Softball | 4/8/2019 9:59:00 AM

 
 THE STORY
• The Bloomsburg University softball team wraps up a six-game road trip with a doubleheader at Millersville University Tuesday afternoon. The Huskies enter the contest at 16-13 overall, and locked in a tie atop the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central at 5-3 after a pair of twinbill splits with IUP and Pitt-Johnstown this weekend, while the Marauders come into the day at 18-21, and just 1-5 in the PSAC Eastern Division.

THE HISTORY: BLOOMSBURG vs. MILLERSVILLE
• The Huskies have dominated the all-time series with Millersville, holding an 85-10 advantage over the Marauders historically, but Millersville has the edge most recently, sweeping a doubleheader at Hutchinson Field a season ago. Bloomsburg fell 14-2 in five innings in game one and dropped game two 5-2. Alexa Erney (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) went 2-for-3 with an RBI single on the day for the Huskies, while Rebecca Blatt and Faith Willenbrock both belted homers for the Marauders in the wins. The Huskies last victories in the series came back on April 11, 2017, when Bloomsburg swept Millersville in a pair of games at Seaber Softball Stadium. 

THE HUSKIES AT A GLANCE
• Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte) hurled another three-hit shutout gem as the Huskies split a PSAC Central doubleheader at Pitt-Johnstown Sunday afternoon. Baney surrendered just three hits and a walk with five strikeouts en route to her fourth shutout victory of the season, while Erney smacked her fourth home run of the season in the 3-2 win. Bloomsburg dropped game 7-2, but got RBI singles from Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and Kelsey Impink (Schwenksville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley). The Huskies went 2-2 in PSAC Central action on the weekend, splitting a pair of games at IUP on Saturday. Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) tossed a complete game two-hitter in a 4-1 victory in game one, but the Crimson Hawks bounced back to take game two by a 3-1 final. 

• Baney has been on fire as of late, allowing just four earned runs over her last 44.2 innings of work. The sophomore is now 6-7 with a 2.74 ERA and 70 strikeouts with just 26 walks. Baney has fanned at least five batters in each of her last eight starts. Wild has been equally impressive this year, ranking fourth in the PSAC with a 1.52 earned run average (ERA) in 92.0 innings pitched. Wild is 10-6 with a team-high 92 strikeouts, and is allowing opponents to hit a paltry .198 this season, which ranks third in the conference.

• DelPierre, who leads Bloomsburg in batting average (.451) and RBI (19), is riding a 17-game hitting streak into Tuesday's games. Emily Getz (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) is batting .415 on the season and ranks seventh in the PSAC in on-base percentage (.492). Taylor Winkelman (Springfield, Pa/Springfield) is hitting .295 with nine RBI and 16 runs scored, while freshman Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) is batting .281 with 12 RBI and a team-high 25 runs scored. Fellow frosh Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./21st Century Cyber Charter) and Erney have each popped four home runs on the year, and Shelhamer is batting .250 with 14 RBI, two dingers, and 13 runs scored. Impink leads Bloomsburg in doubles this seaon with six.

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS
• Millersville enters Tuesday's games at 18-21 overall after sweeping a double-dip with Goldey-Beacom College on Sunday. Rebecca Blatt and Maggie Murphy each went 4-for-8 on the day at the plate, while Catherine Johnson allowed just one hit in 4.0 innings in game two. The sweep comes at just the right time for the Marauders, who had dropped six of their last seven contests prior to Sunday.

• Willenbrock has had a tremendous year at the plate for the Marauders this season. She leads the team in batting average (.389), , RBI (32), and doubles (11), and leads the entire PSAC in home runs with nine. The sophomore also ranks third in the PSAC in slugging percentage (.735), and seventh in total hits (44). Brianna Battavio is batting .312 with 23 RBI and four homers, and also ranks second in the conference in walks with 22. Johnson is hitting .304 with nine RBI, and Maggie Murphy is batting .299 with 20 RBI, four home runs, and 10 runs scored.

• The Millersville pitching rotation is anchored by sophomore Catherine Johnson and junior Emma Bevard. Bevard is 7-5 with a 3.42 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 86.0 innings of work, while Johnson is 9-7 with a 4.65 ERA and a team-high 47 strikeouts in 81.1 innings pitched. Maddie Guinane has appeared in 14 games on the season. primarily in relief, and has a 4.29 ERA, and Brianna White has made seven starts and has a 4.42 ERA and 23 strikeouts.

LOOKING AHEAD
• Bloomsburg returns home for a pair of PSAC Central battles against Clarion and Mansfield this weekend. The Huskies host Clarion Friday afternoon with first pitch in game one set for 2:30 p.m., and battle Mansfield Saturday afternoon with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.