CLERMONT, Fla. - The Bloomsburg University softball team had a difficult time getting the bats going on Friday afternoon as it dropped a pair of games on the second-to-last day of its annual spring trip to Florida. The Huskies opened the day with a 1-0 loss to Saint Ambrose (Iowa) when the Fighting Bees scored the only run of the game on a walkoff sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning. Bloomsburg then fell to Nova Southeastern by a 5-1 score in game two. The Huskies dropped to 7-7 on the season. Saint Ambrose improved to 13-4 while Nova Southeastern moved to 14-16 on the year.

Game one featured a pitcher's duel between senior Mallory Tomaschik (Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia) and Saint Ambrose starter, Ashley Yattoni.

Tomaschik allowed only one unearned run on two hits in 8.2 innings as the Fighting Bees scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. She walked two and struck out a career-high 14 but dropped to 2-4 on the season as the Huskies could manage only three hits in nine innings against Yattoni, who improved to 6-2 on the year.

Tomaschik's previous career-high in strikeouts was 10 in a 3-0 victory over Gannon University on April 28, 2016.

The Huskies threatened in the top of the fourth when juniors Bridget Casey (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) and Maggie Hall (Cooperstown, N.Y./Cooperstown) reached on infield singles to put runners at first and second with one out. However, Yattoni retired Tomaschik on a flyout to left field and then got junior Lindsay Nemeth (Drums, Pa./Marian Catholic) to bounce into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Sophomore Alexa Erney (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) led off the fifth inning with a single but was stranded as Yattoni retired the next three batters. The hit by Erney proved to be Bloomsburg's last hit of the ballgame.

The Fighting Bees had a golden opportunity to score in the bottom half of the inning as Christina Pembrook led off the inning with a double and was sacrificed to third. But, Tomaschik recorded the final two outs of the inning via strikeout to keep the game scoreless.

The game went to extra innings and the international tie breaker was in effect beginning in the top of the eighth. The Huskies were able to load the bases, on an error and a walk, with nobody out. But, Yattoni wiggled out of the jam by getting a pair of infield pop-ups and a fly ball to right. In the ninth, Bloomsburg got a runner to third on a sacrifice bunt but could not score as Yattoni again was able to keep the game scoreless.

In the bottom of the ninth, Saint Ambrose sacrificed a runner to third and then Anna Boffeli lifted a fly ball to left to score the only run of the game.

In game two, Bloomsburg scored a run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly from Hall to take a 1-0 advantage against Nova Southeastern.

But, in the top of the fourth, the Sharks grabbed a 3-1 lead against senior starter Taylor Parker (Dewart, Pa./Warrior Run), who dropped to 4-3 on the season. In the inning, Nova Southeastern had two doubles, a single, and a solo home run, while also benefiting from a Bloomsburg error.

The Sharks added a run on three hits in the top of the fifth with the final hit chasing Parker from the circle. Junior Alyssa Davies (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) came on in relief and got out of the inning but did allow Nova Southeastern's fifth run in the top of the seventh.

Bloomsburg had three hits in the bottom of the seventh as it tried to rally but the Huskies were unable to score.

Parker went 4.2 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits. She walked one and struck out seven. Davies allowed a run on three hits and a walk in the final 2.1 innings.

Offensively, Parker, sophomore Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield), and freshman Julia Knight (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) each had two of Bloomsburg's eight hits.

The Huskies will play their final two games of the trip on Saturday morning before returning home. Bloomsburg will meet Wayne State (Mich.) at 9:00 a.m. and then will square off against Merrimack at 11:30 a.m.