CLERMONT, Fla. - The Bloomsburg University softball team opened its annual spring trip to Florida on Tuesday and earned a split in a pair of games  - the first two of eight contests over a four-day stretch. The Huskies opened with a 5-2 loss to Auburn University at Montgomery before bouncing back for an 8-4 win over Concord University. The Huskies moved to 6-4 on the season after the split. The Warhawks improved to 16-12 while the Mountain Lions dropped to 11-13 on the year.

In the opener, the Huskies scored their only two runs in the top of the first inning against Warhawks' starting pitcher, Rachel Ragland. Sophomore Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield) led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a double from junior Kalynn Wheeland (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport). Winkelman and Wheeland both scored when senior Taylor Parker (Dewart, Pa./Warrior Run) laced a double to left center to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.

That, however, would be the only scoring Bloomsburg could muster despite finishing with ten hits against Newcomer.

The Warhawks broke through against senior Mallory Tomaschik (Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia) in the bottom of the third with an unearned run to cut the Huskies' lead in half, 2-1. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Auburn tied the game at 2-2 on a bases loaded walk to Rose Schmidt.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the sixth when the Warhawks took advantage of three walks, an error, and three stolen bases to plate three runs for their first lead of the contest. Tomaschik left with one out and the bases loaded as junior Alyssa Davies (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) replaced her in the circle. However, back-to-back bases-loaded walks gave the Warhawks a 4-2 advantage. On the second free pass, the Auburn runners kept going as the Warhawks were able to steal another run for a 5-2 advantage.

Wheeland singled with two outs in the top of the seventh against Chanel Newcomer but the Warhawks' reliever struck out Parker to end the contest.

Bloomsburg outhit Auburn, 10-7, but the Warhawks took advantage of four walks and three Huskies' errors. Tomaschik suffered the loss as she went 5.1 innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits. She walked two and struck out two. Newcomer got the win in relief for Auburn.

Wheeland and junior Bridget Casey (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) each had a pair of hits to pace Bloomsburg's offense.

In game two against the Mountain Lions, Concord took a 1-0 lead against Parker in the top of the first inning before the Huskies exploded for four runs in the bottom half to take a 4-1 advantage. Winkelman and Casey led off the inning with back-to-back singles and came around to score when Wheeland belted her first home run of the season for a 3-1 lead. Bloomsburg kept the rally going with two outs as junior Maggie Hall (Cooperstown, N.Y./Cooperstown) and Tomaschik came up with back-to-back singles. Sophomore Marissa Shelhamer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) drove in the fourth run of the inning with an RBI double to score Hall from second.

Concord came back with a pair of runs, on a two-run double from Kylie Kent, in the top of the second to cut the Huskies' lead to 4-3. But, Bloomsburg got a run back in the bottom half on an RBI fielder's choice from Parker to extend the lead to 5-3.

In the bottom of the fourth, Hall blew the game open for Bloomsburg as she came through with a bases-clearing double to extend the Huskies' advantage to 8-3. Three consecutive singles from Casey, Wheeland, and Parker loaded the bases with one out and, after junior Emily Mayhew (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) popped out for the second out of the inning, Hall came up with the big hit.

The Mountain Lions scored one run in the top of the sixth but could get no closer.

Bloomsburg finished the game with a dozen hits against two Concord pitchers - two each from Winkelman, Casey, Wheeland, Hall, and Shelhamer. Parker, meanwhile, earned the victory in the circle to improve to 3-2 on the year. She allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in the complete game win. She walked three and struck out two.

The Huskies will play two more games on Wednesday - against Fairmont State at 1:00 p.m. and against Augustana at 3:30 p.m. in Clermont, Florida.