GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg College (6-9) dropped a 15-8 decision to Juniata College (5-8) in non-conference baseball action at Kirchhoff Field on Thursday afternoon.
 
Juniata struck for two runs in the opening frame. Evan Mock led off the game with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Eagles tried to pull off a double steal, but only the lead runner from third managed to get home safely. Junior catcher JR McCloskey (Huntington, N.Y./Chaminade) fired a bullet to second base to catch the trailing runner in a rundown.
 
Gettysburg answered in the bottom of the inning as sophomore David Preziuso (Middletown, Del./Caravel Academy) led off with a single and came home to score on a throwing error by the pitcher on an attempted sacrifice bunt by sophomore Tristan Neels (San Diego, Calif./Francis W. Parker).
 
The Bullets tacked on two more runs in the second inning. Freshman Jack Pistner (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) belted a two-out double and scored on another base hit by Preziuso. The sophomore outfielder scampered home on a single to right by Neels two batters later for a 3-2 lead.
 
Isaac Maclay tied the game with a solo blast over the left-field fence with one out in the third inning. The Eagles picked up four more runs in the fourth inning and added single runs in the sixth and seventh for a 9-3 lead.
 
Preziuso once again led an offensive charge for Gettysburg, drawing a hit-by-pitch and advancing to second on a single by senior Matt Muir (South Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames). Preziuso scored for the third time on a groundout by Neels and Muir cut the deficit to 9-5 by scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior Aaron Kirby (Sandy Hook, Conn./St. Joseph).
 
Juniata sent 12 batters to the dish in the eighth inning and picked up six runs on three hits, four walks, and two hit-by-pitches. Eric Soccio brought home two runs with a single to right and Mock was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to push the Eagles in front 15-5.
 
The Bullets continued to battle through the ninth. Senior Mark Seibert (Yardley, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) belted his second double of the game with two outs. After a walk, Seibert ran home on a double by junior Matthew Peipher (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township) and two more runs came in on a single through the left side by Pistner before the final out of the game.
 
Preziuso reached base four times with two hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch and scored three runs. Muir, senior Andrew Decker (Baltimore, Md./Towson), Seibert, and Pistner all added two hits, while Neels and Pistner each drove in two runs. McCloskey threw out three attempted base stealers to raise his season total to seven this spring.
 
Mock finished 3-for-4 with three RBI from the lead-off spot for Juniata. Swank was perfect with four hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch in six trips to the plate. He also scored three times. Soccio finished 3-for-4 with two RBI.
 
Gettysburg hosts Hood College on Friday, March 25, at 3:30 p.m.