SUTHERLAND, Va. – The Bloomsburg University baseball team opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division play in Virginia on Friday afternoon against Mansfield, sweeping the Mountaineers by scores of 9-3 in game one and 6-3 in game two.
GAME ONE – Bloomsburg 9, Mansfield 3
The Huskies rallied late to defeat Mansfield in the opening game of the day.
The Mountaineers (1-9, 0-2 PSAC East) struck first, using the long ball to grab a 3-0 lead in the third. Wes Baylor started the uprising with a two-run shot to right and Anthony Renz then followed in the very next at-bat by homering to right as well.
The Huskies got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, playing long ball themselves.
After a walk to Joey Casselberry (Eagleville/Methacton), Damin Muth (Breinigsville/Parkland) drove a home run out to right for his third homer of the young season and a 3-2 score.
A three-run fifth gave Bloomsburg control. Brady West (Harleysville/North Penn) worked a walk to lead off, then advanced to second on a passed ball. West scored on an RBI single off the bat of Eric Frain (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) for the tie.
After a Mansfield pitching change, Tim Ravel (Sinking Spring/Wilson) was plunked by a pitch to put runners at first and second.
Casselberry then changed the game by taking the second pitch of his at-bat out to right for a three-run homer and a 6-3 Huskies advantage.
Bloomsburg played add-on in the sixth with Austin Edgette (Exton/Downingtown East) knocking in a run with a single before Casselberry struck again with a base knock to right, scoring Edgette and West.
Tyler Hill (Lehighton/Lehighton) (1-0) picked up his first start of the year and earned the win with five innings of work, allowing three runs on six hits along with five strikeouts. Cody Heane (McClure/Indian Valley) registered the save with two scoreless innings of relief.
Casselberry went 2-for-3 with a walk and five RBI to power the Huskies offense. Muth and Edgette also had two hits apiece.
GAME TWO – Bloomsburg 6, Mansfield 3
A four-run sixth gave the Huskies a doubleheader sweep.
Frain put the Huskies ahead in the third with his first home run in a Huskies uniform, a two-run blast to right for a 2-0 lead.
Mansfield got on the board in the sixth, tying the game with an RBI double from Eric Schanzenbacher and a bases loaded walk to Owen Lukens.
The Huskies answered by sending 10 men to the plate in the home half of the inning. Bloomsburg took full advantage of Mansfield's defensive struggles to break open the deadlock, scoring four times on three errors without the benefit of a hit.
West reached on a fielder's choice with an RBI ground ball, scoring Ravel for the lead. A throwing error from the Mountaineers brought home another Huskies run. Corey Baiada (Harleysville/LaSalle) then put down a bunt with runners on the corners and the Mountaineers had no play as the ball was in no man's land, allowing West to score.
Zachary Meyer (Muncy Valley/Sullivan County) started and was strong for the Huskies. He worked 5.1 innings of five-hit ball, being charged with two unearned runs, walking two and striking out three. Alex Carpenter (South Williamsport/South Williamsport) (1-0) was credited with the win after working 0.2 innings, allowing a run on a hit.
Heane again locked down the door for his second save of the day, tossing a scoreless seventh.
The Huskies won with just two hits, the homer from Frain and a single by Ravel.
Bloomsburg plays Mansfield in another doubleheader Saturday afternoon.
