GAME 1 HTML BOX SCORE | GAME 2 HTML BOX SCORE

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team racked up 20 runs on Wednesday afternoon as the Huskies swept visiting Slippery Rock University at Danny Litwhiler Field in a pair of non-divisional games that could have some postseason implications. Bloomsburg jumped out to a 9-1 lead after two innings in game one and held off The Rock, 12-5, to win the opener and then followed with an 8-4 victory in game two to complete the sweep. The Huskies, ranked fourth in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Regional poll, improved to 23-7 overall and have now won 10 of their last 11 and 16 of their last 19 games. Slippery Rock, ranked third in the latest NCBWA Atlantic Regional poll and receiving votes in the latest NCBWA Division II national poll, dropped to 19-11 overall.

The Huskies jumped early on Slippery Rock's game one starter, Stephen McKee. After redshirt junior Zach Newmyer (New Cumberland, Pa./Red Land) allowed a first-inning run on an RBI double from Tyler Walters, Bloomsburg batted around and scored five times in the bottom of the first to take a 5-1 lead. Redshirt senior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) drew a one-out walk, stole second, and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Junior Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) walked to put runners at the corners with one out and then the two used a double steal to tie the game at 1-1. After sophomore Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) kept the inning alive with a two-out free pass, sophomore Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) singled back up the middle which plated Shiffer for a 2-1 Huskies advantage. Freshman Kyle OFier (Pittston, Pa./Pittston Area) followed by taking a 2-1 pitch from McKee deep over the right center field fence for a three-run home run - his fifth of the season - to build the lead to 5-1. 

Newmyer pitched around a leadoff walk in the top of the second and then the Huskies' offense went back to work - this time against Slippery Rock reliever, Alex Worthington. Bloomsburg batted around, again, in the second and scored four runs on four hits and two walks to take a 9-1 advantage. Edgette again started the rally by beating out a slow chopper to second for an infield single. After swiping second, Edgette scored when Shiffer belted a 3-1 offering from Worthington over the right center field fence for his third round tripper of the year. Freshman Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) started another rally with a walk and then advanced to second on a single by Holmes. Cooperman followed with a walk to load the bases and, two batters later, junior Colton Hooker (Warrington, Pa./Upper Moreland) singled to center to drive home both Holmes and Newbert for a 9-1 lead.

Slippery Rock cut into the lead in the top of the third when Walters hit his 10th home run of the season - a three-run shot off of Newmyer - to cut the deficit to 9-4. The Huskies answered with a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Newbert to extend the lead to 10-4.

Sophomore Ed Herbener (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School), who recorded the final out in the top of the third, held The Rock off the scoreboard in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings before giving way to senior Zach Meyer (Muncy Valley, Pa./Sullivan County) in the seventh. Meanwhile, while Herbener was keeping Slippery Rock at bay, the Huskies added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 12-4 advantage. In the fifth, Newbert plated a run when he reached on an error and then, in the sixth, OFier trotted home on a passed ball.

Meyer, who has worked his way back from an injury, allowed a run on two hits while striking out one in his inning. He had not pitched since throwing an inning at Mansfield on April 10, 2017.

Herbener was credited with the victory allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out two in three and one-third innings of scoreless relief. The righthander improved to 3-0 on the season. Newmyer was charged with four runs on four hits in two and two-thirds but made only one mistake - the third-inning home run to Walters. He walked one and struck out three. McKee fell to 0-2 for Slippery Rock after allowing five runs on two hits and three walks in one inning.

The Huskies had a dozen hits in the opener and out-hit The Rock, 12-7. Edgette was 3-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and three stolen bases. Sophomore Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) was 3-for-5 with two runs scored while Shiffer was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a home run, and two runs batted in. OFier led the way with three RBI - all coming on his first-inning home run.

Game two started fast and furious as both redshirt sophomore James Reardon IV (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) and Slippery Rock's Andrew Null ran into early trouble. Reardon IV, making his first collegiate start, unfortunately could not get out of the first as The Rock scored three runs on two hits and three walks against the righthander. Senior Mike Warren (Garnerville, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional) came on and, after hitting the first batter he faced, got out of the inning by getting a ground ball to second to leave the bases loaded.

Bloomsburg answered with four runs in the bottom of the first against Null - three of which were unearned. Swiger led off the inning with a walk and then stole second. Two batters later, Shiffer reached on an error to put runners at the corners with one out. Newbert plated Swiger with a single down the left field line to cut the Slippery Rock lead to 3-1. Holmes walked to load the bases and then, two batters later, OFier cleared the bases with a two-out, three-run double to give the Huskies a 4-3 advantage.

Warren settled things down in the top of the second, pitching around a one-out walk and the Huskies' bats stayed hot in the bottom half of the frame with two more runs against Null to extend the lead to 6-3. Swiger walked with one out, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then came in to score on an RBI single from Edgette. Edgette stole second and then crossed the plate on an RBI single from Newbert to give Bloomsburg a three-run lead.

Bloomsburg added a run in the third on an RBI double from Swiger which drove home OFier who led off the inning with a single.

Trailing 7-3 in the fourth, Slippery Rock made things really interesting. Redshirt sophomore Mark Bobko (Metuchen, N.J./St. Joseph Metuchen) relieved Warren and allowed two walks, a bunt single, and a dropped fly ball to the four batters he faced. When the dust settled, The Rock had cut the lead to 7-4 and had the bases loaded with nobody out.

Enter junior Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven).

Raines, making his second relief appearance of the season, got Ray Scala to bounce back to the mound which started a 1-2-3 double play and then struck out Walters to end the inning without any further damage being done. Newbert then carried the momentum into the bottom of the fourth when he belted a mammoth solo home run to left field to regain a four-run lead at 8-4.

Juniors Jeremy Zezza (Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area) and Trey Hinkle (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) slammed the door on The Rock in the final two innings to preserve the sweep.

Warren was credited with the win as he improved to 1-2 on the season. He pitched two and one-third innings without allowing a hit. He walked one and struck out one. Raines pitched an inning and a third perfect innings, striking out two. Zezza allowed a walk in an inning and two-thirds while striking out two and Hinkle pitched the seventh, allowing two singles. Null took the loss, falling to 0-2 on the year for Slippery Rock. He allowed six runs (three earned) on four hits, walked four, and struck out three.

Bloomsburg out-hit Slippery Rock, 8-5, in the nightcap. Newbert went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a home run, and three runs batted in. OFier was 2-for-3 with three RBI.

The Huskies will return to divisional play when they open a four-game weekend series against Eastern Division rival, Lock Haven University. The teams will begin in Lock Haven on Friday, April 20, before heading back to Bloomsburg on Saturday afternoon to conclude the series. Both doubleheaders are scheduled for 1:00 p.m.