BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University softball team got a pair of solid pitching performances out of its starting pitchers and timely hitting up and down the lineup as the Huskies swept Millersville in a pivotal Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East doubleheader. BU took the first game 6-2 before winning the second 8-3. The Huskies improved to 14-16 for the year and 12-16 in PSAC East action while the Marauders dropped to 19-17 on the year and 12-16 in conference play.
 
Redshirt junior Abby Wild (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) struck out the side in the first inning of the opening game to set the stage for a terrific performance in the circle. Wild finished the day with a career-best 14 strikeouts and allowed just two runs on six hits and did not walk a batter in a 7.0 inning complete game win. She had five innings with at least two strikeouts and stuck out the side in the first, second, and seventh inning.
 
Bloomsburg got on the board first in the bottom of the first with two runs on five hits, all singles. Freshman Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) opened the game with a single to the pitcher, followed by a single from junior Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) and senior Nicolette Ray (Abington, Pa./Abington) to load the bases. With one out, junior Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) singled up the middle to bring home Lenner and Starr for the 2-0 lead. Junior Rebecca Rossi (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton Area) kept the hit parade going with her single through the left side but Maddie Guinane got out of the inning with a pop-up double play that caught Ray off of the bag at third.
 
After giving up a leadoff single in the top of the second, Wild struck out the side once again for her fourth, fifth, and sixth strike outs in the ball game.
 
Bloomsburg went down in order in the second but plated three runs on four hits in the third to extend its lead to 5-0. Starr collected her second hit of the day to lead off the frame and Ray doubled her home to give Bloomsburg a 3-0 lead. Again, hitting with one out and a runner on, DelPierre laced a double to left center to trade places with Ray and push the Husky lead to 4-0. After taking third on a passed ball, DelPierre came home on junior Danielle Barnes' (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) perfectly placed bunt single to the pitcher and the Huskies led 5-0 after three innings.
 
The Huskies scored their final run of the game on a single from DelPierre with Lenner on third and freshman Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) on first.
 
Both teams went quietly in the fifth before the Marauders made some noise in the top of the sixth. With one out, Rebecca Blatt singled through the left side and Aleese Angela doubled to right field to put two runners in scoring position. Wild got a pop up back to her for the second out but Gabi Turner doubled to left center to bring both runners home and break up the shut out. Turner was thrown out at third by senior Briannah Dobson (York, Pa./Central York) as she tried to stretch the double into a triple to end the inning.
 
Bloomsburg went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth but Wild had all of the insurance she needed as she set the Marauders down in order in the top of the seventh with three-straight strike outs.
 
DelPierre was 3-for-3 for the game with four RBIs and run scored while Lenner, Starr, Ray, and Barnes all collected a pair of hits.
 
The Huskies carried their momentum from the first game win into game two as senior Tara Baney (Howard, Pa./Bellefonte Area) tossed a scoreless first with a strike out and the Huskies jumped out to an early lead with a run in the bottom of the inning.
 
With one out, Starr got hit by a pitch to put a runner on and Ray reached on an infield single to put two runners on. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and DelPierre brought Starr home on a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
Baney sandwiched a pair of flyouts around a ground ball out to sit the Marauders down in order in the second.
 
The Huskies twice more in the bottom of the second as junior Alexis Wetzler (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) tripled to right center to bring around Barnes and then eventually scored on Lenner's single through the right side.
 
Millersville cut the lead down to 3-2 in the top of the third with a pair of runs on two hits, including a two-run home run by Blatt.
 
Bloomsburg responded with two runs in the fourth and three in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-2. Ray doubled home Lenner and Wetzler in the fourth while Starr brought Lenner home with a double in the sixth. After a dropped line drive right at the Millersville third baseman that allowed DelPierre to reach and go to second and Starr to go to third, Rossi singled to right field to bring both runners home and give Bloomsburg an 8-2 lead.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh, Millersville plated the final run of the game as Angelo drew a walk on a 3-2 count. Baney got Faith Willenbrock to pop out back to her on a mile-high pop up to end the game and seal her fifth win of the season.
 
Baney went all 7.0 innings and allowed three runs on six hits and four walks while she struck out five.
 
Lenner, Ray, and DelPierre all had their second multi-hit game of the day with a pair of hits in game two while Wetzler also collected a pair of hits.
 
The Huskies head into their final weekend of conference play as they look to still secure a spot in the PSAC tournament. Bloomsburg will face off against Lock Haven in the final four games of the season – the first two at Bloomsburg on Friday, April 30. The doubleheader at Jan M. Hutchinson Field is set to get underway at 2:30 pm.