HTML BOX SCORE

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team used a seven-run eighth inning to blow open a three-run lead and cruised to a 15-5 non-conference victory over the visiting Mountain Cats of Pitt-Johnstown on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon at Danny Litwhiler Field. The Huskies improved to 28-13 overall while the Mountain Cats dropped to 11-27 on the season.

Freshman Nick Stoner (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown), who was unavailable over the weekend against 21st-ranked West Chester, got the ball for the Huskies to get himself ready for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament that gets underway next Wednesday, May 9. Stoner ran into trouble early as the Mountain Cats jumped on him for three consecutive doubles by Dan Clark, Nemo Trexler, and Scott Thompson to start the game. However, thanks to Trexler getting nabbed a third on a steal attempt, the lead was only 1-0 until Tyler Smith dropped a bloop single into left field to plate Thompson and to extend the lead to 2-0. Stoner got out of the jam on a come-backer to end the inning with no further damage.

The Huskies went to work in the bottom of the inning against Pitt-Johnstown starter Shane Supanick. Sophomore Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) drew a four-pitch walk to leadoff the inning and redshirt senior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) belted a 3-2 offering from the southpaw over the right field fence to tie the game at 2-2. With the home run, Edgette tied freshman Kyle OFier (Pittston, Pa./Pittston Area) for the team-lead in round trippers with six. Bloomsburg was not finished as freshman Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) walked and sophomore Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) singled to put the Huskies back in business. After a strikeout, OFier walked to load the bases with one out and then, two batters later, Supanick walked freshman Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) to bring home Newbert for the third run of the inning before getting out of the jam. Supanick struck out the side in the first but allowed two hits and four walks in the inning as the Huskies led 3-2 after one.

Stoner settled down in his final two innings as he pitched around a leadoff single and a two-out fielding error in the top of the second and then sent the Mountain Cats down in order in the third.

Bloomsburg tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom of the third against reliever Nathan Bearer - both with two outs - to take a 5-2 lead. After Bearer retired sophomore Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) and OFier to start the frame, he plunked junior Colton Hooker (Warrington, Pa./Upper Moreland) on the foot and then walked Reed to put two runners on. Freshman Jared Burcin (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) came through with a double down the left field line to score Hooker for a 4-2 advantage. Swiger then reached on an infield single to plate Reed for the second run of the inning.

Pitt-Johnstown answered with a run in the top of the fourth against sophomore Brett Alaimo (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) to trim the lead to 5-3 before the Huskies answered with a run in the home half to regain their three-run cushion. Junior Joey Wrabel (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) led off with a perfect bunt single to third and then advanced to second on a single by Krizan. Wrabel advanced to third on a deep fly ball off the bat of Holmes and then scored on an infield single by OFier for the only run of the frame.

Alaimo ran into trouble in the fifth but was able to get out of the inning unscathed. A pair of walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases with one out before OFier made a great play on a short hop at second base to start an inning-ending double play to keep the three-run lead intact. Alaimo pitched around a two-out single in the sixth but then ran into trouble in the seventh and, this time, could not get out of the inning. Clark walked and then was bunted over to second by Trexler to start the inning. Thompson was hit by a pitch and then Boston Bradley singled to load the bases with one out. Alaimo walked Tyler Smith to bring home the first run of the inning, and to end his afternoon, as Pitt-Johnstown cut the lead to 6-4. Redshirt sophomore James Reardon IV (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) came on and promptly walked Ty Treese on four pitches to pull the Mountain Cats within one at 6-5. However, Reardon was able to retire Dylan Conrad on strikes and then got a flyout from Scott Lucas to end the frame.

In the home half, the Huskies got both runs back thanks to a sacrifice fly from Burcin and an RBI single from Edgette to extend the lead to 8-5. Reardon set the Mountain Cats down in order in the top of the eighth and then the Huskies blew the game open.

The eighth inning featured seven runs on five hits, five walks, a wild pitch, and a balk as Bloomsburg built up a 15-5 advantage. Hooker drove home the first run with an RBI single and then, two batters later, Burcin came through with a two-run single for an 11-5 lead. Edgette, redshirt freshman Christian Ciotti (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township), and OFier also had run-scoring singles while Holmes drew a bases-loaded free pass to drive home the other run of the inning.

Redshirt sophomore JJ Spehrley (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) finished off the day after pitching around a pair of singles in the top of the ninth.

Stoner was credited with the victory as he improved to 5-1 on the season. He allowed two runs on five hits while striking out a pair in the first three innings. Alaimo followed by going the next 3.1 innings. He was charged with three runs on three hits while walking five and striking out one. Reardon allowed a walk and struck out two batters in 1.2 innings of hitless relief. Spehrley pitched a scoreless ninth. Supanick dropped to 1-2 on the season as he allowed three runs on two hits and five walks in two innings.

The Huskies collected 15 hits in the contest. Edgette finished 3-of-6 with two runs scored, a home run, and four runs batted in. Burcin drove in a career-high four runs while going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Swiger, Krizan, OFier, and Hooker also had two hits each with Swiger and Hooker tying for the team-high with three runs apiece.

Bloomsburg will tangle with Millersville University in a four-game series beginning Friday, May 4 in Millersville. The teams will then reconvene at Danny Litwhiler Field on Saturday, May 5, for Senior Day. Both doubleheaders will begin at 1:00 p.m. The series could determine the PSAC East regular-season championship and will have enormous seeding implications for the PSAC tournament which is slated to begin on Wednesday, May 9, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.