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HARTSVILLE, SC—The Bloomsburg University softball team opened its 2016 season by splitting a pair of games on Saturday in Hartsville, SC at the Coker College Spring Tournament. The Huskies beat West Virginia Tech, 5-3, and then fell to the University of Charlestown, 5-2, in game two of the day.
 
In game one the Huskies (1-1) got a complete game victory from Sarah Bortner (Glenville, Pa./South Western) and three RBI from Holly Peacock (Williamsport, Pa./Jersey Shore) to start the season with a win. Bloomsburg got the board in the top of the third inning. Bridget Casey (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bortner. Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield) scored Casey with a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
West Virginia Tech (4-4) tied the score in the bottom of the score on an RBI ground out.  Bloomsburg came back and regained the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. With one out, Kalynn Wheeland (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) doubled with Erin Smith (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock Area) coming in to pinch-run. Peacock then doubled to left center scoring Smith. Erica Keen (Gordonville, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) then singled with Peacock taking third. Natalie Quinlan (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) then reached on a fielder's choice with Peacock out at home. Casey then singled down the right field line with Keen coming around to score making it 3-1.
 
Bloomsburg added to its lead in the sixth. Wheeland led off with a single. Peacock then followed with a home run down the left field line to make it a 5-1 game. Tech threatened in the bottom of the sixth getting two on with two outs, but Bortner got a strikeout to end the inning.
 
In the bottom of the seventh Tech took advantage of two hits, a walk and error to score two runs and had the go-ahead run at the plate. Bortner, though, induced a pop up to end the game.
 
Peacock finished 2-4 with a run scored and three RBI, while Bortner struckout six and walked four to get the win.
 
In game two against Charleston (2-1), the Huskies took the lead in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore Emily Mayhew (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge), who hit six home runs as a freshman, led off with a solo shot.
 
Charleston came back and went on top 2-1 with a pair of runs off of Taylor Parker (Dewart, Pa./Warrior Run). The Eagles had two hits and took advantage of two errors by the Huskies to grab the lead.
 
Charleston made it 3-1 in the fourth getting a solo homer to lead off the inning. The Huskies got one back when Parker led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Casey's single. In the fifth the Eagles made it 5-1 with a pair of runs. Charleston got two hits, had one hit batter, while the Huskies committed one error.
 
The Huskies put two runners on base and the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but a fly ball out ended the game.
 
 
Valerie Carcasses (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) was the only Bloomsburg player to get more than one hit going 3-3 on the day. Parker suffered the loss striking out two and walking two.
 
Bloomsburg will face Lees-McCrae College and King (TN) University on Sunday.