By Kenny Varner

COCOLAMUS – Despite falling behind 13-0 early to Tri-Valley League rival Greenwood, the East Juniata baseball team played with hunger and pride coming back to highlight the game with back-to-back round trippers from Trent Price and Kelton Bonnell.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, the deficit was too great as they lost to the Wildcats 16-5 in a 5-innings contest at the East Juniata baseball field.

Wyatt Weges led the Tigers with three hits in the contest. Price followed with two hits as well.

“ Greenwood played a good ball game. You can’t take nothing from Greenwood. “ , said East Juniata coach Mark Barge. “They played ball very well. They used small ball. They knew what they were doing they’re doing. They are well coached.”

Greenwood’s offense opened strong in the first, posting two runs to get the game started.

With one out, Dylan Yohn singled into shallow right field. Mike Hoy followed Yohn on base as he was hit by a Wyatt Weges pitch. Both scored on a  2RBI single to left by Gavin Oburn.

After holding the Tigers scoreless in the bottom of the inning, the Wildcats continued to manufacture runs in the second.

Ben Jones hit a gapping double to left center. Teammate Bronson Moyer walked.

Jones later scored on an East Juniata miscue.

As Moyer stood on third, Dylan Yohn put down a picture perfect bunt. Moyer got under the tag at home upping the lead to 4-0.

The score jumped to 6-0 on a 2RBI double by AJ Adlon scoring Owen Losch and Yohn on the play.

When the dust settled on the Greenwood second, the Wildcats plated nine and jumped ahead 11-0.

Despite being down 13-0, the Tigers battled back in the third.

Wyatt Weges led off the inning with his second hit of the game, sending it to left field. Nathan Carolus was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for Trent Price. Price sent a shot over the centerfield fence, cutting the Wildcats lead to 13-3 with one out in the inning.

East Juniata slugger Kelton Bonnell made it back-to-back blasts as he hit a solo shot of his own, making it a 9-run deficit at 13-4.

Greenwood limited the Tigers to just four runs as the teams headed into the fourth.

Greenwood scored another run in the Losch scored on a Tigers miscue, upping it to a 14-4 advantage going into the bottom of the fourth.

East Juniata continued to battle. With one out in the fourth Weges started things with a single. He stole second and scored on an RBI single back up the middle, cutting it back to a 9-run deficit. East Juniata got the bases loaded but was stopped by the Greenwood defense.

The visitors added two more runs in the fifth and sent the Tigers down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to clinch the victory,

East Juniata is back in action Wednesday playing Newport.

Greenwood 16 , East Juniata 5 (5 innings)

GR 292 12 x x – 16 12 0

EJ  004 10 x x –  5    8 0

WP: AJ Aldon

LP: Wyatt Weges

Multiple hits: GR – Owen Losch    2-for-5 2runs 3 RBIs, Dylan Yohn  3-for-5 2 runs 3 RBis, Ben Jones 3-for-4 3runs, . EJ –  Wyatt Weges 3-for-3 2runs, Trent Price 2-for-2 3RBIs.

HR: GR – None. EJ – Trent Price Kelton Bonnell .

3B: GR –  None. EJ –  None.

2B: GR –  Ben Jones. EJ –  None.