Softball | 4/26/2019 11:14:00 AM
BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES (26-15, 11-5Â PSACÂ CENTRAL)
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THE STORY
• The Bloomsburg University softball team closes out the 2019 regular season with a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central doubleheaders against Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and Clarion University this weekend. The Huskies, who are in sole possession of first place in the PSAC Central entering the weekend, will host IUP in a doubleheader Saturday, before heading to Clarion to wrap up the regular season with a twinbill Sunday.
REGIONAL RANKINGS
• After a 4-10 start to the 2019 season, the Huskies have rattled off 22 victories in their last 27 games and are currently ranked sixth in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional poll released on Wednesday afternoon. Bloomsburg is 26-15 overall, and a perfect 12-0 at home entering Saturday's doubleheader against IUP.Â
THE HISTORY: BLOOMSBURG vs. CLARION & IUP
• The Huskies are 25-0 all-time against Clarion, including a pair of victories over the Golden Eagles earlier this season. Bloomsburg split a doubleheader at IUP back on April 6, and holds a 62-13 all-time advantage over the Crimson Hawks.
Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) tossed a two-hit shutout in the Huskies 4-1 win over IUP, while
Marissa Shelhamer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia) had a pair of home runs in the sweep over Clarion.
THE HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
• Bloomsburg is coming off of a pair of lopsided victories at Holy Family on Tuesday afternoon after taking game one 20-2 in five innings and then completing the sweep with a 14-1 victory in game two.Â
• The Huskies are sixth in the conference with a team batting average of .300 on the year. Freshman
Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) is having a sensational season at the plate in her first year with the Huskies as she sports a .429 batting average (60-of-140) with 26 runs scored and 28 runs batted in. A trio of seniors -
Emily Getz (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown),
Alexa Erney (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley), and
Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield)Â - are also hitting above .300 on the year. Shelhamer, the fourth Bloomsburg senior, is hitting .281 (34-of-127) with five home runs and 27 runs batted in. Another freshman,
Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./21st Century Cyber Charter), is also having a solid first year at the plate as she has five home runs and a team-leading 29 RBI while batting .276 (32-of-116).
• In the circle, the Huskies lead the PSAC with a 2.25 team ERA as sophomores
Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte)Â and Wild have seen all but 15 innings of the work during the season. Wild is 15-7 with a 1.88 ERA in 26 appearances (20 starts). She is holding opponents to a .206 batting average on the year and has struck out 134 batters in 130 innings. Baney is 11-8 with a 2.23 ERA in 24 appearances (19 starts). She leads the staff with five shutouts and is limiting opponents to just a .222 average.
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON HAWKS
• IUP enters the weekend with a 9-6 record in the PSAC Central with Saturday's double-dip against Bloomsburg and a home twinbill with Pitt-Johnstown remaining. In addition, the Crimson Hawks have not yet completed the second game of a doubleheader with Mansfield, but lead the contest 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth.Â
• The IUP offense is led by Renee Wall, who leads the team in batting average (.364), hits (39), runs batted in (30), runs scored (31) and home runs (4). Kaitlyn Beers boasts a .281 batting average with four dingers and 19 runs batted in, while Kassie Kesneck is batting .311 and has 28 runs scored.
• Lauren Zola has started 19 games in the circle for IUP and has a 5-12 record on the year. She has posted a 3.11 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 126 innings of work. Brooklyn Kotula has posted a 5-6 mark, striking out 44 batters in 83 innings.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
• 2019 has been a struggle for Clarion, who will look to earn its first wins of the season on Saturday at Lock Haven and Sunday against the Huskies. The Golden Eagles fell to 0-39, and 0-16 in the PSAC Central with a pair of losses to Pitt-Johnston on Wednesday, despite a strong performance in the circle from Chelsea Liroff, who allowed just one earned run and five hits in a pair of relief appearances.
• Mackenzie Wolfe is batting .330 with 10 RBI and a team-high 21 runs scored this season, while Jessica Cartia is hitting .309 with a team-high 22 runs batted in. Rebecca Kelley has posted a .309 batting average with 18 RBI, and Moriah Lynn is the fourth Golden Eagle with a batting average north of .300, hitting .308 with 12 RBI and 20 runs scored.
• Liroff sports a 4.75 ERA in 21 appearances in the circle for Clarion, while Macy Rubin has started a team-high 19 games and has 41 strikeouts. Kira Smith has made 12 starts on the year.
LOOKING AHEAD
• The PSAC Tournament is set to begin next Wednesday, May 1, at Veterans Park in Quakertown, PA. The Huskies are in sole possession of first place in the PSAC Central entering the weekend, but have not yet clinched a postseason berth.
