WILLIAMSTON, N.C. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team split its second consecutive doubleheader in its opening weekend of the season, this time against Pitt-Johnstown on Sunday at Riverside High School in Williamston, North Carolina. The Huskies used an eight-run first inning in game one to take the opener, 9-3, before falling short in their comeback bid in game two as they suffered an 8-7 loss. Bloomsburg moved to 2-2 on the young season while the Mountain Cats moved to 6-2 on the year.

After spotting Pitt-Johnstown a run in the top of the first inning of game one, the Huskies answered with eight runs in the bottom half to take an 8-1 lead. Senior Damin Muth (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) plated the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to score junior Tyler Benson (Montville, N.J./Montville Township), who led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on a double from redshirt junior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East). Then, with the bases loaded, redshirt junior Cy Treaster (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) reached on an error that allowed all three runs to score to give the Huskies a 4-1 advantage.

Bloomsburg was not done as freshmen Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) and Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) followed with back-to-back RBI singles to extend the lead to 6-1. Benson plated another run with a run-scoring double and Edgette singled to drive home Benson for the final run of the inning.

The Huskies tacked on another run in the bottom of the third when Benson drove home Swiger, who drew a leadoff walk, with an RBI double.

Pitt-Johnstown scored its final two runs in the top of the seventh for the final margin.

Sophomore Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven), making his first collegiate start, went the distance for his first win of the season. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked three, and struck out seven. He retired 14 straight batters, and 16-of-17, from one out in the first inning until the leadoff batter in the top of the seventh reached base on a walk.

Benson finished game one going 3-for-3 at the dish with two doubles, a walk, and two runs batted in. Edgette had two hits in four trips while Swiger and Cooperman were both 1-for-2 with a walk.

In game two, Benson continued his perfect afternoon at the plate as he belted a leadoff home run - his first of the season - to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Mountain Cats scored three times against sophomore Trey Hinkle (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) who was making his first career start in a Huskies' uniform.

Bloomsburg answered with three runs in the top of the second to take a 4-3 advantage. Redshirt senior Ryuta Amaike (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) led off the inning with a single and advanced to second when freshman Blake Gular (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) was hit by a pitch. After Swiger sacrificed them to second and third, sophomore Joey Wrabel (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) laced a two-out, two-run double to tie the game at 3-3. Benson remained perfect on the afternoon as he scored Wrabel with an RBI double to give the Huskies a one-run lead.

But, Pitt-Johnstown scored another run in the bottom of the second against Hinkle and then plated four runs in the bottom of the third against Cooperman to take an 8-4 lead after three innings.

Cooperman settled down,however, and the Huskies began to chip away.

In the top of the fifth, the Huskies trimmed the lead to 8-5 after Amaike doubled to plate Edgette, who led off the inning with a double.. Then, in the top of the seventh, sophomore Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) led off the frame with a double and later scored when Swiger tripled with two outs to cut the Mountain Cat lead to 8-6. Treaster followed with a pinch-hit single to cut the lead to 8-7. Wrabel, batting ninth in the order, walked to keep the inning alive and to give Benson a chance to be the hero. However, Pitt-Johnstown's Ben Foose got the junior to bounce back to the mound as the rally fell a run short.

Hinkle lasted only two innings and allowed four runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out one. Cooperman was saddled with the loss as he allowed four runs on five hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Benson was 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, and two runs batted in. Edgette and Amaike also had a pair of hits in game two.

The Huskies will head to Newport News, Virginia next weekend to attempt to defend their title at the Builder Invitational, hosted by the Newport News Apprentice School. Bloomsburg will start the tournament on Thursday, Febraury 23, against the hosts at 3:00 p.m.