GAME 1 HTML BOX SCORE | GAME 2 HTML BOX SCORE

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team got strong pitching performances from junior Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) in game one and freshman Nick Stoner (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) in game two as the Huskies opened conference play with a doubleheader sweep of Kutztown University on Sunday afternoon at Danny Litwhiler Field. Bloomsburg took game one, 6-1, and then completed the sweep with a 9-1 victory in game two to improve to 10-4 overall and 2-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. The Golden Bears dropped to 6-6 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Raines allowed one run on six hits in five innings to improve to 4-0 on the season in game one. He walked three, struck out eight, and recorded 14 of his 15 outs via groundout or strikeout. Senior Mike Warren (Garnerville, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional) came on in relief and allowed only a hit while striking out two in two scoreless innings. Meanwhile, Stoner allowed an unearned run on two hits in six innings to pick up his first collegiate victory in game two. He walked one, struck out nine, and registered 16 of his 18 outs via groundout or strikeout as he improved to 1-0 on the year. Sophomore JJ Spehrley (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) pitched around a leadoff walk in the seventh to slam the door on the Golden Bears.

The Huskies gave Raines some offensive support in the bottom of the second as they scored a pair of runs on back-to-back, bases-loaded walks against Kutztown starter, Mike Kammerer. After the Golden Bear righthander retired the first two batters, freshman Kyle OFier (Pittston, Pa./Pittston Area) started the rally with a single to center. Sophomore Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) singled and then sophomore Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) drew a walk to load the bases. Sophomore Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) drew the first bases-loaded walk and redshirt senior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) drew the second bases-loaded free pass to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.

Kutztown got a run back in the top of the third on a run-scoring single from Ryan Cox, cutting the lead to 2-1.

But, Bloomsburg scored three more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-1 advantage. Redshirt junior Shane Woelfel (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) led off the inning with a single and then came around to score on three wild pitches from Kammerer to give the Huskies a 3-1 advantage. Freshman Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) started another rally with a walk, ending the afternoon for Kammerer. Anthony DeVito came on in relief and was greeted by a double from OFier to put runners at second and third with one out. Two batters later, Krizan came through with the big hit, blooping a single over the second baseman to drive home both Newbert and OFier and to extend the lead to 5-1.

Edgette drove home the final run of the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth as he plated Cooperman who had led off the inning with a single.

Kammerer suffered the loss for Kutztown to fall to 1-2 on the season. He allowed four runs on four hits in two and one-third innings. He walked four, struck out three, and uncorked three wild pitches.

Bloomsburg had eight hits in the opener - two each from OFier and Cooperman. Edgette and Krizan each had a pair of runs batted in to lead the Huskies.

Kutztown took the lead in game two with an unearned run in the top of the second against Stoner. The Huskies, however, answered right back with a run in the bottom half against Kutztown starter, Gavilan Fogarty-Harnish. Newbert led off the inning with a double off the base of the left field fence, advanced to third on a groundout by OFier, and then scored on a single back up the middle by Cooperman.

Bloomsburg blew the game open in the third as five runners touched the plate to give the Huskies a 6-1 lead. Swiger and Edgette started the frame with back-to-back singles and then both came around to score on a two-run double by junior Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) to give Bloomsburg a 3-1 advantage. After a walk to Woelfel, sophomore Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) tried to sacrifice the runners over and ended up reaching on a throwing error which allowed Shiffer to cross the plate. Newbert followed with an RBI single and then Krizan lifted a sacrifice fly to left for the final run of the inning.

The Huskies added a run in the fourth on an RBI double from Holmes that plated Woelfel who had reached on a two-out double. Then, in the sixth, Bloomsburg finished off the scoring with a pair of unearned runs. Shiffer and Woelfel started the frame with back-to-back singles and then both runners came in to score on a throwing error with two outs in the inning.

Fogarty-Harnish suffered the loss as he dropped to 1-1 on the season for the Golden Bears. He allowed four runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out two in two innings of work.

The Huskies had 11 hits in the nightcap - two each from Shiffer, Woelfel, and Newbert. Woelfel scored a team-high three times while Shiffer plated a pair of runs to lead the way.

Bloomsburg, winners of three straight and five of its last six, will play home-and-home doubleheaders against Shippensburg University next Friday and Saturday, March 30 and 31. The teams will open the weekend series at Danny Litwhiler Field on Friday afternoon and then will head to Shippensburg to conclude the series on Saturday. First pitch of both twinbills are slated for 1:00 p.m.