HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Susquehanna University baseball team finished their four-game series with Juniata College with another split Saturday afternoon as both sides each won two in the series. Susquehanna (8-15, 8-12 LC) convincingly took the first game, 8-2, behind a career-high eight strikeouts from junior Dillan Weikel (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg Area) to snap its 11-game skid before Juniata (12-10, 12-10 LC) used a walk-off triple for a 5-4 victory in the nightcap.
 
Back on March 27 in Selinsgrove, Susquehanna dominated the first game, 15-5, before the Eagles claimed the second game, 8-6.
 
GAME 1
How It Happened
The River Hawks notched two runs in the top of the first inning and one each in the second and third innings for a 4-0 lead before putting the game away with four runs in the ninth.
 
A two-out double to right-center by senior Steve Lorenz (Langhorne, Pa./William Penn) drove in senior Peter Yarem (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains Fanwood) and fifth-year senior Craig Roumes (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury), who were both hit by a pitch in their respective at-bats, for a 2-0 SU lead after one inning of play.
 
Roumes was once again hit by a pitch, this time with bases loaded to score fifth-year senior Anthony Dombrowski (Pompton Plains, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) in the second and push the lead to 3-0. In the third, first-year Tyler Hargus (Odenton, Md./Spalding) connected on a one-out double down the leftfield line and fifth-year senior Alec Ranck (Elverson, Pa./Twin Valley) scored after a one-out single and stealing second.
 
Juniata got two back to cut the deficit in half, 4-2, with one run in the sixth and one in the seventh. The seventh-inning run resulted from Ben Raab's first career home run.
 
Susquehanna exploded for four runs in the ninth, highlighted by another two-run double by Hargus and a two-run pinch-hit single by first-year Kris Morrow (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic).
 
Inside the Box Score
Susquehanna tallied eight runs on 10 hits with three doubles and no errors while leaving 11 on base. The Eagles put up two runs on five hits with two errors and stranded six runners.
 
Top Performers
The bottom of the lineup led the River Hawks at the plate as Ranck (No. 6), Dombrowski (No. 7), and Hargus (No. 8) each picked up two hits while Hargus drove in three runs and Lorenz and Morrow each had two RBI. Weikel (2-0) fanned eight batters and scattered two hits over 6.0 innings of work while senior William Carey (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) closed out the game with four strikeouts.
 
Five different Eagles collected a hit while Jack Johnson (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound, giving up four runs (all earned) on four hits in 4.1 innings of work with four strikeouts and four walks.
 
GAME 2
How It Happened
Southpaw Dominic Hoyle retired the Susquehanna side in order in the top of the seventh to keep the Eagles within one, 4-3, heading in the home half of the final inning.
 
Following a lead-off ground out to open the seventh for Juniata, back-to-back singles had runners on first and second to set up Isaac Maclay's heroics. Maclay stepped up to the hate and cracked a triple down the right field line to score Evan Mock and Ryan McClain for the 5-4 walk-off win.
 
Juniata started the nightcap with a 2-0 lead after the first inning thanks to an RBI triple by Dakotah Snyder and an RBI grounder by Jake Swank. The Eagles held on to the 2-0 lead until the fifth inning when Susquehanna responded with three runs in the top of the fifth.
 
Hargus led off the fifth with a double to left-center and then came home on a double to centerfield by junior Evan Knapp (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood), cutting Juniata's lead in half, 2-1. Knapp then crossed home plate on a fielder's choice to Yarem to even the score at 2-all. The River Hawks claimed their first lead at 3-2 as Knapp scored on junior Adam Schreck's (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) single.
 
The Eagles came right back in the home half of the fifth as Maclay connected on his first triple of the day, a two-out hit, to bring home McClain and knot the game at 3-3.
 
SU posted a 4-3 lead in the sixth as Dombrowski connected on a lead-off solo shot, the first of the season and third of his career. Dombrowski needs just one more hit for the 100th of his career.
 
Inside the Box Score
For the eighth time this season, the River Hawks posted double-digit hits with four runs on 10 hits with one error. Susquehanna left six on base. Juniata scored five runs on seven hits, three of which were triples, with no errors, and stranded four runners.
 
Top Performers
Lorenz, Dombrowski, and Hargus paced SU at the plate with two hits each while senior Jake Ramezzana (Nutley, N.J./Nutley) was saddled with the loss after coming in relief in the seventh and giving up the game-winning hit. First-year Teagan Duffie (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone Area) started the game, throwing 6.1 innings with four strikeouts in a no-decision.
 
McClain and Maclay each went 2-for-3 to lead the Eagles at the plate while McClain scored three runs and Maclay recorded three RBI. Hoyle (3-1) earned the win with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief, scattering just two hits.
 
Up Next for the River Hawks
May 9 at Drew (0-16, 0-16 LC) – Madison, N.J. – 11:30 a.m. (DH)
 
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