(Posted March 17, 2009)

ANNVILLE, Pa. -- Juniata College softball was held to just six runs over two games against Lebanon Valley College and dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the Flying Dutchmen, 1-0 and 7-6, Wednesday afternoon at LVC Softball Park.

Juniata (6-4) put up three runs in the first inning and two more in the second, and held a 5-2 lead over Lebanon Valley (10-4) after two innings of game two.

The Eagles plated two of their first inning runs on a Liz Schmitt's (Knoxville, Tenn./H. Frank Carey, N.Y.) single up the middle, with a third run crossing on Jackie Morley's (North Wales, Pa./Archbishop Wood) RBI-single into center field. Juniata's two runs in the second inning were courtesy a Rachel Nagy (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) double to right center, driving in Stacy Nagy (Millerton, Pa./Troy) and Tara Carl (Duke Center, Pa./Otto-Eldred). Carl reached on a single through the right side, while Stacy Nagy got aboard with a fielder's choice grounder to short.

LVC answered with a three-run uprising in the third, with Linley Eberhart forcing in one run on an RBI single up the middle off Juniata starter Pam Heinrichs (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley). Steph Hulme, who entered the game as a pinch runner for Eberhart, scored later in the inning on a Juniata error that allowed Caitlin Keller to reach first safely.

The Dutch took a 6-5 lead in the fifth on a Keller sacrifice fly to center field that allowed Janey Kozlowski to score, however Juniata responded with a single run in the top of the seventh.

Carl led off the frame with a single, and went to second on a Rachel Nagy single two batters later. A passed ball and wild pitch allowed Carl to score, but the Eagles could not drive Rachel Nagy across with the potential game tying run. Erb struck out the side in the LVC seventh, sending the game into extra innings.

Juniata placed Kelsey Shutt (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) on second to start the eighth, and she advanced to third base on Morley's ground out to third before Lebanon Valley finishing retiring the Eagles with a strike out and grounder to second.

Kerri Datres was on second to start the LVC half of the eighth, and went to third on Katie DeJulio's sacrifice bunt. Chelsea Artz then singled Datres home, ending the game.

Heinrichs allowed seven hits and struck out five over two-and-a-third innings to start game two, before she was relieved by Alyssa Erb (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) in the third inning. Erb fanned nine of the 20 batters she faced, while allowing four hits.

In the first game, LVC's DeJulio hit a one-out double to left center field, scoring Hulme for the only run of the game. Hulme reached with a lead-off single, and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Datres.

Juniata was effectively tied in knots by Flying Dutch pitcher Laura Snyder, who struck out 14 Eagle batters for the complete game win. Juniata's only hit off Snyder came in the first inning, when Carl hit a one-out single into left field. Carl advanced to second on Stacy Nagy's sacrifice bunt, but could get no farther.

Erb turned in a performance rivaling Snyder's, scattering six hits and fanning eight Lebanon Valley batters over six-and-a-third innings.

Juniata will return to the diamond on Saturday, March 21, when it travels to Madison, N.J., to open Landmark Conference play against Drew University.

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