HTML BOX SCORE (Game 1) | HTML BOX SCORE (Game 2)

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team went 0-1-1 at East Stroudsburg University on Thursday afternoon, losing the first game, 5-3, before settling for a 6-6 tie after seven innings in game two. The second game was called due to darkness. The Huskies dropped to 12-10-1 overall and 2-3-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division standings while the Warriors improved to 11-10-1 overall and 1-4-1 in league play.

In the opener, the Huskies held a 3-2 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh inning as junior Mike Warren (Garnerville, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional) pitched well through the first six innings. But, things unraveled for the righthander in the seventh. East Stroudsburg's Laine Renaud led off the inning with a single and then advanced to third on a double by Jay Young. Ian Allen followed with a walk-off three-run home run over the left field fence and, just like that, the Huskies dropped a 5-3 decision.

Through the first six innings, Warren had allowed on two runs (one earned) on four hits while walking three and striking out eight. The junior saw his record drop to 2-2 on the season.

The Huskies jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against East Stroudsburg starter, Tyler Eckman. Junior Tyler Benson (Montville, N.J./Montville Township) tripled with one out and then scored when senior Damin Muth (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field for his team-leading 22nd RBI of the season.

In the bottom of the first, the Warriors answered with an unearned run to tie the game at 1-1.

Bloomsburg regained a one-run lead in the top of the second with a two-out rally. Freshman Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) singled with two outs and then advanced to second when freshman Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock) was hit by a pitch. Another freshman, Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury), plated Holmes from second with a run-scoring double to give the Huskies a 2-1 advantage.

The Huskies added a run in the top of the fifth for a 3-1 lead. Muth was hit by a pitch with one out and then advanced to second when redshirt senior Ryuta Amaike (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) drew a two-out walk. Freshman Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) came through with an RBI single to score Muth from second as the Huskies built up the two-run lead.

East Stroudsburg's Steven Zimmerman led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to left to pull the Warriors within a run.

Bloomsburg was limited to six hits - two from Swiger - against Eckman and reliever Connor Johnson who earned the victory by pitching a scoreless top of the seventh. East Stroudsburg had seven hits in the opener - one each from seven different players.

Allen, the game one hero for East Stroudsburg, took the mound in game two and the Huskies wasted little time getting some revenge as Bloomsburg scored four times in the top of the first to take a 4-0 advantage.

Benson drew a one-out walk to start the barrage. He swiped second base - his seventh stolen base of the year - and then advanced to third when Muth reached on an error. Sophomore Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) followed with an RBI single to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Swiger followed with a three-run home run to left field for a 4-0 advantage. It was Swiger's fourth home run of the season, tying him with Benson and Muth for the team lead.

Sophomore Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) took the mound in game two and, after retiring the first six batters he faced, ran into trouble in the bottom of the third as the Warriors cut the lead in half, 4-2. Jay Young drove home the first run with an infield single and Casey Saverio plated the second on a run-scoring groundout. Both runs in the inning were unearned.

The Huskies got the runs back in the top of the fourth. With one out, freshman Blake Gular (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) belted his second home run of the season to give Bloomsburg a 5-2 lead. Two batters later, Cooperman drew a two-out walk and then scored when redshirt junior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) doubled as the Huskies built up a 6-2 advantage.

But, Raines ran into problems again in the bottom half of the fourth and, in fact, couldn't get out of the inning. East Stroudsburg scored three times - all on bases-loaded walks - and had just one hit to cut the Huskies' lead to 6-5. In the inning, Raines walked four batters and hit another and gave way to freshman Brett Alaimo (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) who recorded the final two outs of the inning without any further damage.

Entering the fourth, Raines had walked only nine batters in 37 innings of work.

Alaimo stayed on and started the fifth inning but allowed back-to-back walks to start the inning. Then, Renaud singled to drive home the Warriors' sixth run of the game to knot the contest at 6-6. Sophomore Jeremy Zezza (Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area) entered and recorded the final two outs of the inning.

Neither team threatened to score in the final two innings and, unfortunately, darkness forced the game to be called after seven complete frames.

Raines went three and one-third innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits. He walked four and struck out three. Alaimo allowed a run on one hit and two walks while Zezza pitched a perfect two and two-thirds innings with two strikeouts.

Allen lasted only two innings for the Warriors as he allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits. He walked one and struck out three. Carson Freeman pitched the final five innings and gave up two runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out four.

The Huskies mustered only four hits in game two - one each from Edgette, Shiffer, Swiger, and Gular. East Stroudsburg had only five hits in game two.

The teams will reconvene at Bloomsburg's Danny Litwhiler Field on Sunday, April 2, in what will serve as the Huskies' home opener. Start time of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.