CLERMONT, FL—Pitcher Cait Paine (Lebanon/Lebanon) tossed a two-hitter and hit a two-run homer to lead the eighth-ranked Bloomsburg University softball team to 3-1 win over Belmont-Abbey and a split of its two games on Tuesday in Florida. In the day's first game, the Huskies lost to Northern State (SD) by a score of 5-4.

In the game with Belmont-Abbey, the Crusaders jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with solo homer leading off the game. Bloomsburg, though, came back with three runs in the home half of the third inning.

With one Paine hit a two-run homer to put the Huskies on top by a score of 2-1. Later in the inning freshman Lindsay Busler went deep making it a 3-1 game. From there Paine did the rest allowing just one hit and striking out eight along the way to earn the win, her fourth of the season.

In the day's opening game, Northern State rallied from a 4-0 deficit to post a 5-4 win. Bloomsburg took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Lacy Mauro (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) doubled and game around to score on a single by Sam Pientack (Archbald/Valley View).

It stayed that way to the top of the third inning when two runners reached base brining Pientack to the plate. She then drilled a three-run shot to put the Huskies on top 4-0.

The Wolves came back with one run in the bottom of the fourth, three more in the fifth, then, got the game winner in the bottom of the seventh.

Pientack finished 2-2 on the afternoon with two walks, and four RBI. Mauro went 3-4 with two doubles. Paine took the loss in relief of Shavaun Fisher (Coplay/Allentown Central Catholic) going an inning and two-thirds. Fisher went the first 4 2/3 and struckout six, walked two and allowed four runs.

Bloomsburg, 5-3, is idle till Thursday when it faces Limestone and St. Francis of Illinois.