fourth run in the inning, sending the game into extra innings tied 3-3.

Frostburg (13-8, 6-5 Capital Athletic Conf.) scored a run in the top of the eighth when John Barrett reached on a double to left field and crossed on Doug Anuszewski's single up the middle. The Eagles responded in the bottom of the frame with Johnny Martinez (Mount Union, Pa./Mount Union) scoring on Thorne's RBI single through the left side, after reaching on a hit-by-pitch and stealing second.

The Bobcats scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the ninth. Eight-hole hitter Corey Carr drew a walk, and pinch runner John Northam advanced to third on Daniel Jester's single past short. Pinch hitter Adam Summerfelt hit a fly ball to right field, but it was enough to allow Northam to score.

Frostburg retired the side in the Juniata ninth, forcing the Eagles to ground out twice and fly out once to end the game.

Thorne finished with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, while Sforza was 1-for-4 with three runs batted in. Matt Fritz (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) went 2-for-4. Reliever Nate Burkey (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley) allowed the final Frostburg run to score on one hit and one walk, and was charged with the loss. Starter Ryan Morrison (Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) scattered three hits and allowed two earned runs on with two strikeouts and six walks in the no-decision appearance.

Frostburg reliever Ryan D'Arcy picked up the win for his one-and-a-third innings of work, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts. Spenser Madsen, who came on to finish for the Bobcats in the ninth, earned a save.

In game one, Frostburg scored three runs in both the second and third innings, and held a 6-0 lead after three complete. Juniata scored its only run in the fourth, with Russ Gray (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) stroking a leadoff double and crossing on Thorne's single through the right side.

The Bobcats tacked on two runs in the fifth, and three each in the sixth and seventh to effectively put the game beyond reach.

Thorne, Russ Gray, and Dan Gray (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) each had two hits in game one, with each Gray belting a double.

Starter Zach Sauble (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) allowed eight runs on eight hits with only two walks against five strikeouts, and was tagged with the loss. Frostburg starter Britton Quayle fanned six Eagles while yielding six hits and just one run on his way to the win.

Juniata remains at home for its next doubleheader, a rescheduled series against Pitt-Bradford on Thursday, March 31, starting at 1:00 p.m. on Langdon-Goodale Field.

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