CARY, N.C. – The Bloomsburg University baseball team used a middle innings offensive explosion to erase an early deficit and open the 2015 season in winning fashion with a 16-10 triumph over California (PA) at the USA Baseball Complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Things went the way of the Vulcans (0-5) early. After Bloomsburg left the bases loaded in the top of the first, Cal struck for four runs on three hits in home half of the inning for a 4-0 advantage.

The Huskies got a run back in the second when Brady West (Harleysville/North Penn) scored during a rundown, and Bloomsburg cut to a 4-3 score in the fourth when Eric Frain (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) knocked in a pair of runs with a single.

Bloomsburg played long ball in the fifth to take the lead. Joey Casselberry (Eagleville/Methacton) led off the frame with a home run and one batter later, Damin Muth (Breinigsville/Parkland) went deep as well for a 5-4 advantage.

The flood gates came open in the sixth. Bloomsburg sent 14 men to the plate in the inning, scoring seven times on seven hits to take control of the game. West walked and scored from first on an RBI double from Ryan Kirman (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional). Two batters later, Casselberry delivered again with a double scoring both Kirman and Eric Frain (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan). Before the inning was over, Preston Bare (Palmyra/Palmyra), Tim Ravel (Sinking Spring/Wilson) and Brian Almand (Haddon Township, NJ/Paul VI) all tallied RBIs and Kirman drilled another RBI single in his second at-bat of the frame.

Cal U had its own huge inning, scoring six times in the bottom of the seventh on six hits.

Bloomsburg added insurance in the ninth, though, scoring four more times with the biggest blow coming off the bat of Ravel who drove in two runs with his double.

Cody Heane (McClure/Indian Valley) worked around a two-out single to close the door with a scoreless ninth on the mound.

Frain ignited the offense out of the leadoff spot, going 4-for-6 with three RBI. Kirman made an outstanding Huskies debut, earning the start at shortstop and finishing 4-for-6 at the plate, also driving in three runs.

Four Huskies – Casselberry, Bare, Ravel and Shane Woelfel (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) all had two hits apiece as Bloomsburg pounded out 19 hits as a team.

Chris Wastchak had three hits to pace Cal U, which posted 14 hits on a day made for offense.

Jared Schaffer (Perkasie/Pennridge) (1-0) was credited with the win after working 3.2 innings of relief. Ryuta Amaike (Whitehall/Whitehall) got the start, allowing four runs in his three innings of work and newcomer Zachary Meyer (Muncy Valley/Sullivan County) made his first appearance for Bloomsburg by tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen.

Bloomsburg returns to action Wednesday as the Huskies and Vulcans play a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.