GAME 1 HTML BOX SCORE | GAME 2 HTML BOX SCORE

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team was kept quiet offensively on Friday afternoon as it dropped both games of its series-opening doubleheader at Millersville University. The Marauders won game one, 9-1, and then completed the sweep with a 4-2 victory in game two. Bloomsburg dropped to 28-15 overall and 16-10 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division while Millersville improved to 30-16 overall and 18-8 in the division.

With the losses to Millersville, coupled with West Chester's sweep over Mansfield on Friday, the Huskies dropped to third place in the PSAC Eastern Division with one day remaining in the regular season. All three teams, however, have already punched their tickets to the PSAC tournament which is slated to begin next Wednesday in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The Huskies ran into Eli Nabholz in game one and the Marauders provided the righthander all the offense he would need in the home half of the first inning.

Junior Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) took the mound in game one but was greeted rudely as Millersville scored five runs on six hits in the first to take a 5-0 lead. Ben Snyder drove home the first run on an RBI fielder's choice and then Dominic Hardaway and Luke Trainer provided back-to-back run-scoring singles to extend the lead to 3-0. Eric Callahan capped off the inning with a two-out, two-run double for a 5-0 Millersville advantage.

Nabholz made one mistake and it came in the top of the third inning when junior Colton Hooker (Warrington, Pa./Upper Moreland) deposited a 2-1 offering over the right field fence to lead off the frame and to cut the lead to 5-1. It was Hooker's second home run of the season.

After the five-run first, Raines settled down and tossed four more innings for the Huskies. Most of the damage was done in the first but he did allow a run on three hits in the bottom of the fourth as Millersville took a 6-1 lead. The Marauders then scored three times, on four hits, against sophomore Ed Herbener (Freeland, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) in the bottom of the sixth to cap off the scoring.

Nabholz needed only 92 pitches (64 strikes) to earn the complete-game victory. He improved to 8-3 on the season after allowing only a run on three hits. He walked two and struck out seven. Raines suffered his second consecutive loss after starting the year with a 6-0 record. He was charged with six runs on 11 hits while walking one and striking out three.

Along with Hooker's home run in the third, freshman Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) and sophomore Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) were the only other Huskies to record a hit off of Nabholz. Meanwhile, Millersville had 15 hits in the opener - three each from Kaylor Kulina, Jimmy Cain, and Callahan.

Game two turned out to be a pretty good pitcher's duel between sophomore JJ Spehrley (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville Area) and Millersville's Cordell Shannon.

The Marauders wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Cole Friese led off the home half of the first with a triple and then scampered home on a Kulina groundout to give Millersville a 1-0 lead. The lead grew to 2-0 in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from Snyder as he plated Friese who led off the inning by getting hit with a pitch.

It remained that way until the top of the fifth when the Huskies scored twice to tie the game at 2-2. Hooker started the rally with a leadoff walk and then advanced to second on a groundout from freshman Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown). Sophomore Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) then walked to put runners at first and second with one out. Redshirt senior Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East) stepped up to the plate and drove home both Hooker and Swiger with a two-run double to knot the score at 2-2.

The Marauders, however, got both runs back in the home half of the fifth to regain their two-run lead at 4-2. Kulina doubled to lead off the inning and, two batters later, scored on a sacrifice fly from Cain. Hardaway followed with a two-out single, stole second, and then scored on a single from Bobby Dorta for the second run of the inning.

Dorta replaced Shannon and was greeted by a double from freshman Kyle OFier (Pittston, Pa./Pittston Area) to lead off the sixth. But, the Huskies could not capitalize and Millersville maintained its 4-2 advantage.

Freshman Nick Stoner (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) relieved Spehrley in the sixth and pitched around a pair of walks to give the Huskies a chance in the seventh. Lefthander Christian Wingard started the seventh and had one job - to attempt to retire Edgette. He did his job as Edgette flew out to center for the first out of the inning. Mike Mock then came on and retired Newbert before walking Krizan and sophomore Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) to put runners at first and second. But, Mock struck out OFier to end the game, earn his first save of the season, and complete the sweep.

Spehrley dropped to 6-2 on the season as he allowed four runs on eight hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out one. Stoner pitched the sixth and allowed two walks in his scoreless inning of relief. Shannon improved to 5-1 on the year after allowing two runs on three hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out five.

Edgette, Cooperman, OFier, and Reed had the Huskies' hits in game two. Kulina had two of Millersville's eight hits.

The teams will meet at Danny Litwhiler Field on Saturday afternoon with the Huskies looking to even the series on the final day of the regular season. It will also be Senior Day for the Huskies as Bloomsburg will honor Austin Edgette (Exton, Pa./Downingtown East), Zach Meyer (Muncy Valley, Pa./Sullivan County), Mike Warren (Garnerville, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional), and Shane Woelfel (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) prior to game one. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.