BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University softball team played on its home field for the first time since 2019, but suffered a tough doubleheader loss to visiting Shepherd, Friday afternoon. In the first game, the Rams defeated the Huskies 11-2 in six innings before the Huskies dropped the night cap 4-0. Bloomsburg falls to 1-3 on the season and in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East action while the Rams improve to 8-1 on the year and 4-0 in the PSAC East.
 
Redshirt junior Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) took the loss in the first game after going 3.0 innings and allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits and two walks while striking out one. Senior Balee Leeser (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) finished out the game for the Huskies pitching 3.0 innings and allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits and four walks. Senior Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte Area) suffered the loss in game two after going the full 7.0 innings and allowing four runs, but just one earned, on seven hits and four walks while striking out two.
 
Shepherd took the lead early in the first game with a run off a throwing error by the Huskies but senior Briannah Dobson (York, Pa./Central York) helped her battery mate get out of a jam but throwing out Tori Seymour trying to steal second with two outs to end the inning. The Huskies got to work right away in the bottom of the first as junior Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) led off the frame with a single through the right side. Starr and junior Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) switched places with a fielder's choice and she eventually came home to score thanks to an infield single from senior Nicolette Ray (Abington, Pa./Abington). Freshman Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) followed with an RBI-single of her own to give Bloomsburg a 2-1 after one inning of play.
 
The Rams took the lead for good in the top of the second with one swing of the bat as Nicole Purtell homered to left center with two on and two outs to give Shepherd a 4-2 lead. The Rams would go on to score at least one run in every inning for the rest of the game including a pair of runs in the second, fourth, and sixth.
 
The Husky bats went quiet after the first and they did not have another base runner until Wild walked with two outs in the sixth. Bloomsburg was unable to bring her home and the Rams picked up a six-inning 11-2 win in the first game.
 
After a scoreless inning for both teams to open the second game, Shepherd jumped out on top with a pair of runs in the second, one of which was unearned. Junior Alexis Wetzler (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) collected the Huskies first hit since the first inning of game one with a single up the middle but the Huskies couldn't capitalize on the base runner.
 
Shepherd opened the third with another single but Starr made a spectacular grab at shortstop and doubled off Leann Brown to get two quick outs for Baney in the circle. The senior got a groundout to end the inning for the second scoreless frame against Shepherd.
 
The Rams tacked on two more runs int the top of the fourth, both unearned, as Sophia Pell and Chloee Burton completed a double steal with Burton taking home. Pell eventually game home on an RBI single with two outs, but it was after a pair of Husky errors extended the inning.
 
The Bloomsburg bats began to heat up in the fifth as juniors Paige Thomas (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's) and Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) strung together two-straight two out singles but were left on base as Katie Laing was able to get a ground out to end the frame.
 
The Huskies were down to their final three outs and Lenner singled to open the bottom of the seventh hoping to spark a Bloomsburg rally, but Laing was able to work her way out of trouble with a strikeout, line out, and a groundball to end the game and preserve the win.
 
For the day, Starr was 2-for-6 at the plate while Lenner was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Wild finished the day 1-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run scored.
 
The Huskies will travel to Shepherdstown, WV tomorrow to face the Rams in the final two games of the season series between the two teams. The first pitch for the opening game is slated for 1:00 pm.