BOX SCORE

CALIFORNIA, PA—The Bloomsburg University softball team lost 4-3 to West Virginia Wesleyan in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Atlantic Regional playoffs.  The Huskies will face Lock Haven at 1 p.m. on Saturday in an elimination game.
 
The Bobcats (40-12) took the early lead in the game when Paige Cumming led off the bottom of the first with a single, moved to second on a bunt and scored on a single by Jacqui Omichinkski.
 
Bloomsburg's Cait Paine (Lebanon/Lebanon), pitching after missing last week's PSAC final with a knee injury, and West Virginia Wesleyan's Hillary Perez-Ashley, then tossed zeroes on the scoreboard for the next three innings.

In the top of the fifth inning the Huskies broke through. With one out, Bloomsburg's Caitlin O'Connor (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) reached on an error. After a flyout, Mandi Baer (Douglassville/Daniel Boone) homered to left field putting the Huskies on top 2-1.
 
In the bottom of the fifth Emily Bennett singled to lead off. Cummings then followed with a double putting runners at second and third. An out at home plate on a bunt put runners at first and third for the Bobcats. Omichinski was then hit by a pitch to lead the bases. Megan Malenstyn then singled scoring Cummings to make it 2-2. Kaitlyn Carey then hit a sacrifice fly putting West Virginia Wesleyan back on top 3-2. Kelli McCullough then singled scoring Omichinski making it 4-2.
 
In the top of the sixth, Sam Pientack (Archbald/Valley View) then led off with a solo homer, her 20^th of the season. That would be the Huskies final hit of the game though as Perez retired the final six hitters she faced to earn the win.
 
The Huskies will look to keep their season alive tomorrow at 1 p.m. when it faces PSAC Central Division-rival Lock Haven which lost 5-4 to California (PA).