Softball | 4/11/2019 9:43:00 AM
BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES (18-13, 5-3 PSAC CENTRAL)
THE STORY
• The Bloomsburg University softball team returns home following a six-game road trip for a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central doubleheaders against Clarion and Mansfield. The Huskies are 18-13 overall and are coming off an impressive sweep at Millersville on Tuesday. Bloomsburg has won 14 of its last 17 games overall, and is tied atop the PSAC Central with a 5-3 record in the division. Mansfield is also 5-3 in the PSAC Central, including a split with the Huskies back on March 28, while Clarion is winless in 31 games this season.
SCHEDULE CHANGE
Due to impending poor weather in the forecast this weekend, the Huskies doubleheader with Clarion Friday has been moved up one hour and will now start at 1:00 p.m. from Hutchinson Field. Saturday's twinbill with Mansfield will still start at 1:00 p.m.
THE HISTORY: BLOOMSBURG vs. CLARION & MANSFIELD
• The Huskies are a perfect 23-0 against the Golden Eagles, sweeping both doubleheaders last season.
Kalynn Wheeland (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) was dominant in four games against Clarion in 2018, racking up nine RBI in the series. Bloomsburg holds a 107-15 all-time advantage over Mountaineers, but the two teams split a doubleheader at Mansfield back on March 28 of this year. The Mountaineers earned a 3-2 victory in game one thanks to a walk-off RBI double from Joelle Snyder in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Huskies bounced back with a 3-0 win on game two. Bloomsburg hurler
Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte) struck out eight and allowed just four hits in the shutout victory.
THE HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
•
Alexa Erney (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) mashed her fifth home run of the season in game one and Baney twirled a three-hit shutout in game two as the Huskies cruised to a doubleheader sweep at Millersville Tuesday afternoon. he Huskies plated a pair of runs in the sixth inning en route to a 4-2 win in game one, and cruised to a 9-0 five-inning victory in game two. With the wins, Bloomsburg improves to 18-13 overall on the season.
Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) struck out 11 batters and surrendered just two earned runs en route to her 11th win of the season in game one, while
Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield) went 3-for-5 with a run scored at the plate. Baney followed with a stellar performance in the circle in game two, limiting the Marauders to just three hits over five innings to earn her fifth shutout victory of the season.
• Baney has been on a pitching tear as of late, allowing just four earned runs over her last 49.2 innings of work. The sophomore is now 7-7 with a 2.58 ERA and 75 strikeouts with just 27 walks. She leads the team in shutouts (5) and has also recorded a save in her 86.2 innings of work on the year. Wild has been equally impressive this season, ranking third in the PSAC with a 1.56 earned run average (ERA), and fourth in total strikeouts with 101. Wild is 11-6 on the season and is allowing opponents to hit a paltry .192 this season, which ranks second in the PSAC this season.
• With her two-run blast on Tuesday, Erney now leads the Huskies in home runs this season with five and has went yard in her last two games. Freshman
Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./21st Century Cyber Charter) has four home runs and is second on the team in RBI with 18, while
Marissa Shelhamer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) has two long balls, 16 RBI, and 14 runs scored. Freshman
Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) leads Bloomsburg in batting average (.449) and runs batted in (20), and fellow frosh
Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) is hitting .287 with 14 RBI, four doubles, and a team-high 26 runs scored. Winkelman is hitting .306 with six doubles and nine RBI.
SCOUTING CLARION
• 2019 has been a struggle for the Golden Eagles, who enter Friday's games with an overall record of 0-31 on the season. Clarion is 0-8 in the PSAC Central, and coming off a pair of losses to Mansfield last week. Moriah Lynn went 2-for-3 in game one, while Natalie Else was 1-for-3 and racked up two RBI in game two for the Golden Eagles.
• Makenzie Wolfe leads Clarion in batting average (.337), hits (31), walks (8), on-base percentage (.390), and is tied for the team lead in home runs with four. Jessica Cartia has a .333 batting average and leads the team in RBI with 21, while Lynn has posted a .326 batting average and leads the team in doubles with 11.
• Macy Rubin has made 25 appearances inside the circle for Clarion, but is 0-13 with an 8.61 ERA. The junior leads the team in strikeouts (36) and innings pitched (85.1). Rebecca Kelly has fanned 12 in 29.2 innings of work, and Kira Smith has a 10.26 ERA in 29.1 innings.
SCOUTING MANSFIELD
• Mansfield enters the weekend at 11-9 overall, and 5-3 in the PSAC Central. The Mountaineers are coming off an impressive sweep of Clarion last Sunday, earning a 15-4 win in game one and a 18-5 triumph game two. Leah McGovern, Cassidy Smith, and Snyder all had two RBI in game one, while Alex Hein went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI. Mansfield will travel to Lock Haven Friday afternoon before heading to Bloomsburg on Saturday.
• Senior pitcher Arianna Young holds a 4-3 record and leads the team with a 2.35 ERA and has 29 strikeouts in 53.2 innings this season. Freshman Alexis Easling has been the other go-to hurler for Mansfield, notching a 6-4 record with a 3.42 ERA and a team-high 41 strikeouts.
• Alli McGovern has been tremendous at the plate for the Mountaineers this season. She leads the PSAC in batting average (.527), and has racked up 29 hits and nine RBI. Snyder is hitting .452 with 16 RBI and a .644 slugging percentage, while O'Donnell is batting .393 with 16 runs batted in as well.
LOOKING AHEAD
• Bloomsburg heads back on the road following the weekend's contests for a doubleheader at East Stroudsburg this on Wednesday, April 17. The Huskies will resume PSAC Central play next Friday, April 19, at home against Pitt-Johnstown. First pitch ing ame one with the Warriors is set for 2:30 p.m.
