HUNTINGDON, PA - Susquehanna baseball dropped the second game of the midweek Landmark Conference series against Juniata, falling 5-4 with a three-run eighth not enough to complete a comeback.

The River Hawks were first on the scoreboard in the top half of the first inning, with a Sam Martucci double followed by a wild pitch scoring Michael Gagliardi, who reached with a walk. Juniata had an immediate answer, however, getting back level in the bottom of the first on an RBI double.

Two more runs for the Eagles followed in both the third and the fifth, with Ben Gearhart, the Susquehanna starter, going three innings in the loss. The River Hawks only used first-years on the mound, with Dominic Giglio going 1.1 innings, Max Lipton throwing 1.2, and Zach Plank finishing the day with two scoreless frames.

With the team down 5-1 going into the eighth, the River Hawks put together a one-out rally started by Gagliardi and Martucci with singles, followed by both CJ Orrego and Jaden Buechler reaching on errors. Tyler Hmielewski's fielder's choice resulted in an errant throw, and that brought home Orrego, but after a single by Lucas Zachesky, the River Hawks were unable to bring home the tying run from second base.

The River Hawks recorded six hits in the game, with Martucci leading the way with two, alongside Gagliardi, Orrego, Hmielewski, and Zachesky. Christian Biuso drew two walks.

With the defeat, the River Hawks remain playing .500 baseball at 12-12, but they fall to 5-6 in Landmark Conference play ahead of a trip to Catholic this coming weekend. They return home for a four-game homestand, featuring a three-game set against Elizabethtown and a non-league meeting with Misericordia.