WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Junior Nicolette Ray (Abington, Pa./Abington) had a career day at the plate to lead the Bloomsburg University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Winston-Salem State University, Sunday afternoon. The Huskies won the first game 11-7 before capping the day with a 10-5 victory in the second game. The Huskies improved to 7-3 on the year and have won six-straight games. The Rams dropped to 5-13 after the sweep.
Between the two games, Ray was 6-for-10 at the plate with seven RBI, six in the second game alone, and two runs scored. Three of Ray's hits were for extra bases, including a pair of home runs in game two. Ray went down on strikes just once in 10 plate appearances.
The Huskies appeared to break the game wide open in the first after taking a 2-1 lead through two innings and scoring five in the third to lead 7-1. The Huskies loaded the bases in the top of the third as sophomore Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) walked to occupy the open first base. Junior Briannah Dobson (York, Pa./Central York) reached on a fielder's choice that got senior Kelsey Impink (Perkiomenville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) out at third, but sophomore Rebecca Rossi (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area) was able to come home. Senior Julia Knight (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) followed with a single to left and advanced to second on a throwing error as Starr scored. Tyler White (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) brought home Dobson with a fielder's choice before Knight crossed the plate thanks to a single from Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin).
Bloomsburg reloaded the bases as Rossi walked in her second at-bat of the inning, but a foul out to left field left the bases loaded with the Huskies leading 7-1.
The insurance runs came in handy for Bloomsburg as the Rams cut it to a two-run game with one swing of the bat. With one out, A Morrison walked to load the bases for Winston-Salem, and A Himes homered to clear the bases and cut the lead to 7-5. Junior Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) got S Brown to go down swinging and end the inning.
Both Bloomsburg and the Rams had base runners in the fourth, but neither team could capitalize on the runners, and the score remained 7-5 in favor of the Huskies.
Once again, the Huskies had the bases loaded in the fifth, and Starr reached on a fielder's choice to bring home DelPierre, but Rossi was out at third. Ray collected her first RBI of the day as she singled home Impink, but Starr was thrown out at third trying for an extra-base to end the inning. Bloomsburg led 9-5.
The Rams needed just one swing again to cut the lead back to two as S Brown homered, and Himes scored to cut the lead to 9-7 in the fifth. Wild got another strikeout and a pop up to end the frame.
Bloomsburg got one run back on a sac fly from DelPierre in the sixth, and Wild set the Rams down in order in the home half of the inning. The Huskies tacked on their last run of the game thanks to a passed ball that brought Impink home.
Wild got a pair of pop-ups to open the seventh before walking Himes for the last Rams base runner. Wild set Brown down with a swinging strikeout for her 11th strikeout of the day.
Wild picked up her fifth win of the season and her third double-digit strikeout game of the season. Wild went the distance for the fifth time this year. The junior allowed seven runs, all earned, on six hits, six walks, while striking out 11.
Ray had three hits while DelPierre, Impink, Knight, and Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) each collected a pair of hits. DelPierre drove in a team-best three runs while Knight scored three times.
The Bloomsburg bats stayed hot in the second game despite the short break between games and put up four runs in the top of the first. DelPierre scored the game's first run as she came home, thanks to a wild pitch. With Starr and Impink on the bases, Ray launched her first home run of the season to give Bloomsburg a 4-0 lead to open the game.
After a scoreless bottom the first and top of the second, the Rams cut the lead in half with a two-run single from Brown.
Dobson extended the Huskies lead to 5-2 in the third as she collected her second home run of the season. Ray then launched her second home run of the day, this time of the two-run variety with Impink on base, to give Bloomsburg a 7-2 lead in the top of the fourth.
The Rams did not go quietly and put up a three-run fourth to cut the lead down to two, 7-5.
The Huskies had other plans, however, and completed the sweep behind a three-run fifth to take a 10-5 lead, and Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte) allowed just four base runners over the final three innings to seal the victory.
Baney earned the win after going all 7.0 innings and allowed just five runs, two earned, on nine hits, four walks, and one hit by a pitch. Baney struck out five batters.
Ray went 3-for-5 once again, this time with two home runs, six RBI, two runs, and did not strike out. Her two home runs and six RBI were both single-game career highs for the junior. Impink scored twice for the Huskies.
Bloomsburg continues its spring break trip as the Huskies travel to Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Tuesday for a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader.
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