ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Bloomsburg University softball team split its doubleheader with Eckerd College, Tuesday night. The Huskies took the first game 8-7 before the Tritons hung on for a 5-4 win in the night cap. Bloomsburg improved to 8-4 on the year while Eckerd moved to 9-13.
 
Bloomsburg jumped out to the early lead in game one as sophomore Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) singled to bring home junior Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and push Kelsey Impink (Perkiomenville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) to third. Redshirt junior Nicolette Ray (Abington, Pa./Abington) hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Impink and give the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the first.
 
After a scoreless bottom of the first and top of the second, the Triton jumped out to a 4-2 lead with a four-run second. Eckerd scored four runs on five hits, including two extra base hits – a two-run triple and RBI double.

The lead would be short lived, however, as Bloomsburg put together its own four-run inning. Starr got the scoring going with a blooper single to second base that brought home DelPierre and Tyler White (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin). Ray continued her hot hitting with a single to left to bring home Impink. With two runners on and no one out, Briannah Dobson (York, Pa./Central York) grounded into a double play that brought Starr home and gave the Huskies a 6-4 lead.
 
Starr and Ray combined for two RBI singles in the fifth to push the Huskies lead to 8-4, and the insurance runs proved to be necessary.
 
The Tritons put up three runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 8-7. Bloomsburg went 1-2-3 in the sixth and junior Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) pitched her way out of bases-loaded trouble in the sixth getting a groundout to end the frame without Eckerd tying the game. Ray laced a one-out double to left in the top of the seventh but the Huskies couldn't bring her home and Wild took the circle for the final inning.
 
With runners on the corners and two out, Wild got Skylar Redish swinging to end the game and pick up her sixth win of the year.
 
Starr led the Huskies at the plate in the first game going 3-for-4 with four runs batted in and a run scored while DelPierre and Impink each scored three times. Ray was 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBI.

Wild threw a complete game allowing seven runs, four earned, on 11 hits and four walks. Wild struck out five batters.
 
Eckerd and Bloomsburg traded four-run innings – the Tritons posted four in the bottom of the first and the Huskies answered with four in the top of the third.
 
With the bases loaded, Rebecca Rossi (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area) drew a walk for the first run of the game for Bloomsburg as Dobson came home. DelPierre followed with a bases-clearing double to drive home Rossi, Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh), and Julia Knight (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville).
The next three full were innings were quiet with neither team able to get a runner past second until the bottom of the sixth. With one out and runner at third, Hannah Famiano grounded out and Kayelee Newstrom was able to come home for what proved to be the game-winning run.
 
The Huskies put together a comeback attempt and loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh but couldn't get the game-tying or winning run home and Eckerd held on for the 5-4 win.
 
DelPierre led the Huskies at the plate going 3-for-3 with three RBI while Dobson and Knight each collected a pair of runs
 
Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte) took the loss for Bloomsburg pitching all 6.0 innings. Baney allowed five runs, all earned, on seven hits and three walks. Baney struck out six.
 
The Huskies get right back to action on Wednesday as they head to Saint Leo University for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader in Saint Leo, Florida.