Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1: Box Score (HTML)  |  Game 2: Box Score (HTML)

GAME ONE

HAMPTON, Va. – The Bloomsburg University baseball team used strong pitching and late-inning thunder at the plate to secure a 10-1 victory over Briarcliffe College on Friday morning as part of the season-opening Builder Invitational.

Bloomsburg struck early, seizing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Eric Frain (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) led off with a single to right and moved to second when Tim Ravel (Sinking Spring/Wilson) was hit by a pitch. A fly ball advanced Frain to third and Ravel then stole second to set the stage for Joey Casselberry (Eagleville/Methacton) who knocked both runners home with his single to right for the early lead.

Briarcliffe (0-1) got one of the runs back in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly.

The score remained 2-1 until the seventh when Ravel plated a run with an RBI single.

Bloomsburg broke the game wide open in the eighth. The Huskies sent 15 men to the plate during the frame, scoring seven runs on five hits with the big blow coming off the bat off Casselberry once more as he again drove a two-run single.

The offense was more than enough for the Huskies pitching staff which was dominant on the day. Despite the early start time of 9 a.m., the duo of Kyle Hunter (Lehighton/Lehighton) and Sean McCloskey (Warminster/Archbishop Wood) was outstanding, limiting Briarcliffe to just five hits. Hunter started and worked four innings, scattering four hits and one run. He walked one and struck out five. McCloskey (1-0) picked up the victory with five stellar innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out one.

The Huskies pounded out 11 hits led by Casselberry who posted a perfect 4-for-4 line at the plate along with four RBIs. Corey Baiada (Harleysville/LaSalle) also went 2-for-3 with a double while Ravel singled, drove in a run, scored twice and stole two bases.

Bloomsburg stole four bases in the game with Brady West (Harleysville/North Penn) and A.J. Stump (Reading/Antietam) also swiping bags. Brian Almand (Haddon Township, NJ/Paul VI), Damin Muth (Breinigsville/Parkland), Nick Mazza (Carbondale/Carbondale) and Brad Smith (Morgantown/Twin Valley) all had RBIs in the victory.

GAME TWO

Friday's late game vs. Lock Haven was originally scheduled for 6 p.m., but rain caused havoc with the day's schedule and left the Huskies and Bald Eagles waiting until 10:30 p.m. before first pitch was finally thrown. The late night ended with the Huskies dropping a 16-5 decision. Despite being against a PSAC East opponent, the game did not count toward conference standings.

Both teams pushed a run across in the first. After the Bald Eagles tallied an unearned run, the Huskies tied things on an RBI single from Brian Almand (Haddon Township, NJ/Paul VI) for a 1-1 score. 

Bloomsburg (2-1) grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third when Eric Frain (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) knocked in two runs with a two-RBI single up the middle, scoring Brad Smith (Morgantown/Twin Valley) and James Ott (Massapequa/Massapequa). 

After scoring a run in the fourth to pull within a 3-2 score, Lock Haven took a lead it would not relinquish in the fourth. Ryan Henritzy brought in two runs with a double to left center and the Bald Eagles continued to roll from there. Lock Haven scored a run each in the fifth and sixth innings and then broke the game open with a three-run eighth and seven runs in the ninth before the game finally ended after 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

Corey Baiada (Harleysville/LaSalle) posted two hits for the Huskies along with a double. 

Henritzy and Scott Zuback had four hits apiece to power Lock Haven (2-1), which pounded out 20 hits as a team.

Bryce Mengel (Lansdale/North Penn) (0-1) made his Huskies debut, starting on the mound and finishing with four innings, allowing only two earned runs while striking out three. 

Bloomsburg returns to action Saturday vs. Kutztown at 6 p.m. That game will not count toward PSAC East standings.