Box Score

JOHNSTOWN--In their fourth game of the tournament, the Huskies held a 4-2 lead until late, but the Crimson Hawks rallied to win, as the Bloomsburg University baseball team was defeated by Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), 6-4, at Point Stadium on Friday. With the loss, Bloomsburg was knocked out of its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Baseball Championship event since 1997.

Gino D'Amato (Hazleton/Hazleton) was took to the hill for Bloomsburg, marking only his second start of the season. IUP stole a pair of runs in the first inning, and BU found itself in a hole early.

In the bottom of the first, Joey Ianiero (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia) got things started with the Huskies' first hit of the game. Vince Smarrelli (Mt. Airy, MD/Urbana), Jarrod Kramer (Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain), Jerry Lloyd (Mifflinburg/Mifflinburg) and Nickolas Eversole (Lewistown/Indian Valley) came to the plate and each singled, marking five straight hits for the Maroon and Gold. In the process, three runs scored, and Bloomsburg led 3-2.

In the sixth inning, Brad Smith (Morgantown/Twin Valley) doubled down the right field line, and Aaron Russell (Montoursville/Montoursville) singled on a bunt. Though Keith Meyer (Richboro/Council Rock South) hit into a double play, his efforts managed to get Smith to the plate to extend the BU advantage to 4-2.

After six scoreless innings, the Crimson Hawks broke out and came up with two hits and a walk to start the eighth. Following his dominant performance earlier in the day, closer Matt Kline (Sugarloaf/Hazleton) took over pitching duties for the Huskies. Though he escaped the inning without any additional hits, the Crimson Hawks did their damage with three runners across the plate for the 5-4 lead.

In the ninth, IUP added an insurance run off two hits, and the Crimson Hawks kept Bloomsburg silent, as IUP won 6-4 to advance to Saturday's championship.

D'Amato (1-1) incurred the loss after throwing four strikeouts with five runs (five earned) over seven innings. Kline had one strikeout in his two innings.

Closer Evan Phillips (1-1) earned the win on four scoreless innings to end the game for IUP.

Ianiero, Eversole, and Russell each finished with two hits in the game.

The Huskies' season concludes at 23-21, marking the program's most wins and first winning season since 2002. Their 2-2 playoff run included the Huskies' first playoff wins since 1995.