Baseball | 5/3/2022 8:06:00 PM
Box Score BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University baseball team dropped a home game against the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown on Tuesday by a final tally of 17-11.
After taking an early lead, the Mountain Cats (19-24-1, 6-18 PSAC West) led by one run through three innings of play before scoring six unanswered runs across the fourth and fifth innings to take a 10-3 lead. The Huskies (22-19-1, 11-9-1 PSAC East) responded by scoring four runs across the next two innings to make it 10-7 and even brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Pitt-Johnstown added four more runs in the top of the eighth to regain the momentum and make it 14-7. Both teams traded three runs across the next two half-innings and the Mountain Cats held on for a 17-11 victory.
Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) led the Huskies at the plate with a double, two-run homer, three runs batted in and two runs scored.
Jonathan Labarbera (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) also homered and went 2-for-4 on the day while
Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) doubled twice and went 3-for-6 with one RBI.
Jared Burcin (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) finished with two RBI and one run scored on top of having a great day fielding behind the plate.
Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area) went 2-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI.
Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
A total of 13 pitchers were used between the two clubs. Pitt-Johnstown's Brady Walker received the win after allowing one run, striking out three and tossing 2.0 innings, which was tied for a team-high.
Bloomsburg's two-inning rally that brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh began with Labarbera's solo HR in the bottom of the sixth with one out. Reed walked in the next at-bat and following a pop up, OFier knocked in Reed on a ball that was hit out to the left-field warning track. Newbert then singled down the left-field line and OFier scored to make it 10-6. Pitt-Johnstown got out of the inning thanks to a strikeout by Jared Hoener.
In the seventh, the Huskies' offense got going again with two outs. After Burcin reached on an error and Labarbera singled, an RBI single by Reed made it 10-7 and brought the tying run to the plate. Hoener, who was still pitching for the Mountain Cats, was able to draw a pop fly to get out of the jam and end the inning.
Despite scoring four more runs in the contest, the Huskies were unable to bring the tying run to the plate again as the teams traded runs in the final two innings.
Bloomsburg remains in fifth place in the PSAC East as the crossover game against PSAC West opponent Pitt-Johnstown does not count towards conference standings.
The Huskies will head into the final weekend of the regular season with a home-and-away series against Lock Haven (9-29, 2-19 PSAC East). Bloomsburg is scheduled to host the Bald Eagles for Senior Day on Friday before heading to Lock Haven for a doubleheader.
