JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Bloomsburg baseball team continued its impressive play by sweeping the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday.
The Huskies (16-12, 8-7 PSAC East) beat the Mountain Cats (12-20, 5-7 PSAC West) 12-10 in the first game before holding off Pitt-Johnstown for a 5-4 win in the second game.
The team's sharp play includes a record of 9-2 in its last 11 games as the Huskies have been on a tear as of late.
In the first game, Bloomsburg trailed 3-2 after two innings of play, but a huge nine-run third inning broke the game open and gave the Huskies a commanding 11-3 lead.
The big third inning saw five different players record an RBI, and
Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) had two during two separate at-bats as the team batted around in the inning. Chasanov knocked in the first run of the inning on a groundout, then
Dansby Keenan (Cleveland Heights, Oh./Benedictine) had an RBI single through the left side of the infield to put Bloomsburg up 4-3.
Tyler Wiik (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) gave the Huskies their first insurance run with an RBI single, then the Huskies tacked on another when
Jonathan LaBarbera (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) scored on a passed ball.
Brady Gibble (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) made it an 8-3 ballgame with a two-run single and
Anthony Viggiano (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) then followed that up with an RBI single. Chasanov knocked in his second run of the inning on a single, then Viggiano scored on a passed ball for the ninth run of the inning.
Eli Riley (Harrisburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) had an RBI single in the fourth to make the score 12-3, but Pitt-Johnstown would then begin to chip away at its deficit. The Mountain Cats scored two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, then the squad would rally again in the final inning.
Trailing 12-7 in the bottom of the seventh, the Mountain Cats got their first two runners on base after a pair of walks. Following a ground out that scored a runner from third, Mario Disso had an RBI double to left center field to make it a 12-9 game with one out and two runners in scoring position.
Another groundout seemed to nearly bring an end to the threat, but a two-out single by Erik Rhodes kept the inning alive and scored a run to make it a 12-10 game and bring the tying run to the plate. Relief pitcher
Matt Vernieri (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) was able to close the door on Pitt-Johnstown, however, by drawing a groundout to end the game.
Freshman pitcher
Will Dean (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) started the game on the mound for Bloomsburg and improved to 3-0 on the year after striking out four hitters and allowing three earned runs on six hits through five innings of play.
Cole Coolbaugh (Wyoming, Pa./Wyoming Area) threw two innings in relief and
Zach Steen (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) saw some time on the mound before Vernieri closed out the contest.
In the second game, Bloomsburg jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings after receiving some extra-base hits by Keenan and Viggiano. Keenan had an RBI triple in the top of the second to score the first run of the game, then Viggiano had an RBI double in the second to make it a two-run game.
Pitt-Johnstown would cut the deficit in half in the fourth, however, by scoring one run on an RBI triple with one out. Bloomsburg pitcher
Michael Standen (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) was able to strand the runner on third by striking out the side in order to get out of the jam. Standen had a big day on the mound, finishing with 10 strikeouts in just five innings.
The Huskies got two runs back in the fifth to make it a 4-1 game. Bloomsburg scored on a solo home run by Riley, and
Wyatt Metzger (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) scored on a passed ball.
The Mountain Cats immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run double down by Jake Ansell to make it a 4-3 game. After a scoreless sixth inning, Viggiano homered in the top of the seventh to give Bloomsburg another two-run lead, which would prove to be a big insurance run.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Mountain Cats got their leadoff hitter on base with a walk and a double got two runners into scoring position with no outs. Bloomsburg pitcher
Josh Marquard (York, Pa./Central York) was able to draw a pop up during the next at-bat, but an RBI single then scored a run to make the score 5-4 and advanced the tying run to third with one out.
Marquard recorded a big strikeout during the next at-bat, but a walk then loaded the bases with two outs and put the game-winning run on second. The freshman pitcher, however, drew a groundout to first base to end the game.
Marquard picked up his third save of the year after striking out three and allowing one run in two innings. Standen earned the win and picked up his third of the year after striking out 10 and allowing just three runs.
At the plate in the second game, Riley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double to go along with his solo home run.
Brady Ebbert (Etters, Pa./Red Land) also doubled, and Viggiano had a two-hit game. Keenan's triple brought the Huskies' hit total to seven.
Bloomsburg will ride a three-game win streak into its weekend series with East Stroudsburg. The Huskies are scheduled to play at East Stroudsburg for a single game on Friday at 2:00 PM, then Bloomsburg will host the Warriors for a home doubleheader on Saturday at 12:00 PM.
