Softball | 3/15/2015 3:46:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GAME ONE BOX SCORE  |  GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Salisbury, NC—The Bloomsburg University softball team dropped a pair of games on Sunday losing to Catawba College 7-6 in eight innings and 6-5 in eight innings.
 
In the opener the Huskies trailed 1-0 going to the top of the fifth inning. In the top of the fifth inning Holly Peacock (Williamsport/Jersey Shore) walked to lead off with Lindsay Nemeth (Drums/Marian Catholic) coming in to pinch run. After Valerie Carcasses (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) reached on a fielder's choice, Anna McElroy (Jessup/Valley View) was hit by a pitch, putting runners at first and second. After a strikeout, Kayla McHale (Dillsburg/Northern) reached base when the shortstop dropped a pop up. On the play Carcasses scored to tie the game with McElroy taking third.  Erica Yanora then walked to load the bases. Caitlin O'Connor (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) followed with a single with McElroy and McHale scoring to put the Huskies on top 3-1.
 
In the top of the sixth the Huskies added to their lead scoring three more times. Sarah Bertoni (Nanticoke/Greater Nanticoke Area) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning with Emily Mayhew (Perkasie/Pennridge) coming in to pinch-run. Mayhew moved to second on a wild pitch with Peacock walking to put runners on first and second. Carcasses then reached on an error to load the bases. McElroy then walked forcing in a run. Erica Keen (Gordonville/Bishop Shanahan) then flied out to center with Peacock scoring on the sacrifice fly to make it it 5-1. McHale then plated the third run of the inning when she singled to score Carcasses.
 
Catawba rallied with five runs in the bottom of the sixth getting five hits and taking advantage of two Bloomsburg errors to make it a 6-6 game. In the seventh inning both teams went three up and three down to force extra innings.
 
In the top of the eighth, using the international tie-breaker rule, the Huskies Mallory Tomaschik (Catawissa/Southern Columbia) go to third with one out, but Catawba worked out of the jam. In home half of the eighth Catawba's runner reached third on a sacrifice bunt and then came in to score on a wild pitch.
 
In game two the Huskies got off to an early lead in the game with Taylor Parker (Dewart/Warrior Run) leading off the top of the second with a solo homer to make it 1-0.
 
Bloomsburg added to the lead in the top of the third when McHale led off with a double and came around to score one out later when Caitlin O'Connor (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) hit a two-run homer making it 3-0.
 
The Huskies added to the lead in the top of the fourth when with two outs Tomashick singled and came around when Erica Keen (Gordonville/Bishop Shanahan) blasted a two-run homer to make it 5-0.
 
Catawba tied the game by scoring five times in the bottom of the seventh inning using three hits and taking advantage of three Bloomsburg errors to force extra innings.
 
In the top of the eighth inning, the Huskies failed to score opening the door for the home team. Catawba had one runner thrown out at the plate, but later in the inning scored the gamewinner on a throwing error to get the win.
 
McHale led the offense going 4-4 with a run scored, while O'Connor was 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
 
Bloomsburg goes to 5-5 with the losses, while Catawba improves to 10-6. The Huskies host Shippensburg on Mar. 20 at 2:30 p.m.