Quakertown, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University softball team rallied for a hard-fought 7-3 win in nine innings over Gannon in the quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament on Thursday afternoon. Bloomsburg fell behind early, 2-0, but rallied to tie the game in the top of the sixth, before erupting for five runs in the top of the ninth to seal the game.

With the victory, the Huskies move to 30-16 (16-4 PSAC), while the Golden Knights dropped to 28-13, (14-6 PSAC) on the year.

STATS AND NOTES

Junior Emily Mayhew (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) collected two hits, including the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth inning.

Sophomore Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield) went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and drove in Mayhew with a two-run home run to centerfield.

Coming in relief of starting pitcher Taylor Parker (Dewart, Pa./Warrior Run) was Mallory Tomaschik (Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia), who pitched six innings while allowing just one earned run to get the win.

GAME RECAP

The two teams got off to a quiet start, unable to score any runs through the first two innings.

Gannon got on the board first, in the bottom of the third inning, when Jackie Martinez singled to score Kellyn Perich and give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead.

The top seed from the PSAC Western division bumped that advantage to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth on an Allie Selerno sacrifice fly that plated Sarah Ingerick.

The Bloomsburg offense came alive in the its' next at-bat, as Winkelman singled to left to open the inning. After stealing second, Parker doubled to left field to plate her teammate, and cut the deficit in half.

After a Gannon pitching change, Julia Knight (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) came up to the plate and roped a double into almost the exact same spot as Parker, scoring the senior and tying the game at 2-2. The Huskies would load the bases with none out, but were unable to get the go-ahead run across the plate.

The Golden Knights would put runners on first and second with one out, but Tomaschik worked out of the jam, including a huge strikeout with runners on second and third to end the innings.

Things would finally change in the top of the ninth when Casey doubled to lead-off the inning. After Anna McElroy (Jessup, Pa./Valley View) moved Casey over with a groundout to second base, Mayhew stepped up and delivered the biggest hit of the Huskies' season, a hard knock right up the middle, scoring Bridget Casey (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge). Next up was Winkelman, who uncorked a deep home run to centerfield, extending the Bloomsburg lead to 5-2.

Next up was Parker and Emily Getz (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown), who each recorded singles to set up an RBI single by Holly Peacock (Williamsport, Pa./Jersey Shore) that increase the lead to 6-2. Marisa Shelhamer hit a sacrifice fly to score Getz, and give in the Huskies a 7-2 lead going into the bottom of the inning.

Tomaschik closed out the Golden Knights in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.

UP NEXT

The Huskies are back in action in just a few short hours, with a semifinal game versus West Chester at 7:30 p.m.