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VIDEO OF COLE SWIGER'S WALK OFF GRAND SLAM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - In case you haven't noticed, the Bloomsburg University baseball team is off to the program's best-ever start and the team keeps finding different ways to win and with, seemingly, a different hero each day.

Sophomore Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) became the latest Huskies' hero as he belted a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning of game one to knock off visiting Mansfield University, 10-6, in the opening contest on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Danny Litwhiler Field. Not to be outdone, sophomore Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) tossed his first collegiate complete-game shutout in game two as Bloomsburg completed the doubleheader sweep, 9-0. The Huskies, who took all four games from the Mountaineers this weekend, improved to 21-7 overall and 13-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. Mansfield dropped to 9-20 overall and 3-13 in divisional play.

The Huskies now hold a three-game lead over second-place West Chester and a three-and-a-half game lead on third-place Millersville in the Eastern Division standings. Bloomsburg, by virtue of its four-game sweep over Mansfield this weekend, now holds the best league record in the entire conference - one game ahead of Western Division leaders, Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock.

Swiger deposited the first pitch he saw from Mansfield reliever Edwin Lopez over the left field fence in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete the Huskies' comeback in game one. Bloomsburg scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings and then scored five in the eighth after Mansfield regained the lead, 6-5, in the top half of the inning.

Mansfield took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning after J.P. Bonanca hit a two-run home run to right center field off of senior reliever Mike Warren (Garnerville, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional). Then, after the Mountaineers put two runners on with two outs, sophomore Ed Herbener (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) came on in relief to strike out Carlos Espinosa to end the inning. The Huskies answered with a solo home run from redshirt senior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) in the bottom half of the frame to cut the Mansfield lead to 5-4.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh when Lopez was summoned from the Mansfield bullpen to replace Bryce Zaparzynski who kept the Huskies in check through the first six innings. Lopez was greeted rudely as Swiger laced a single to left and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Edgette singled back up the middle to tie the game at 5-5 before Lopez settled down to retire the next three batters in order.

Junior Trey Hinkle (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) was touched up for a run on three hits in the top of the eighth inning as Mansfield regained a one-run lead at 6-5. But, Lopez pitched to five batters in the bottom half and could not retire a single one. Cooperman singled to start the inning and then advanced to third on a double down the right field line from sophomore Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township). Freshman Kyle OFier (Pittston, Pa./Pittston Area) was intentionally walked to load the bases and then sophomore Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) drew a six-pitch walk to tie the game at 6-6. Swiger followed with his walk-off grand slam to left - his third home run of the season - to give the Huskies a 10-6 victory.

Hinkle picked up the victory to improve to 2-0 on the season while Lopez, who allowed six runs on five hits and two walks in one inning, dropped to 0-4 on the year.

Bloomsburg started strong with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first against Zaparzynski as freshman Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) laced a two-out, two-run single to score both Swifer and Edgette to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead. It remained that way until the third when sophomore JJ Spehrley (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) ran into trouble. The Mountaineers scored three times in the third on two hits, two hit batsmen, a walk, and an error, which gave them a 3-2 lead. The Huskies came right back with a run in the bottom half to tie the game at 3-3 as Cooperman delivered an RBI single to plate junior Colton Hooker (Warrington, Pa./Upper Moreland).

Spehrley lasted three innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits. He walked one and struck out three. Warren was charged with two runs on two hits in an inning and two-thirds while Herbener allowed only a walk while striking out three in one and two-thirds innings. Redshirt junior Zach Newmyer (New Cumberland, Pa./Red Land) retired the final two batters in the top of the seventh. Zaparzynski, meanwhile, allowed four runs on five hits in six innings. He walked five and struck out three.

Bloomsburg out-hit Mansfield, 10-7, in the opener. Swiger finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and four runs batted in while Edgette, Cooperman, and Holmes also added two hits apiece for the Huskies in game one.

The walk-off grand slam seemed to take the wind out of Mansfield's sails in game two as the Huskies jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings - more than enough offensive support for Cooperman.

Newbert carried the momentum into game two as he crushed a 3-1 offering from Mansfield starter Evan McAndrew over the left field fence for his second round tripper of the season. The two-run blast, which also brought home Edgette who drew a one-out walk, gave the Huskies a 2-0 advantage. Bloomsburg added three more runs, all with two outs, in the second inning - two on Swiger's second home run of the afternoon - as the Huskies built up a 5-0 lead. Newbert plated the other run of the inning with an RBI single that scored Edgette who doubled after Swiger's home run.

The Huskies added another in the third on an RBI single from OFier that scored Hooker who led off the inning with a triple down the right field line.Bloomsburg then tacked on its final three runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth on RBI singles from junior Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) and Newbert. The other run came when Shiffer scored on a fielding error with two outs in the inning.

Cooperman did the rest, pitching around a leadoff single in the sixth and a one-out single in the seventh to complete his first collegiate shutout. He scattered six hits in the outing to improve to 2-2 on the season while lowering his ERA to 2.53. The righthander did not walk a batter, struck out five, and threw 66 of his 99 pitches for strikes. McAndrew, meanwhile, dropped to 0-6 on the season after allowing six runs on six hits in two innings. He walked three and struck out one.

Bloomsburg had 11 more hits in game two as Newbert paced the offense by going 3-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in. Swiger was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI while Edgette was 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Five other Huskies had one hit in the game including freshman Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) who collected his first collegiate hit with a single to lead off the three-run fifth inning.

The Huskies will return to action on Tuesday, April 17, for a non-conference crossover doubleheader against Slippery Rock University at Danny Litwhiler Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.