GAME 1 HTML BOX SCORE | GAME 2 HTML BOX SCORE

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team suffered a pair of losses at West Chester University on Friday afternoon as the teams opened a four-game weekend series at Serpico Stadium. The Huskies dropped the opener by a 4-3 final and then suffered a 12-3 setback in game two to fall to 31-12 overall and 18-8 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division standings. The Golden Rams improved to 27-13 overall and 17-9 in league play.

Coupled with Millersville's sweep of Lock Haven on Friday, the Huskies have been eliminated from the PSAC Eastern Division regular season title but can still clinch the second seed in the east with one victory against the Golden Rams on Saturday afternoon.

In the opener, senior Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) took the mound and allowed a pair of first-inning runs - one unearned - as the Golden Rams took a 2-0 advantage. Both runs came after a strikeout and a grounder back to the mound on the opening two batters of the game.

The score remained intact until the bottom of the fourth when West Chester plated an unearned run to extend the lead to 3-0. The advantage ballooned to 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Joe Cirolli belted his PSAC-leading 14th home run of the season on the first pitch of the at-bat against Raines.

Bloomsburg, which was limited to three hits through the first five innings, mounted a rally in the top of the sixth. Sophomore Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) reached on an error with one out and scored when sophomore Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area) launched a mammoth two-run home run to right field to cut the lead to 4-2. It was OFier's team-leading 11th home run of the season - the third-highest single-season total in program history trailing only Ryan Kirman's 16 in 2016 and Matt Karchner's 14 in 1989.

The Huskies, however, were not done in the sixth as redshirt freshman Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) followed OFier's blast with a single and then advanced to third on the double down the left field line off the bat of junior Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin). After a groundout, junior Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) reached first base - despite striking out - because of an error on the West Chester catcher. The error allowed Chasanov to score and Swiger moved up to third as the tying run. But, West Chester reliever Nick Picariello struck out junior Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Home School) to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, sophomore Jared Burcin (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) reached on a one-out single and then was lifted for redshirt sophomore pinch runner Christian Ciotti (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township). Ciotti took second on a wild pitch with two outs in the inning before Picariello was able to retire OFier on a popup to first to end the ballgame.

Raines dropped to 6-2 on the season after allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits. He walked two and struck out four. Senior Trey Hinkle (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) kept his scoreless inning streak intact by pitching around a two-out walk in a scoreless bottom of the sixth. Hinkle has not allowed a run in 17.2 innings over the course of 13 appearances.

West Chester starter Zach Rice improved to 5-2 after allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits in five and a-third innings. He walked two and struck out four. Picariello recorded his first save of the season as he allowed one hit while striking out three in an inning and two-thirds.

Bloomsburg had seven hits in the opener - two from Chasanov and one each from Holmes, Krizan, Burcin, OFier, and Swiger. Senior Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) saw his 17-game hitting streak come to an end in game one.

Things did not go well for the Huskies from the outset in game two as the Golden Rams scored eight first-inning runs off of sophomore starter Nick Stoner (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) to take an 8-0 advantage. Only three of the runs were earned as West Chester took advantage of a pair of costly errors in the frame.

Bloomsburg got a pair of runs back in the top of the second on a two-out, two-run single from sophomore Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) as he drove home both Chasanov and Newbert to cut the deficit to 8-2.

West Chester scored its other four runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 12-2 before the Huskies finished off the scoring with a run in the top of the seventh as Holmes brought home Swiger on a run-scoring double down the left field line.

The outcome ruined a sensational performance by junior Ed Herbener (Drums, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) out of the Huskies' bullpen. He came on with two outs in the bottom of the first and ended up pitching four and a-third innings of scoreless relief, allowing only two hits while striking out four.

Stoner suffered the loss as he fell to 5-3 on the season. He recorded only two outs in the first inning before Herbener came on and provided some excellent damage control. Freshman Anthony Donato (Madison Township, Pa./North Pocono) pitched the sixth inning for the Huskies.

Jon Fisher earned the victory for West Chester as he improved to 6-3 on the year. He allowed two runs on two hits in six innings, walked four and struck out four. Michael Deitz pitched the seventh and allowed a run on two hits.

Bloomsburg was limited to only four hits in game two - one each from Holmes, OFier, Swiger, and Reed.

The Huskies and the Golden Rams will meet at Danny Litwhiler Field on Saturday afternoon to wrap-up the weekend series and close out the regular season. It will also serve as Senior Day for the Huskies as it will mark the final home games for seven seniors - Mark Bobko (Metuchen, N.J./St. Joseph Metuchen), Trey Hinkle (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus), Colton Hooker (Warrington, Pa./Upper Moreland), Zach Newmyer (New Cumberland, Pa./Red Land), Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven), Ryan Shiffer (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South), and Jeremy Zezza (Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.