Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University baseball team kept its playoff hopes alive on Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Kutztown University at Danny Litwhiler Field. The Huskies took game one by a 9-2 final and then completed the sweep with an 11-5 win in game two to improve to 23-19 overall and 10-14 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. The Golden Bears dropped to 19-27 overall and 9-15 in league play.
 
With the victories, Bloomsburg leapfrogged Kutztown and moved into a tie for fourth place - the final playoff spot in the Eastern Division - with Shippensburg in the conference standings. The Huskies will meet Shippensburg in a four-game series next Friday and Saturday while Kutztown, which is one game back, will take on the nation's top-ranked team, Millersville, next weekend.
 
Senior Alex Carpenter (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) pitched six strong innings in the opener to improve to 4-2 on the season. He allowed two runs on six hits, walked one, and struck out six. Thirteen of the outs he recorded were either via groundout or strikeout. Sophomore Zach Newmyer (New Cumberland, Pa./Red Land) slammed the door in the seventh, pitching around a hit batter with one out.
 
Sophomore Tyler Benson (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) jump-started the bats with a home run to right center to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Benson's third home run of the season was his only hit of game one, but he did score three times out of the leadoff spot.
 
After Kutztown tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Brady McNab, the Huskies answered with four in the bottom half to take a 5-1 lead.
 
Benson led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a single from redshirt sophomore Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East). Kutztown starter Mike Kammerer followed by getting Joey Casselberry (Eagleville, Pa./Methacton) to bounce into a fielder's choice and picking off Edgette at second. However, a check swing roller down the third base line from senior Ryan Kirman (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional) resulted in a base hit and, coupled with a throwing error, put runners at second and third with two outs. Junior Damin Muth (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) drove home both Casselberry and Kirman with a two-run single to left to give the Huskies a 3-1 lead. Three batters later, freshman Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) drove home the other two runs of the inning with a single through the left side of the infield for a 5-1 advantage.
 
Benson was at it again in the bottom of the fourth, drawing a leadoff walk to start another rally. Two batters later, Casselberry doubled to right center, scoring Benson from second to give the Huskies a 6-1 lead.
 
The sophomore left fielder was involved again in the fifth. With runners at second and third and two outs, Benson hit a weak chopper to second base and Kutztown appeared to be getting out of the inning. But Benson, who hustled out of the box from the outset, forced a hurried throw that was dropped by the Kutztown first baseman which allowed a run to score and the inning to continue. Edgette followed with a two-run double to left center that scored freshman Tristan Kevitch (Ardmore, Pa./Harriton) and Benson for a 9-1 advantage.
 
Kutztown picked up its final run of the opener on an RBI fielder's choice, in the top of the sixth, from Ben Eppley.
 
The Huskies outhit the Golden Bears in game one, 10-6. Edgette, Kirman, and sophomore Shane Woelfel (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) each had a pair to pace the offense. Edgette, Muth, and Shiffer led the way with two runs-batted-in each.
 
Kammerer lasted just two and two-thirds innings and allowed five runs on six hits to fall to 2-3 on the season. He walked four and struck out one. Two Kutztown relievers combined to allow four runs (one earned) on four hits over the final three and one-third innings.
 
Redshirt junior Ryuta Amaike (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) was given the ball in game two and the Golden Bears jumped on him for a run in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from McNab.
 
But, in the bottom of the second, the Huskies responded with four runs to take a 4-1 lead against Kutztown starter, Anthony Atticks. Muth drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a single by Woelfel. Kevitch doubled to left center, driving home both Muth and Woelfel, for a 2-1 Huskies' lead. Shiffer followed with an RBI single and, after a bunt single from senior Brian Almand (Haddon Township, N.J./Paul VI), Benson singled through the right side of the infield to score Shiffer for the final run of the frame.
 
Kutztown answered with a run in the top of the third to cut the Bloomsburg lead to 4-2. But, RBI singles from Edgette and Kirman in the bottom of the fourth against Kutztown reliever, Matt Matricardi, gave the Huskies a four-run cushion at 6-2.
 
Amaike got into a groove in the fourth and fifth innings, striking out five of the six batters during the stretch. But, the Golden Bears got to him for three runs in the top of the sixth to cut the Huskies' lead to 6-5. Amaike avoided further damage by striking out leadoff hitter, Evan Lane, with runners at first and second to end the inning.
 
The punchout by Amaike seemed to spark the offense again as the Huskies responded with five runs in the bottom half to break the game open. The inning was aided by two Kutztown errors which resulted in four unearned runs for Bloomsburg. Kirman started the scoring with an RBI single to left for a 7-5 lead. Muth followed with a run-scoring double for an 8-5 advantage. Woelfel hit a grounder to short that was misplayed, allowing two runs to score, and the Huskies took a 10-5 lead. Almand finished off the scoring with a run-scoring single.
 
Freshman Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) came on in relief in the seventh and pitched a perfect inning to preserve the victory.
 
Amaike improved to 2-5 on the season after allowing five runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out nine. Atticks fell to 1-2 on the year for Kutztown, giving up four runs on five hits in three innings. He walked two and struck out five.
 
Bloomsburg had 13 hits in game two – three from Almand and two each from Benson, Kirman, and Shiffer. McNab had three of Kutztown's seven hits in game two.
 
The Huskies will square off against Shippensburg in a four-game series next weekend to close out the regular season. The teams are tied for the final playoff spot in the east and are one game ahead of Kutztown. Bloomsburg and Shippensburg will play at Danny Litwhiler Field on Friday, April 29 with the teams meeting up in Shippensburg on Saturday, April 30. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for begin at 1:00 p.m.