THE STORY
• The Bloomsburg University softball team looks to stay red hot when they battle Pitt-Johnstown in a crucial Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central doubleheader Thursday afternoon. Bloomsburg has won seven straight games and now sits atop the PSAC Central at 9-3 (22-13 overall) after sweeping Clarion and Mansfield last week, while the Mountain Cats enter the day at 16-14 overall, and 6-6 in the Central Division.
THE HISTORY: BLOOMSBURG vs. PITT-JOHNSTOWN
• The Huskies are 8-2 all-time against Pitt-Johnstown, but the two teams split a pair of meetings in Johnstown earlier this season.
Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte) tossed a three-hit shutout for Bloomsburg in a 3-0 game two victory, while the Mountain Cats earned a 7-2 win in game one. The Huskies swept a pair of home meetings with Pitt-Johnstown in 2018.
PSAC CENTRAL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
• Senior infielder
Alexa Erney (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) was named PSAC Central Athlete of the Week after powering the Huskies to a perfect 6-0 record last week. Erney batted .615 (8-of-13) with five runs scored, two home runs, and five runs batted in during the six games while also walking twice and getting hit by a pitch three times. The senior has been the main source of power for the Huskies this season, smashing a team-high six home runs and tallying 13 runs batted in on the year. She currently leads the Huskies in batting average (.436), and has a team-high .923 slugging percentage.
THE HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
• Bloomsburg enters Thursday's games having won seven consecutive contests after a huge doubleheader sweep over Mansfield University on Saturday.
Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) notched a pair of victories in the circle for the Huskies, who rolled to a 4-1 victory in game one and rallied to down the Mountaineers 8-5 in game two. Bloomsburg trailed 2-0 late in the second game, but erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the twinbill sweep.
• With her two wins on Saturday, Wild is now 14-6 with a 1.45 earned run average (ERA) and team-high 121 strikeouts in 115.2 innings pitched. Baney has been equally impressive, sporting a 2.53 ERA with 84 strikeouts and just 33 walks. The sophomore has allowed just two earned runs over her last 19.1 innings of work.
• In addition to Erney, the Bloomsburg offense is powered by freshman
Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), who is batting .430 with 22 RBI and 18 runs scored.
Marissa Shelhamer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) is batting .282 with four homers and a team-high 23 runs batted in, while freshman
Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./21st Century Cyber Charter) has four home runs and 21 RBI.
Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) is the third key freshman in the Huskies lineup this season, hitting .277 with 17 RBI and a team-high 29 runs scored.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN CATS
• Pitt-Johnstown enters Thursday's games at 6-6 in the PSAC Central after splitting a doubleheader with Lock Haven last Saturday. The Mountain Cats fell 3-0 in game one, but bounced back for a 3-1 victory in game two thanks to a pair of RBI from Jade Stubblefield.
• Stubblefield has been a force offensively for Pitt-Johnstown this season, leading the team in batting average (.402), runs batted in (25), home runs (3), and runs scored (22). Kristie Radvan is hitting .333 with a pair of homers and 24 RBI, while Morgan Cannin is batting .312 with 22 runs scored.
• Kristen Coffay has made 13 starts in the circle for the Mountain Cats this season and has a .249 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 87.0 innings of work. Alyssa Hileman is 6-2 with a team-low 1.96 ERA and 19 strikeouts, while Ashley Pagliei has made eight starts and sports a 5.44 earned run average.
LOOKING AHEAD
• Bloomsburg hits the road for an important PSAC Central doubleheader at Lock Haven Saturday afternoon. The Huskies swept a pair of games with the Bald Eagles back on March 30, and are currently two games clear of Lock Haven in the PSAC Central standings. First pitch in game one Saturday is set for 1:00 p.m.
