BEL AIR, MD – The Bloomsburg University baseball team swept Lock Haven for a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division wins on Monday afternoon at Harford Community College by scores of 4-3 in game one and 13-1 in the nightcap.
Monday's games were previously scheduled to be held at Bloomsburg, but were moved due to poor field conditions at both BU and Lock Haven following Friday's late season snowstorm.
With the wins the Huskies move to 5-3 overall and 4-0 in PSAC East play while Lock Haven falls to 4-8, 3-3.
GAME ONE – Bloomsburg 4, Lock Haven 3 | Box Score (PDF)
A four-run first inning was enough for the Huskies to weather a late-innings rally from Lock Haven and hold on for a 4-3 victory in the opening game of the afternoon.
The Huskies sent all nine men to the plate in the bottom of the first, doing all of their damage with two outs. After the first two batters were retired, Lock Haven walked the bases loaded after Tim Ravel (Sinking Spring/Wilson), Corey Baiada (Harleysville/LaSalle) and Damin Muth (Breinigsville/Parkland) all worked walks. Tyler Benson (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) then put Bloomsburg on the board by unloading the bases with his double down the left field line, scoring all three runners. Lock Haven's left fielder then muffed a fly ball off the bat of Brian Almand (Haddon Township, NJ/Paul VI), scoring Benson from third for the 4-0 lead.
Lock Haven got on the board in the fourth on a two-out RBI infield single from Aaron Cummings. The Bald Eagles struck twice more in the fifth with a run-scoring fielder's choice from Brett Morrison and an RBI single by Ryan Koch. Lock Haven put the tying run at second base, but starter Tyler Hill (Lehighton/Lehighton) coaxed a groundout to end the threat.
Hill (2-0) left after working the first five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. After he exited, Cody Heane (McClure/Indian Valley) came out of the bullpen and picked up his third save of the year by allowing just one base runner over the final two innings to secure Hill's victory.
The Huskies needed just three hits in the game as Benson, Brady West (Harleysville/North Penn) and Eric Frain (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) all had one apiece. West also stole a base.
Ryan Henritzy went 3-for-4 to power Lock Haven. Bald Eagles starter Madison Neddo (1-2) settled down after a rough first inning, finishing with five frames and allowing three earned runs with four strikeouts.
GAME TWO – Bloomsburg 13, Lock Haven 1 | Box Score (PDF)
The Huskies led early and played tack on throughout the middle innings on the way to a dominating game two victory behind a stellar pitching performance from Zachary Meyer (Muncy Valley/Sullivan County).
Bloomsburg seized an early lead when Muth smacked a two-out RBI first inning single to right center, scoring Frain who had singled to lead off.
Two more runs crossed the plate in the third when Austin Edgette (Exton/Downingtown East) blasted a one-out triple down the left field line, scoring two batters later on a squeeze bunt put down to perfection by Muth. Baiada then laced an RBI single to left for a 3-0 advantage.
The bottom of the fourth gave the Huskies complete control following three more runs.
Almand singled through the left side and went to second on a walk to Preston Bare (Palmyra/Palmyra). West then laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Frain followed with a sac fly to plate Almand, and two batters later Muth broke the game open with his RBI single to left to score one run with a second run coming across following an error in left for a 6-0 advantage.
Lock Haven finally got on the board with a run in the fifth, but the Huskies just kept the offense rolling with three more runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth, capped by a two-run double from Benson.
All of the offensive production came in support of Meyer who was outstanding on the mound. Meyer picked up his first college win, tossing a complete game two-hitter and did not walk a batter. Meyer struck out one and the only blemish to his line was a solo home run from Lock Haven's Ryan Orgitano in the fifth inning. The redshirt freshman needed just 75 pitches to complete his work.
Bloomsburg tallied 11 hits in the game with Almand, Edgette, Frain, West and Ryan Kirman (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional) all posting two hits apiece. Muth keyed the offense with four RBI to tie a career high.
