SLEEPY HOLLOW, Fla. – The Bloomsburg softball team wrapped up its spring break trip splitting its doubleheader with IUP and Hillsdale. The Huskies defeated IUP 7-0 to open the day before falling to Hillsdale 3-0.
Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) reached on a error in the bottom of the first before coming around to score on a throwing error by the shortstop as
Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) reached safely. With runners on the corners,
Taylor Welsh (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) hit into a fielder's choice and
Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) came home to push the Huskies' lead to 2-0. Welsh got to second on a wild pitch and eventually to third thanks to a groundout before coming home on
Bella Culp's (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin) single to left. The Huskies led 3-0 after the first, which was enough offense for sophomore pitcher
Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area).
Sowers pitched a 7.0 inning complete game and allowed just seven hits while shutting out the Crimson Hawks. The sophomore finished the day with 11 strikeouts, her second double-digit strikeout performance of the season.
Bloomsburg plated two more insurance runs in the bottom of the second as Iseminger singled to left to bring home Lenner and
Jayla Bartholomew (Williamsport, Pa/Williamsport).
Weidlich kept the shut out intact for her pitcher in the top of the third as she threw out Smiley trying to score from first on a single to left. The Huskies held on to the 5-0 lead after three innings.
The Huskies added a run in the bottom of the fifth with a RBI bunt single from
Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and one in the bottom of the sixth as Welsh homered to center for the 7-0 lead.
Sowers got Jones to strike out swinging to lead off the seven and a pop up to shortstop and a groundout to third to end the inning and game for the Huskies.
The win snapped a 10-game skid for the Huskies during their spring break trip.
In the second game of the day, Hillsdale took the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Maggie Olaveson got the Chargers on the board first with a home run in the bottom of the third to take a 1-0 lead. Taylor Lewis hit a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth for a pair of insurance runs and a 3-0 lead.
Iseminger doubled to right center in the top of the sixth but was stranded there as Hillsdale made three-straight outs to preserve the shutout.
Welsh took the loss for Bloomsburg in the circle after going 3.0 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits and one walk. Sowers finished out the game for the Huskies and went 3.0 innings and allowed two hits while striking out four.
The Huskies return to action when they play at Jan M. Hutchinson Field for the first time this season on Tuesday, March 21 when Bloomsburg hosts Mansfield for a 2:00 p.m. Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East doubleheader.
