BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University softball team dropped the final two games of the season-series against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East opponent, Kutztown University, Sunday afternoon. The Golden Bears took the first game 12-1 in five innings before the Huskies dropped a tight pitcher's duel, 3-0, in the nightcap. The Huskies fall to 3-9 on the year and 1-9 in conference play, while the Golden Bears improve to 9-3 overall and 8-2 in PSAC action.
 
Kutztown took control of the opening game early with three runs in the top of the first thanks to five walks and an infield single before tacking on two more runs in the top of the second on a two-run single from Alyssa Donato. Bloomsburg made some noise in the bottom half of the second as senior Nicolette Ray (Abington, Pa./Abington) reached on a dropped fly ball by the Golden Bears, but she changed places at first with junior Alexis Wetzler (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) on a fielder's choice. The Kutztown third baseman, Zoe Texidor, made a great nab on a hard-hit line drive off Danielle Barnes's (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) bat to end the frame and the Huskies threat.
 
Both teams went relatively quietly in the third before the Golden Bears erupted for five runs on seven hits in the top of the fourth to take a 10-0 lead over Bloomsburg. Kutztown added two more in the top of the fifth thanks to a two-run home run from Donato and led the Huskies 12-0 going into the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Bloomsburg freshman got something going in the bottom of the fifth but couldn't climb back out of the hole. With one out and no one on, freshman Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) homered off of the left-field foul pole for her first collegiate home run in her first official plate appearance at Jan M. Hutchinson Field. Freshman Savannah Doney (Trout Run, Pa./North Penn-Liberty) picked up her first collegiate hit with two outs in the fifth as she singled up the middle to keep the inning alive, but Bridget Bailey was able to finish off the complete game with a groundout to end the frame and contest.
 
Senior Balee Leeser (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) suffered the loss in the circle for the Huskies as she went 3.1 innings, allowing seven runs, all earned, on seven hits and allowed five walks. All five free bases came in the first inning. Leeser struck out one.
 
Bailey earned the win for the Golden Bears after going 5.0 innings, allowing just one run on three hits, and struck out two. Iseminger's fifth-inning home run was the first run allowed to the Huskies by Bailey in 16.2 innings, after pitching the 10-inning complete-game and picking up a 2.1 inning save the day before.
 
The Huskies and Golden Bears were locked in another pitching duel in the second game, featuring senior Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte Area) and Sarah Harvey. Baney went the distance in the 10-inning affair on Saturday but suffered the tough 1-0 loss.
 
Baney held Kutztown in check through the first four innings until an RBI single from Kate Ostaszewski in the top of the fifth gave the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead. The Huskies managed to get a base runner in every inning but couldn't capitalize. With one out, freshman Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) singled to left field, and junior Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Harvey worked herself out of trouble with a ground out to short to end the Husky scoring threat.  
 
Kutztown added its final two runs of the ball game in the top of the sixth as the Golden Bears plated two runs on two hits and took advantage of a Husky error.
 
The Huskies threatened, once again, in the bottom of the sixth with a runner in scoring position as Barnes doubled to right-center with two outs, but a head's up play by the shortstop got Barnes out after a line drive from Iseminger deflected off of Texidor's glove at third base.
 
Baney went 1-2-3 through the heart of the line up in the top of the seventh, and once again, the Huskies threatened but couldn't come away with runs. Lenner drew a four-pitch walk with two outs, and DelPierre hit a solid single through the right side to bring the tying run to the plate. Harvey was able to get junior Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) to pop up to second on a full count and end the game for Kutztown.
 
Harvey picked up the win for the Golden Bears to improve to 3-1 on the year, while Baney suffered another tough loss to drop to 1-5 for the season. Baney allowed just three runs, two earned, on six hits and three walks while striking out seven.
 
Iseminger finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, while Lenner went 3-for-5 for the afternoon.
 
The Huskies get right back on the diamond at Jan M. Hutchinson Field as they host Shippensburg for the makeup of a rain-postponed doubleheader on Tuesday, March 23, with the first pitch scheduled for 2:00 pm. Earlier this season, the Huskies and Raiders split a doubleheader at Shippensburg, with Bloomsburg winning the first game 7-5 and the Raiders taking the second, 2-1. Shippensburg will enter the contest 4-6 overall and 3-5 in conference play.