SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg softball team dropped a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader at Shippensburg on Wednesday.
The Huskies (8-16, 3-3 PSAC East) fell to the Raiders (12-7, 6-2 PSAC East) in extra innings during the first game by a score of 2-1, then Shippensburg won the second game 5-3.
In the first game, the Huskies scored the first run of the game on an RBI single by
Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) in the top of the second inning. A pitching duel then endured as both teams were held scoreless until Shippensburg scored its first run in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Hannah Marsteller to tie things up at 1-1.
In the top of the eighth inning, Bloomsburg got its leadoff hitter on base when
Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) singled to center field.
Faith Persing (Montgomery, Pa./Montgomery), who pinch ran for Iseminger, then got into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt during the next at-bat. Shippensburg pitcher Emma Flattery, however, was able to draw a fly out and a strikeout to end the inning and strand the go-ahead run at second.
In the bottom half of the eighth, Shippensburg was also able to get its leadoff hitter on board with a lead-off single. Following a pop out to second base, the game-winning run was able to get to third with one out on a Marsteller double. Morgan Lindsay then knocked in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly during the next at-bat.
At the plate for Bloomsburg, Iseminger led the way by going 2-for-3 with a walk. Little went 1-for-2 with her RBI single in the second inning, and the sophomore catcher also got on base by way of a walk.
Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) and
Jayla Bartholomew (Williamsport, Pa/Williamsport) both went 1-for-3 to bring Bloomsburg's hit total to five.
Sophomore pitcher
Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) threw 7.2 innings and struck out four while giving up just two runs on seven hits. Shippensburg's Flattery picked up her fifth win of the year after tossing 4.2 scoreless innings in relief.
During the second game, Shippensburg scored the first runs of the contest in the second inning on a three-run home run. Bloomsburg responded in the top of the fourth inning by loading the bases with one out, and the Huskies got one run back after an RBI single by
Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic).
Shippensburg added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, but Little had a solo home run in the top of the sixth to make it a 4-2 game. The Raiders answered once again in the bottom half of the frame with another run, but Bloomsburg received another solo home run in the top of the seventh – this time by Weidlich. The Huskies tried to continue their rally in the seventh, but a fly out and pop out ended the game at 5-3.
Little went 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored. Weidlich was 2-for-4 with her solo home run, and
Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy), Bartholomew and Nemeth all singled.
In the circle, Kelley Eberly threw four innings while freshman
Lillian Gray (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) tossed two innings. Eberly was given the loss, and Shippensburg's Maelynn Leber earned her first win of the season after throwing five innings for the Raiders.
Bloomsburg will return to action on Friday with a home doubleheader against Kutztown. The first game is scheduled to start at 2:00 PM at Jan M. Hutchinson Field.
