Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Freshman second baseman Mike Backus (Piscataway, N.J./Immaculata) ripped a single to left with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to plate senior left fielder Mark Campo (Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville) and give Gettysburg a 3-2 win against Juniata in non-conference action at Kirchhoff Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Campo reached on a throwing error and went to second. He advanced to third on a ground out by sophomore pinch hitter Sam Stabert (Wynnewood, Pa./Lower Merion) and came home with the winner run on Backus' second hit of the day. Sophomore shortstop Scott Vladyka (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional) also had two hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, and senior right fielder Chase Straub (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run. In all, he is seven for his last 10.

Three Gettysburg (23-8) pitchers combined to hold Juniata to just five hits. Sophomore Chris Liegel (Oak Ridge, N.J./Pope John XXIII) went the first three innings, allowing just a single up the middle with one out in the second. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Sophomore Jeff McAndrew (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) and freshman Packer Larson (Newark, Del./St. Mark's) struck out two apiece. Larson got the win.

For the Eagles (15-15-1), sophomore center fielder Kevin Small was 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the offense. Gettysburg's pitching staff held junior first baseman Dan Kauffman to just one hit in four at bats. He entered the day with a .548 on-base percentage.

The Bullets got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Vladyka hit a one-out single to centerfield, and senior first baseman Joe Bonyai (Torrington, Conn./Hotchkiss School) drew a walk to put runners on first and second. One batter later, Straub ripped a single up the middle to score Vladyka.

Juniata threatened in its half of the fourth when freshman designated hitter Greg Hoffman led off with a double. After a strikeout, he went to third on a passed ball, but McAndrew got the next two hitters to kill the potential rally.

Gettysburg added a run in the bottom of the sixth when Campo singled in Straub with two outs to give the home team a 2-1 lead.

The Bullets appeared to be poised for the victory in the top of the ninth inning, especially after junior catcher Michael Donohue (Livingston, N.J./Livingston) made a nice sliding catch of a foul popup at the backstop. Small followed with a single through the left side, though, and Hoffman reached on a throwing error to put runners on first and third. Senior catcher Dan DeRosa then reached on fielder's choice to tie the game and force Gettysburg into another turn at bat.

The Bullets will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Winchester, Va., to take on Shenandoah at 4 p.m.