Softball | 5/1/2015 4:21:00 PM

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QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – It was a mix of youth and experience that helped the Bloomsburg University softball team stave off elimination and remain alive in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon with a 5-3 victory over Seton Hill at Veteran's Park.

Seniors Erika Yanora (Tunkhannock/Tunkhannock) and Kayla McHale (Dillsburg/Northern) combined to key a two-run fifth that broke a 3-3 tie while fellow senior Caitlin O'Connor (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) hit a bomb of a first inning home run that helped the Huskies rally from an early 2-0 deficit. Freshman Emily Mayhew (Perkasie/Pennridge) also played long ball with a two-run homer and sophomore Taylor Parker (Dewart/Warrior Run) struck out eight in the circle.

Seton Hill (31-13-1) took early control, using a pair of first inning doubles to jump out to a 2-0 lead before the Huskies ever came to the plate.

O'Connor gave Bloomsburg life in the bottom of the inning, drilling a two-out solo home run out to the railroad tracks beyond left field to cut the deficit in half.

The Huskies seized their first lead of the day in the fourth. O'Connor started the rally by working a walk, and an out later Mayhew flashed her power. The freshman first team all-conference selection drove a 2-0 pitch to left center field for a 3-2 edge.

Seton Hill would tie things with a run in the fifth to set the stage for the Huskies seniors.

McHale, who missed the majority of the conference schedule due to injury before returning to the lineup last weekend, stroked a one-out double into the left center field gap. Yanora then followed by just connecting on a 1-1 pitch and just clearing the center field fence to give Bloomsburg a 5-3 advantage.

That would be all Parker would need. The sophomore pitcher was dominant after first inning struggles, allowing just two hits after the opening inning. Seton Hill sent the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh following a two-out walk, but Parker responded with a strikeout to end the game.

Six different players accounted for Bloomsburg's six hits with three leaving the yard off the bats of O'Connor, Mayhew and Yanora.

Parker moves to 14-4 on the year with a complete game effort, scattering five hits and three walks with eight striekouts.

Christine Henderson (12-4) was tagged with the loss for the Griffins after working 4.1 innings and allowing five runs on five hits with three strikeouts.

The win moves the Huskies to 26-15 on the year and into another elimination game Friday night vs. California (PA), who defeated IUP earlier in the day in another elimination contest, at 6:30 p.m.