Baseball | 3/15/2019 11:40:00 PM

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COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team saw its six-game winning streak come to an end on Friday afternoon as the Huskies dropped a 13-12 decision to St. Thomas Aquinas in a neutral site contest. Bloomsburg dropped to 8-2 overall while the Spartans won for the sixth time in their last seven games to improve to 6-7 overall.

Bloomsburg jumped out to an 8-0 advantage through two innings as it scored two runs in the first and six in the second. Senior Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) had an RBI single in the first inning to score junior Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin) who reached on a one-out single. Freshman Gianni Sinatore (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) plated the other run on a bases loaded walk to score sophomore Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area).

In the second, OFier extended the lead to 3-0 with a run-scoring single which was followed by a bases loaded free pass to Shiffer for a 4-0 advantage. Junior Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) then lifted a sacrfice fly for the third run of the inning and a 5-0 lead. Sinatore added the big blow of the frame as he belted his first career home run - a three-run shot - to give the Huskies an 8-0 cushion.

The Spartans, however, came back with six runs in the fourth and seven runs in the seventh to take a 13-8 lead. In those two innings, Bloomsburg shot itself in the foot by making four costly errors while also allowing a pair of walks and three hit batsmen.

Bloomsburg made a rally in the top of the eighth. OFier led off the inning with a solo home run to cut the deficit to 13-9. After a strikeout, Holmes, Sinatore, and junior Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Home School) strung together three consecutive singles to load the bases. Following a lengthy rain delay, freshman Anthony Viggiano (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven), who came into the game in the sixth, appeared to tie the game at 13-13 with a game-tying grand slam home run. However, the blast was ruled a foul ball which erased the four runs. Viggiano, however, did end up drawing a bases loaded walk to bring the score to 13-10. Two more free passes to redshirt freshman Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) and Swiger pulled the Huskies to within a run at 13-12. But, the Spartans got out of the inning when OFier flew out to the fence to end the frame.

The Huskies went 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth as the Spartans hung on for the one-run victory.

Senior Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) went four innings and was followed by junior Ed Herbener (Drums, Pa./MMI Preparatory School), senior Zach Newmyer (New Cumberland, Pa./Red Land), and senior Trey Hinkle (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) on the mound.

Bloomsburg and St. Thomas Aquinas will meet for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 16, before both teams will head back north to start conference play. Tomorrow's twinbill starts at 12:00 p.m.

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