Little?Lions blank JHS

By BRIAN DIFFENDERFER, Sentinel correspondent
MIFFLINTOWN — Juniata was hoping to finish the season and go into district play with a win against State College on Thursday afternoon, but Little Lion pitcher Matt Godwin held the Indians scoreless for a 6-0 non-

league win.

Both teams finished the game with five hits, but State College used two hits, four walks and a hit batter to plate five runs in the second, more than enough for the Godwin.

After a scoreless first inning, Indians starter Nathan Pray retired the first batter he faced in the top of the second on a fly ball to right, but things did not go well from that point on.

With one out, Alex Hetrick walked and moved to second on a single by Joe Smith. After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, Pray hit Ryan Blaschak with a pitch to load the bases. State College’s first two runs would cross home plate thanks to back-to-back walks to Doug Sallade and Godwin.

This brought lead off hitter Justin O’Brien to the plate, who laced a bases-loaded

single to center, scoring Blaschak and Sallade. On the throw home Godwin and O’Brien moved up to second and third. Mark Ayoub would receive the fourth walk of the inning to reload the bases. It also meant the end of game for Pray.

Juniata coach Bruce Wilson brought in Hunter Geedey to relieve Pray. Geedey got Jose Texidor to fly out to right, but Godwin scored on the play to put the Little Lions up 5-0. Geedey would walk the next batter before retiring Hetrick on a groundout to end the inning.

Geedey turned in a gutsy performance, allowing only one additional run in the fifth inning.

“He came in and battled their hitters and threw strikes,” Juniata coach Bruce Wilson said. “That’s all I could ask for. He came in and did a great job for us, but the damage was done.”

In the bottom of the second, Godwin struck out the side, and it wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth that the Indians were able to get a runner past first base. In fact, the left-hander had at least one strikeout in each of the last six innings. He finished the game with 11 strikeouts and no walks, while surrendering only five hits.

State College coach Bill Tussey was very pleased with his pitcher’s performance.

“He’s been getting better all year, and he is really locating his pitches well,” Tussey said. “It is wonderful to see how he has improved from day one.”

Juniata plays Littlestown in the first round of districts on Monday.