SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University baseball team swept Shippensburg in an away doubleheader on Friday. The Huskies won the first game 2-0 in extra innings before taking the second game 6-1.
In Game 1, Adam Gates (Swedesboro, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the ninth inning when his RBI single scored Anthony Viggiano (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) for the first run of the game. Two at-bats later in a bases-loaded situation, Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) gave the Huskies an insurance run with a sacrifice fly that scored Brandon Ernst (Limerick, Pa./Spring Ford) from third. On the same play, however, Gates was ruled out for leaving too early from second base when tagging up on the sac fly to right field to end the inning.
One run would've been enough as Bloomsburg's starting pitcher Jared Marshman (Berwick, Pa./Berwick) was untouchable on the mound and sat down the Raiders in order on three straight fly outs in the bottom of the ninth to record the win. Marshman threw all nine innings for a complete game shutout and allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five hitters.
The Huskies finished the first game with eight hits. Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) and Ernst led the way with three hits each and Gates had two.
The second game saw the Huskies jump out to an early 5-0 lead after two innings of play and Bloomsburg was able to cruise to a 6-1 victory.
The Huskies scored their first two runs in the first inning when a Ben Newert bunt allowed two runners to score after an errant throw by Shippensburg's pitcher. The Huskies then loaded the bases and Gates was walked to give the team a 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area) knocked in the team's fourth run when he hit into a fielder's choice and Anthony Viggiano (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) hit a sacrifice fly to extend the team's lead to five. Shippensburg was able to get on the scoreboard by scoring a run on a wild pitch in the third, but a Newbert RBI single in the sixth put the Huskies back up by five.
Bloomsburg finished Game 2 with four hits. Newbert was 2-3 and Chasanov was 1-3 with a double and two runs scored. Brady Gibble (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) had the team's other hit as he went 1-2 and also walked.
On the mound, Scott Gilbert (Scranton, Pa./Abington Heights) improved to 2-0 on the season as he was given the win after throwing 3.1 innings and allowing just one earned run on four hits. Nate Baranski (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) tossed 3.2 innings and held the Raiders scoreless on four hits and no walks. Baranski struck out four batters on the day.
The Huskies are tentatively scheduled to host Shippensburg on Sunday at Bloomsburg Area High School. The game would begin at 1:00 PM, weather permitting.
