BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University softball team opened its season-series against West Chester University with another doubleheader split on Thursday afternoon. The Huskies dropped the first game 6-1 before rebounding behind a gem thrown by redshirt junior Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) to take the second game, 5-2. Bloomsburg improved to 5-11 on the year and 3-11 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East action while the Golden Rams dropped to 8-2 for the year and 6-2 in conference play.
 
After a rocky first inning for both teams, game one settled into quite the pitcher's duel for most of the contest. West Chester got on the board first as Trisha Kopinetz singled to left and Bri Garber came home from first to score on a Husky error. Senior catcher Briannah Dobson (York, Pa./Central York) helped out her battery mate, senior Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte Area), as she threw out Kopinetz trying to take third and Baney froze Jaime Klemas at the plate to end the first inning and get herself out of trouble.
 
The Huskies returned the favor in the bottom of the first as they played their only run of the game on one hit and a Golden Ram error. Freshman Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) reached on a fielding error by the pitcher to lead off the inning for BU and junior Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) followed with a single to left. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch before junior Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) brought home her 16^th RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to left to bring Lenner home.
 
Baney set the Golden Rams down in order in the top of the second and the Huskies threatened in their half of the inning. BU collected a pair of hits, two-out singles from junior Alexis Wetzler (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) and Wild, but a sharply-hit ball right at short stop by Lenner got Wild out at second for a fielder's choice and the end of the frame.
 
A quiet third, fourth, and fifth innings from both teams set up a tense top of the sixth for West Chester. After Annamarie Hartman reached and advanced to second on a dropped fly ball, Baney got Madison Melvin to line out to third and Garber laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Hartman to third with two outs. Kopinetz worked a full count after fouling off several pitches but finally found one she liked and homered to straight away center. The Golden Rams led 3-1 after the top of the sixth.
 
The Huskies had some life in the bottom of the sixth and tried to rally as freshman Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) and Dobson laced back-to-back singles to open the frame. The WCU coach brought Jen Hanshaw into pitch with no outs and she induced three-straight fielder's choices to get out of the trouble and keep Bloomsburg off of the board.
 
The Golden Rams added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh as Katelyn Rittenbaugh worked a walk with two runners on and a wild pitch brought home Moore while a throwing error by the Huskies allowed Grace Aguilar to score. Hartman plated the final run for WCU as she doubled down the left field line to score Rittenbaugh and give WCU a 6-1 lead.
 
The Huskies were set down in order in the bottom of the seventh and West Chester earned the 6-1 win in the opening game.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the first inning but West Chester once again scored first in the second game as the Golden Rams plated a pair of runs on two hits. After the two-run triple in the second, Wild settled in and tossed a spectacular game two.
 
The Bloomsburg offense was held in check by the WCU pitching staff until the bottom of the third when the Huskies sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs on four hits. Wild opened the inning with a single to third base as she hustled down the line. Lenner and DelPierre worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for Bloomsburg. Starr laced a 3-1 pitch to left and everyone moved up a base, including Wild who crossed home to cut the WCU lead in half, 2-1. The Huskies weren't finished as senior Nicolette Ray (Abington, Pa./Abington) tucked a scorcher inside the first base line that went all the way to the wall and Ray cleared the bases with a triple to give Bloomsburg the 4-2 lead. Iseminger launched a 1-1 pitch to left center for a stand-up double that easily scored Ray and gave the Huskies a 5-2 lead. Hanshaw had come in to pitch before DelPierre's walk but finally worked herself out of the inning with a fly out, line out to third, and ground ball.
 
Wild was settled in by this point and set the Golden Rams down in order in the fourth and collected a pair of strike outs in the fifth to keep the Golden Rams off of the scoreboard. A Husky error with one out in the sixth put a runner on for WCU, but Wild got Aguliar to fly out right to DelPierre in centerfield and froze Madison Sisz on an 0-2 pitch to end the sixth.
 
Bloomsburg went 1-2-3 in the home half of the sixth and the Golden Rams were down to their final three outs in the seventh. Rittenbaugh got hit by a 2-2 pitch to put the first runner on for West Chester before Hartman and Garber each gave a pitch a ride to the outfield, but right at DelPierre in center and junior Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) in left for two quick outs. Madison Melvin kept the Golden Rams' hopes alive with an infield single to first to put two runners on for Kopintez. The catcher had a pitch to hit and she hit it hard, but right at Barnes who made the play and ended the ball game.
 
The Huskies won 5-2 and Wild earned her fourth win in the circle to move to 4-3 on the year. Wild finished the day allowing six hits, just two earned runs, but she did not allow a walk and struck out nine Golden Rams.
 
Bloomsburg out-hit West Chester 6-5 in the first game and both teams collected six hits in the second.
 
The Huskies get back to action on Saturday as they travel to West Chester to finish out the season-series with a 1:00 pm doubleheader. The Huskies will be home against next Friday, April 2, as they host East Stroudsburg for a 2:30 pm doubleheader at Jan M. Hutchinson Field.