JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University baseball team fell to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in a tight 4-2 contest on Tuesday.
The Mountain Cats (13-12-1) scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning to gain the first lead of the contest, and Pitt-Johnstown's pitching staff was able to limit Bloomsburg (16-11-1) to two runs on six hits over the course of the nine-inning game in order to hold on for the two-run victory.
Bloomsburg's
Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to give the Huskies their first run of the contest and make it a 3-1 game. Then in the seventh,
Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) was able to knock in
Brady Gibble (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) on a sacrifice fly to right field. Newbert's sac fly made it a one-run game, but the Mountain Cats scored an insurance run in the home-half of the inning to regain their two-run lead. Pitt-Johnstown then sat down six of the next seven hitters for the Huskies to end the game.
Bloomsburg's
Owen Fischl (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) was 2-for-4 and had a double. Gibble also recorded a double and he was joined by
Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area),
Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) and
Wyatt Metzger (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) with one hit apiece. On the mound, Bloomsburg's
Dylan Lubinski (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) was given the loss.
Pitt-Johnstown used five different pitchers that were effective enough to hold Bloomsburg to six hits and two runs. Jared Hoener was given the win after throwing 1.2 scoreless innings and striking out four hitters. Seth Coleman picked up the save after throwing two scoreless innings and the five pitchers combined to strike out 12 hitters.
The Mountain Cats scored their three runs in the first inning on a two-run single by Lennox Pugh and RBI double by Asher Corl. Then in the seventh, Josh Reynolds knocked in Justin Turcovski.
The loss snaps a two-game win streak for the Huskies after they beat No. 16 West Chester twice in the final two games of their three-game series. Heading into Tuesday's game, Bloomsburg also won five of their previous six games.
The Huskies (16-11-1, 8-4-1 PSAC) will be looking to bounce back with a win in their next contest, which will be a home conference game against East Stroudsburg University (23-8, 5-4 PSAC). Following Friday's contest, Bloomsburg will travel to East Stroudsburg for a doubleheader.
