ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Behind seven strong innings from sophomore Zach Silfies and junior Joey Thomas's hot bat, the three-seed Elizabethtown College baseball team downed fifth seed Juniata 9-4 in game one of the Landmark Conference Championship Thursday afternoon.
With the win, the Blue Jays improve to 14-9 on the season while the Eagles fall to 12-13 overall.
Thomas finished the day 3-3 with a game-high three RBI and a double. Senior JT Thompson was 2-4 with a double, three runs scored, and two RBI. Sophomore Ben Watson and senior Arley Shepherd had two RBI as well.
Juniata was led by sophomore Dakota Snyder who registered a double and two runs scored.
After giving up one run in the top of the first, Etown immediately answered in the bottom of the frame. With the bases loaded and one out, Thomas lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, plating senior Andrew Fisher and knotting the game at one.
Shepherd then did not waste the bases-loaded opportunity, lacing a double to left-center field, scoring junior Tyler McGonigle and Thompson, and giving the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
Etown continued to add on the runs in the fourth and fifth, scoring five runs across the two innings. Watson and Thomas both had RBI in the bottom of the fourth followed up by two from Thompson and another from Watson in the fifth to make the score 8-1.
Juniata began to chip away at the lead with a run in the sixth, seventh, and eighth, but could not put any long rallies together. The Blue Jays scored one final run in the bottom of the eighth and then held the Eagles scoreless in the top of the ninth, taking game one of the Landmark Conference Tournament opening weekend, 9-4.
Silfies (3-2) allowed three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over seven innings for the win. Junior Eric Sipling pitched the eighth, giving up one unearned run on three hits and striking out two. Classmate Matt Barton completed the win, pitching a scoreless ninth for Etown.
Sophomore Jack Dovidio (3-3) took the loss for Juniata, pitching 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, and striking out two.
Elizabethtown will play weekend host and two seed Catholic on Saturday, May 15 at 11 a.m. The schedule for the weekend and possible scenarios can be found below.
Thursday, May 13
Game 1: #5 Juniata 4 #3 Elizabethtown 9
Saturday, May 15 (at Catholic)
Game 2: #3 Elizabethtown vs. #2 Catholic (11:30 a.m.)
Game 3: #5 Juniata vs. Loser of game two (2:30 p.m.)
Sunday, May 16 (at Catholic)
Game 4: Winner of game two vs. Winner of game three (10:30 a.m.)
Game 5: If necessary – Immediately following
