Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HTML Box Score vs. Kutztown

QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – Bloomsburg dropped a pair of games on day three of the PSAC Championships, alling 3-2 to Kutztown in eight innings and 4-0 to No. 7 California (Pa.) at Veterans Park.

Against KU, Rachel Fredell (Dingmans Ferry/Delaware Valley) and Mandi Baer (Douglassville/Daniel Boone) each homered for Bloomsburg and Cait Paine (Lebanon/Lebanon) struck out 15 batters, but Kutztown outlasted the Huskies 3-2 in extra innings.
 
Paine continued to dominate, baffling the Golden Bears in the first four innings.  She retired the first 13 batters she faced, including 12 consecutive strikeouts.
 
In the top of the fourth, Fredell led off the inning and sent an 0-1 pitch far over the right field fence to put the Huskies in the lead 1-0.
 
When Kutztown came up in the bottom the of the frame, one runner reached on a muffed throw on a bunt and a two-out bunt single put runners on first and second.  Paine picked up a key strikeout for the third out to end the threat.
 
Baer led off Bloomsburg's half of the sixth and popped the Huskies' eighth home run of the tournament, a blast to straight away center for a 2-0 lead.  Kayla McHale (Dillsburg/Northern) followed with a double to force Kutztown to go to the bullpen.  Mary Kociencki entered and managed to pitch out of the jam.
 
KU's Morgan Booth cut BU's lead in half with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Nicole Henninger walked with two outs and was lifted by a pinch runner.  Brianna Knipe singled and was also removed as KU put runners on first and second.  A single to left by Lindsay Kelley tied the game at 2-2 before Paine struck out Danielle Sienko for the third out.
 
In the eighth, Jackie Hetzler led off with a double for Kutztown and scored on a two-out single by Colleen Smith for the winning run.
 
Paine took the loss despite striking out 15 batters.  She scattered five hits and a walk. 
 
Fredell doubled in the first inning and hit her sixth home run of the year in the fourth. Baer's sixth inning long ball was her ninth of the season, second on the team.  Raychelle Kuhns (Williamsport/Loyalsock) doubled in the third and McHale had a two-base hit in the sixth as all five of Bloomsburg's hits in the game went for extra innings.
 
Kociencki picked up the win in relief with three scoreless innings after the Huskies chased starter Dominique Ficara from the game.

Against California, a two-run home run by Lindsay Reicoff was the big blow in a three-run third inning for the Vulcans, who also added a run in the fourth to put away the Huskies.

Bloomsburg had a chance to strike back in the top of the fourth, but Cal's Haley Bashada was able to work out of a bases loaded jam unscathed.

Paine took the loss for BU, allowing three earned runs in 4.1 innings on six hits and struck out seven Vulcans.  Mandi Black (Huntington Mills/Northwest Area) entered in the fifth - the first time in the tournament Bloomsburg used a pitcher other than Paine - and allowed just one hit over 1.2 innings to close out the game.

Baer had two hits for the Huskies, while McHale had the team's only extra base hit, a double in the fifth inning.

For the tournament, Paine tossed 33.1 innings for BU, she stuck out 43 batters, walked just one and allowed only 20 hits.

Bashada threw a complete game shutout for California, allowing four hits and a walk over seven innings.