Softball | 3/29/2019 11:59:00 AM
BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES (10-11, 1-1 PSAC) vs. LOCK HAVEN BALD EAGLES (13-9, 2-0 PSAC)
SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2019 • 1:00 PM (DOUBLEHEADER) • BLOOMSBURG, PA • JAN M. HUTCHINSON FIELD
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY: SCHEDULE • ROSTER • STATISTICS
LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY: SCHEDULE • ROSTER • STATISTICS
GAME LINKS: LIVE STATS
THE STORY
• The Bloomsburg University softball team returns home to host Lock Haven in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central doubleheader Saturday afternoon. Winners of six of their last seven games, the Huskies are 10-11 overall on the season, and 1-1 in the Central after a twinbill split at Mansfield Thursday. The Bald Eagles enter Saturday's games with a 2-0 conference record after a doubleheader sweep over Pitt-Johnstown.
THE HISTORY: BLOOMSBURG vs. LOCK HAVEN
• The Huskies lead the all-time series with Lock Haven 72-35, but the Bald Eagles hold the advantage recently, sweeping a four-game series with Bloomsburg in 2018. Lock Haven downed the Huskies 3-2 and 9-5 in a doubleheader at Hutchinson Field in early April, and claimed 7-3 and 4-1 victories on April 20. Bloomsburg's last victory over the Bald Eagles came back on May 6, 2017, in the PSAC semifinals.
Marissa Shelhamer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) belted a three-run home run in the 7-5 victory.
THE HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
•
Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte) struck out eight in a four-hit shutout in game two as the Huskies opened up PSAC Central play with a doubleheader split at Mansfield Thursday afternoon. The Huskies lost game one 3-2 on a walk-off RBI double by Mansfield's Joelle Snyder in the bottom of the ninth inning, but bounced back to earn a 3-0 victory in game two. Baney surrendered just four hits and three walks in seven innings of work, and went 2-for-3 with a run scored at the plate.
Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield) and
Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) both went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in game two, while Shelhamer was 3-for-3 with a run scored in game one.
Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) took the loss for Bloomsburg in game one, but struck out six and gave up just six hits over nine innings.
• Wild has been sensational in the circle this season, sporting a sterling 1.16 earned run average (ERA) in 70.0 innings of work, which is good for second in the PSAC. The sophomore is 7-5 on the season, and has a team-high 67 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting a paltry .180 off Wild, which is good for third in the conference. Baney has been tremendous as of late for the Huskies are a slow start to the year, posting a 4.78 ERA and notching 42 strikeouts in 52.2 innings. The sophomore has now won three consecutive games and has not allowed an earned run in her last 15.2 innings pitched.
• The Huskies offense has been powered by a trio of freshmen in DelPierre,
Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh), and
Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./21st Century Cyber Charter). DelPierre leads the team in batting average (.458), runs batted in (14), walks (6), and stolen bases (4), while Starr has a team-high three homers and eight RBI. Barnes is hitting .217 with nine RBI, a long ball, two doubles, and a team-high 15 runs scored. Shelhamer is second on the team in RBI (10) and runs scored (10), and Winkelman is batting .316 with seven RBI and nine runs scored.
SCOUTING THE BALD EAGLES
• Lock Haven enters Saturday's games at 13-9 overall, and 2-0 in the PSAC Central after a home sweep over Pitt-Johnstown Thursday. The Bald Eagles, who were a perfect 20-0 in the PSAC Central a year ago, have now won 23 consecutive regular season games against division opponents dating back to the 2017 season. Bekah Slattery allowed just four hits and fanned eight in a complete-game shutout in game one, while Casey Carpenter went 2-for-3 with a homer, double, and two RBI in game two.
• Becca Caputo leads Lock Haven with a .301 batting average and a team-high 15 runs batted in, while Carpenter is hitting .281 with 15 RBI and a team-high five home runs. Faith Ceely is batting .288 and leads the team in stolen bases (10) and runs scored (14), and Mikayla Ruppert is hitting .262 with seven RBI and five runs scored.
• Slattery has been excellent in the circle for the Bald Eagles, leading the PSAC in strikeouts (111) and ranking second in opposing batting average (.179). The senior is 7-6 with a 1.43 ERA and just nine walks in 83.1 innings pitched. Kayla Gee has notched 11 starts for Lock Haven, and has a 4.18 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 57.0 innings of work.
LOOKING AHEAD
• The Huskies will remain home this Wednesday, April, 3 for a doubleheader with Bloomfield College. Bloomsburg returns to conference play next Friday, April 5, at Pitt-Johnstown. First pitch in game one with Bloomfield is set for 2:30 p.m. from Hutchinson Field.
