Baseball | 2/23/2020 6:33:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HAMPTON, Va. - The Bloomsburg University baseball team wrapped up the two-day Builder Invitational, hosted by the Newport News Apprentice School, on Sunday with a pair of convincing victories. Bloomsburg opened the day with a 5-1 win over The Apprentice School and then finished off the sweep with a 13-1 victory over Virginia State to conclude the opening weekend with a 3-1 record.

Senior Brett Alaimo (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) delivered a sensational game-one start on Sunday as he picked up his first collegiate victory by allowing just an unearned run on six hits in seven-and-a-third innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Alaimo, who pitched only two innings all of last season, made just his second collegiate start with his first lasting just two-thirds of an inning against Kutztown back on April 11, 2018. His outing on Sunday was easily the longest stint of his career as he threw 95 pitches against the Builders with 61 thrown for strikes.

Freshman Alex Cornell (Drexel Hill, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) pitched the final inning-and-two-thirds to close out the Huskies' victory.

Bloomsburg scored a run in the top of the first on an RBI groundout from redshirt sophomore Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) that plated senior Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) who had led off the game with a single.

It remained a 1-0 Huskies' lead until the bottom of the fourth when the Builders plated an unearned run against the senior righthander to tie the game at 1-1.

Bloomsburg put Alaimo in line for the victory as it scored four times in the top of the eighth to break the game open. Junior Jared Burcin (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and then advanced to second on a sacrifice from senior Cole Swiger (Maple Glen, Pa./Upper Dublin). After the Builders recorded the second out of the inning, redshirt junior Christian Ciotti (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) kept the inning alive with an infield single to put runners on the corners with two outs. Senior Nate Krizan (Montoursville, Pa./Loyalsock Township) followed with a single to drive home Burcin which gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead. Back-to-back walks to Holmes and junior Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area) plated the second run of the inning and junior Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) followed with a two-run single to right for the final runs of the frame.

Alaimo recorded the first out of the eighth and then gave way to Cornell who finished off the Builders for the victory.

Ciotti, who had four hits in his first two seasons with the Huskies, went 3-for-4 at the plate in game one as he had three of Bloomsburg's nine hits. Six other players had a hit apiece.

Tyler Knapp suffered the loss for the Builders as he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in two-and-a-third innings of relief.

Junior Nick Stoner (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) got the victory in game two for the Huskies as Bloomsburg completed the sweep with a 13-1 win over Virginia State. Stats were not available from game two at the time of posting.

The Huskies will be back in action on Saturday, February 29, when they head to Davis & Elkins for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. The two teams will meet again on Sunday, March 1, for a single nine-inning game starting at 12:00 p.m.