FLORENCE, S.C. – The Bloomsburg softball team split a pair of games during the Francis Marion Tournament as it opened up its season with contests against West Liberty and Francis Marion on Sunday.
The Huskies (1-1, 0-0 PSAC) started the day off with a 3-1 win over West Liberty (1-9, 0-0 MEC), then Bloomsburg fell to Francis Marion (12-2, 0-0 CC) in a tight 4-3 game in the second contest.
Against West Liberty, Bloomsburg gained its first lead by scoring two unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning, and
Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) held the Hiltoppers to just one hit and one run to give the team its first win of the year. Sowers struck out eight hitters and pitched all seven innings for the Huskies.
Taylor Welsh (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) got the Huskies' offense going in the second inning when she doubled up the middle with one out. After
Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) was hit by a pitch during the next at bat, a fielding error allowed Welsh to score and Weidlich to move up to third. Weidlich then stole home to score the team's second run of the inning.
The Hilltoppers would cut the deficit in half in the top of the third as a leadoff single by Jairika Baylor eventually led to her scoring on a sacrifice fly. Baylor's single would go on to be the lone hit of the game for West Liberty, however, as Sowers allowed just two more baserunners for the remainder of the game.
Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) also gave Bloomsburg an extra insurance run in the bottom of the fifth as she hit a solo home run down the left-field line to make it a 3-1 game.
Iseminger was one of four players to go 1-for-3 on the game, joining
Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy),
Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) and
Kammy Kropinski (Conshohocken, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh). Welsh was 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored.
In the second game, Iseminger homered again in the top of the first inning, and this time it was a two-run shot that gave Bloomsburg a 2-0 lead heading into the home half of the inning. Francis Marion scored in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit in half, but Bloomsburg regained its two-run lead after an RBI double by
Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton). The Patriots again scored one run in the bottom of the third on a bunt that went for a single, then both teams were held scoreless until the seventh.
Trailing by a score of 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Francis Marion got a runner on board with no outs after Anderson Thrower singled up the middle. Thrower scored on the next play when Taylor Watford knocked her in on an RBI double to tie things up at 3-3. Watford advanced to third on a single in the next at bat, then she scored the game-winning run on a Katie Smith single that was hit back to the pitcher.
The Huskies will be back in action with two more games on Monday against West Liberty and Francis Marion. Bloomsburg is scheduled to play Francis Marion at 11:00 AM, then West Liberty at 1:30 PM.
