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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Stellar pitching and just enough offense sent the Bloomsburg University baseball team to a doubleheader sweep at Kutztown on Saturday afternoon, taking game one by a 1-0 score before holding on for a 2-1 victory in the second game.

The wins give the Huskies their third doubleheader sweep in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play this season and moves the team to 19-13 overall and 11-5 in conference play. Kutztown, meanwhile, falls to 18-13, 6-10.
 
GAME ONE – Huskies 1, Kutztown 0
A complete game shutout from senior Casey Cooperman (Allentown/Parkland) and a fourth inning RBI single by sophomore Brian Almand (Haddon Township, NJ/Paul VI) propelled the Huskies to a 1-0 victory as the doubleheader opened with a pitchers' duel.

After three scoreless innings, Bloomsburg scored what would turn out to be the only offense of the game in the fourth. Damin Muth (Breinigsville/Parkland) walked to lead off and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tim Ravel (Sinking Spring/Wilson). Muth was erased at third base, however, on a fielder's choice by Brad Smith (Morgantown/Twin Valley) when the Golden Bears turned a nifty 6-5 put out for the second out. Smith advanced to second on a balk and scored when Almand drove a 1-0 pitch into left field for an RBI.

Kutztown had its chances to tie, but left seven runners on base during the game. Cooperman remained strong throughout, stranding Golden Bears runners at second or third base in the second, third, fourth and seventh innings.

Kutztown mounted its strongest effort at a rally in the final inning. After Cooperman retired the first two batters of the seventh on a fly out and a strikeout, Thomas Romano reached on an infield single and moved to third when pinch hitter Joe Peters singled to right center. Cooperman (4-4) coaxed a fly out to left field off the bat of Travis Kreitz, though, to end the threat and close out the win.

The Huskies ace scattered six hits on the day, walking only one with three strikeouts.

With his effort Saturday, Cooperman moves into second place all-time in Huskies career innings pitched with 221.1, behind only the 235.0 innings worked by J.P. Thomas from 1988-91. Cooperman is also now fifth in Bloomsburg history with 13 career complete games.

Almand, Muth, Eric Frain (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan), Joey Casselberry (Eagleville/Methacton) and Brady West (Harleysville/North Penn) accounted for five singles off Kutztown starter Colin Holmes (2-3) who was tagged with the loss after surrendering only the one earned run with a walk and three strikeouts.

Kyle Stoudt was the only player on either side to record multiple hits, going 2-for-2 for Kutztown.
 
GAME TWO – Huskies 2, Kutztown 1
The second game was much like the first as the two teams held in a scoreless deadlock through the opening five innings.

Kutztown starter Pat Flynn (0-3) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Frain could break up the no-no with his two-out single through the right side, advancing West to third after the freshman had walked earlier in the inning. Nick Mazza (Carbondale/Carbondale) made it a hit parade by following with a shot through the right side to put a run on the board as West crossed the plate with the first scoring of the game. Muth gave the Huskies a third straight single with his run-scoring base hit to left for a 2-0 lead.

After Kutztown threatened by putting runners at second and third in the first inning, Bloomsburg starter Tyler Hill (Lehighton/Lehighton) (5-2) settled into a groove. The southpaw allowed just one hit from the second through fifth innings before the Golden Bears cut the lead in half during the home half of the sixth on a sacrifice fly from Carson Baker.

Like in the first game, the Golden Bears put the tying run 90 feet from home before Huskies pitching could prevail. After a line out to lead off the seventh, Romano worked a walk to chase Hill. Cody Heane (McClure/Indian Valley) came out of the Huskies bullpen and coaxed a fly ball for the second out before Brandon Hickey singled to right center, putting runners at the corners. A foul ball off the bat of Brandon Martinez fell harmlessly into the glove of Smith in left field, however, to end the threat.

Bloomsburg needed just three hits to preserve the win – singles from Frain, Mazza and Muth which all came during the sixth inning rally.

That was all the combination of Hill and Heane would need. Hill worked 6.1 innings of five-hit, one-run ball to earn his fifth win of the year while striking out eight and walking two. Heane recorded his second save of the season by picking up the final two outs.

Flynn was tagged with the tough-luck loss, lasting 6.1 innings on the mound, allowing three hits and two runs with two walks and five strikeouts.

Bloomsburg, now 3-0 vs. Kutztown this year, will try to keep the momentum going as it finishes the four-game set with the Golden Bears in a doubleheader at Danny Litwhiler Field beginning Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES: Muth stretched his streak of reaching base to 19 consecutive games … Bloomsburg improved to 6-4 in one-run games this year … the Huskies are now 15-0 on the season when leading after six innings … Cooperman has six complete games this year and a staff-leading 63.0 innings on the mound … after Saturday's games, the Huskies are in sole possession of second place in the PSAC East standings at 11-5, one game back of division-leading Millersville's 12-4 record. Millersville swept Shippensburg on Saturday to drop the Raiders to 9-7. West Chester holds down the fourth spot at 8-7, one game ahead of fifth-place East Stroudsburg (7-8).