Photo By Abby MacMillan
By Logan Moyer, Sports Editor
Have a day, Bri Jones.
The sophomore pitcher and utility player pitched one complete game and tallied four hits during Tuesday’s Landmark Conference doubleheader against Juniata at Sassafras Field, including a divisive triple that pushed SU to victory in game two.
Down by two runs in the 5th inning of game two, Lexi Palumbo walked to load up the bases after bunt singles by both Stevie Shaak and Hailey Kaba. Zoe Bork plated one with a single to right field, then Jones cleared the bases with a triple that put the River Hawks up 4-6, giving them a lead they would never relinquish.
“I was just looking for my pitch to hit,” Jones said. “(The pitcher) left the changeup really flat, so I saw that opportunity and swung the bat. I got the outcome I was looking for.”
Prior to Tuesday, Jones hadn’t recorded more than one hit in any game this season. She hadn’t quite been up to par with her rookie season, in which she posted a .310 batting average while recording four extra-base hits.
“It feels awesome,” Jones said of her performance at the plate. “Obviously, the first couple of games that I got into wasn’t my best performance. But now that I’m getting back into the swing of things, I’m hoping that I’ll be a little more consistent.”
The Eagles (13-11 overall, 6-2 Landmark) brought the tying run to the plate in the 7th inning, but a pop-up caught in foul territory by Shaak sealed a 7-4 win for the River Hawks (9-15, 2-6), ending a five-game losing streak.
“The last couple of games have not gone the way that we wanted,” Jones said. “I think today was really the eye opener. Everyone kind of came to the field today with a different type of fire than usual.”
After starting pitcher Hannah Foust exited with an injury in the third inning, Amanda Amerman pitched the final 4.1 innings of the second game to record her third win of the season. She allowed three runs on eight hits.
The front end of the doubleheader was a pitcher’s duel for most of the contest. Jones and Juniata starter Maryn Swank were locked into a scoreless battle until the Eagles finally cracked the scoreboard in the 5th inning.
“It was intense; the pressure was on,” Jones said of the duel.
Caleigh Love plated one run on a single in the 5th before the Eagles broke open the game with four runs in the 6th. Three of the runs scored on a bases-clearing double by Love that just barely stayed fair, landing on the painted white foul line in right field.
The River Hawks made a valiant comeback effort in the final two innings. Palumbo hit a two-run home run in the 6th inning, her second of the year. Emily Deitch plated two more with a double in the 7th, putting SU down by one run down while to their final out.
After a walk by Palumbo, Bork tattooed a ball towards Juniata right fielder Kassandra Roush. Roush made a great play to catch the line drive, just getting her glove in between the ball on the outfield grass. Her catch secured a 5-4 win for the Eagles despite protests from the SU dugout.
“You win some and you lose some,” Jones said. “It’s part of the game. I’m really proud of how I pitched and how my team backed me up.”
The team will return to action on Saturday, when they host Scranton for a doubleheader. The event also serves as senior day for the River Hawks.
