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HAMPTON, Va. - Redshirt senior Ryuta Amaike (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in and also pitched six solid innings of one-run ball on Thursday afternoon as the Bloomsburg University baseball team knocked off The Apprentice School, 6-1, in the opening game of the Builder Invitational. The Huskies improved to 3-2 overall on the young season while the Builders suffered their first loss of the season as they fell to 7-1.

Amaike, who led the Huskies with 49 strikeouts in 46.2 innings on the mound last season, made his first start of the campaign on Thursday and allowed only one run on five hits while striking out seven in his six innings of work. Freshman Brett Alaimo (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), who made his first collegiate appearance, pitched three scoreless innings of relief to earn his first career save.

The Huskies gave their starter a 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning against Tyler Woodhouse, who entered the game having not allowed a run in his first two starts of the season. Back-to-back walks to redshirt junior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) and junior Tyler Benson (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) started the rally for the Huskies. With one out, the duo pulled off a double steal before Edgette was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice off the bat of sophomore Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) for the second out of the inning. Amaike, however, helped himself with a double to plate Benson for the game's first run.

Bloomsburg added to its lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning. Benson led off the inning with a single and then advanced to third on a single by senior Damin Muth (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland). Shiffer followed with a single to score Benson to give the Huskies a 2-0 advantage. Muth scored the second run of the inning when he crossed home plate on a passed ball.

The Builders threatened in the bottom half of the third, thanks to a pair of one-out walks issued by Amaike. After the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball, the righthander got out of the jam by getting a called strike three on Mike Brumfield to end the inning. But, in the bottom of the fifth, The Apprentice School cut the led to 3-1 on an RBI single from Thomas Richardson.

Bloomsburg went quietly in the top of the sixth and Amaike closed out his outing on the mound allowing only a leadoff single in the bottom half of the frame. Then, the Huskies blew the game open in the top of the seventh after tacking on three runs to take a 6-1 lead.

Benson, who had three more hits on Thursday, led off the inning with a single and then advanced to second when Muth reached on an error. Two batters later, Amaike came up with the big blow - a one-out, two-run single to give Bloomsburg a 5-1 advantage. Freshman Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) followed with an RBI double that plated Amaike for the Huskies' sixth, and final, run of the afternoon.

Alaimo did the rest, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out four in his three-inning save.

Benson continued his torrid start to the season as he went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. The junior is now 10-for-19 (.526) with eight runs scored through the first five games of the season. Shiffer, Amaike, and Swiger each had two hits to help the Huskies pound out ten hits against three Builder pitchers.

Richardson led The Apprentice School with two hits and an RBI in three trips. Woodhouse, meanwhile, went 6.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits. He walked five and struck out ten.

Bloomsburg will be back in action on Friday for day two of the Builder Invitational. The Huskies will play College of Saint Joseph (Vt.) at 9:00 a.m. before tangling with IUP at 6:00 p.m.