MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg allowed a combined 22 runs to Juniata in the Lions' pair of losses to the Eagles on Monday afternoon, Apr. 15. What's worse than that? The fact that only five of them were earned. The Blue & White committed four costly errors in each contest and fell to the visitors 11-5 in the opener and 11-6 in game number two.
The Lions struck first in the first matchup of the day, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kara Boyd (Alexandria, Pa. / Juniata Valley) singled through the right side of the infield to get things started and Rieley Loch (Madison Township, Pa. / North Pocono) followed with a walk. Erika Love (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin East) singled down the first base line and Sydney Eelman (Lititz, Pa. / Warwick) picked up two RBIs when her single through the middle plated Boyd and Loch. Jennifer Bear (Lebanon, Pa. / Cedar Crest) singled to right field three batters later, scoring Love and making it 3-0 Harrisburg in the early going.
Juniata took advantage of the first two Blue & White errors of the day and scored two unearned runs in the top of the second.
But Penn State Harrisburg looked poised to compete shootout-style when the ladies added two more runs in the bottom half of the stanza. Gabrielle Wolfe (New Milford, Pa. / Blue Ridge) singled to left field and Loch walked for the second time in as many at bats. Love cleaned-up nicely by doubling to left field and scoring both runners and stretching the home team's lead to 5-2 after two innings of play.
The Eagles used five hits and the third Harrisburg error of the game to score six runs, four of which were unearned, and claim their first advantage of the afternoon in the top of the third.
The Lions had a chance to answer back in the bottom of the stanza but instead left the bases loaded. For the game, Penn State Harrisburg left 11 runners on base and seven of them were stranded in scoring position.
Juniata added three more insurance runs, including one in the fourth and two in the sixth while the home team was unable to threaten offensively for the remainder of the contest.
Wolfe, the Lions' starting pitcher, threw 2.1 innings and surrendered six hits, a walk and just two earned runs. Boyd spelled her in the third stanza and hurled the remainder of game one, allowing eight hits and five walks but just one earned run.
Love had the hot hand offensively, going 3-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Eelman was 2-3 and drove in two runs while Loch walked twice and scored two runs. Wolfe was 2-4 with a run scored while Boyd and Bear went 1-3 from the plate.
The nightcap saw the Lions score first once more. Wolfe led off the bottom of the first with a double to left field. Loch singled through the left side to advance Wolfe to third and Love's sacrifice fly to center field brought her home, making it 1-0 Harrisburg after one stanza.
But like they had in the opener, errors bit Penn State Harrisburg in the top of the second and Juniata scored three runs.
Boyd settled in inside the circle and retired the Eagles 1-2-3 in the third and fourth innings and the Lions cut the deficit in half of the bottom of the third. Loch got a two-out rally going with a double to center field and Love drove her in with a single to left field.
But Juniata took advantage of another Blue & White mistake in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs to up the visitors' advantage to 6-2. All three runs in the inning were unearned.
The Lions continued to claw away at the deficit in the bottom of the fifth. Bear started the half-inning with a walk and Wolfe moved her to second base with a single to left field. Boyd moved them along with a groundout to first base and Loch doubled to left field, scoring Bear and Wolfe in the process and bringing the score to 6-4.
After making two quick outs in the top of the sixth, Juniata made the Lions pay for their fourth and final error of the finale and scored five unearned runs to break the game wide open and up its advantage to 11-4.
Boyd picked up an RBI in the bottom of the seventh when her single through the right side plated Meghan Ackerman (Plymouth Whitemarsh, Pa. / Plymouth Whitemarsh) from third base. Boyd eventually scored the home team's sixth and final run thanks to Love's RBI groundout to second base.
Boyd went 5.2 innings inside the circle, over ten-straight innings including her effort in game number one. She allowed six hits and four walks but just two earned runs to go along with her five strikeouts. Wolfe threw the last 1.1 innings, giving up one hit and walking one batter in addition to her two strikeouts.
Loch was stout at the dish, going 4-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Wolfe was 2-4 with two runs scored, Love recorded a team-high three RBIs and Boyd went 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
The non-conference losses dropped Penn State Harrisburg to 9-19 overall but didn't hurt the Lions any in North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC). The ladies' league record is 4-6. After playing six games in three days, the Lions will get a short break before taking to the diamond again on Wednesday, Apr. 17. Harrisburg hosts NEAC South Division leading Penn State Berks in another doubleheader matchup.