CLERMONT, Fla. - The Bloomsburg University softball team dropped a pair of contests on Saturday morning to conclude its annual spring trip to Florida. In the opener, the Huskies fell to Wayne State (Mich.), 5-0, and then suffered a 5-4 setback to Merrimack for their fifth consecutive loss on the trip. Bloomsburg dropped to 7-9 on the season. Wayne State improved to 20-5 while Merrimack moved to 12-5 on the year.

In the opener, 24th-ranked Wayne State scored all five of its runs in the first inning against senior starter Mallory Tomaschik (Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia). The Warriors had four hits but also took advantage of a pair of costly errors that made three of the five runs unearned.

Wayne State's Lyndsay Butler made the lead stand as she allowed only five Huskies' hits while striking out a dozen. All 21 of the outs she recorded were via strikeout or groundout. She improved to 12-4 on the season.

Junior Alyssa Davies (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) came on in relief of Tomaschik in the second inning and pitched five scoreless innings allowing four hits and two walks. She struck out one in the no-decision.

Junior Maggie Hall (Cooperstown, N.Y./Cooperstown) and freshman Julia Knight (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) each had two of Bloomsburg's five hits while senior Taylor Parker (Dewart, Pa./Warrior Run) had the other Huskies' hit in the loss.

In game two, the Huskies got off to a much better start as Bloomsburg jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the opening inning. After Parker kept Merrimack off the board in the top half, the Huskies went to work on back-to-back infield singles from sophomore Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield) and Hall. After Parker sacrificed both runners ahead a base, Knight launched her first collegiate home run - a three-run blast against Warriors' starter Megan Cook - to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead.

But, in the top of the second inning, Merrimack answered with a pair of runs to cut the Bloomsburg lead to 3-2.

The score remained intact until the bottom of the fifth when freshman Kelsey Impink (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) plated the Huskies' fourth run of the game. Her single drove home Parker who had walked earlier in the inning.

Merrimack, however, scored three runs off Parker in the top of the seventh to take its first lead of the game. The Warriors hit for the cycle in the frame which started with a leadoff home run from Samantha Harris to cut the Bloomsburg lead to 4-3. After a strikeout, a single and an RBI triple from Tamarra Crowe tied the game at 4-4. Then, after another strikeout by Parker, an RBI double from Caitlin McBride gave Merrimack a 5-4 lead.

Knight walked with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but Cook retired sophomore Alexa Erney (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) on a pop-up to second to end the game.

Parker went the distance and allowed five runs on eight hits to fall to 4-4 on the season. She walked two and struck out eight. Cook allowed four runs on ten hits to improve to 3-2 on the year.

Winkelman and junior Bridget Casey (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) each had two of Bloomsburg's ten hits in the loss.

Bloomsburg is scheduled to play its home opening doubleheader on Friday, March 24, against Dominican College. First pitch from Jan M. Hutchinson Field is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.