BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg softball team dropped two tightly contested games during a home doubleheader against Kutztown on Wednesday. 
 
The Huskies (12-23, 7-9 PSAC East) fell in a pitchers' duel during the first game by a final score of 1-0, then Kutztown (17-7, 11-7 PSAC East) used a three-run seventh inning to beat Bloomsburg 8-6 in the second game.
 
The first game saw a pair of solid performances on the mound by Bloomsburg's Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) and Kutztown's Haley Gravish. 
 
Sowers started the game off by striking out the side in the first inning and then had a one, two, three second inning as she retired the first six hitters she faced in order. The sophomore ran into a little bit of trouble in the third as Kutztown was able to get two runners into scoring position with one out, but Sowers retired the next two hitters with a strikeout and groundout to get out of the jam. 
 
Gravish got herself out of a jam an inning prior as Bloomsburg was able to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the second and threatened to take the first lead of the game. A fielder's choice ended the inning, however, as a grounder to second led to a force out at second base. 
 
In the top of the fourth, Kutztown's Sarah Harvey singled to lead off the inning, then she was able to advance to second on a sacrifice bunt. Gravish then doubled to left field, which allowed Harvey to score from second for the first run of the game. 
 
Bloomsburg began the bottom of the fifth in similar fashion as Taylor Welsh (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) led off the inning with a single up the middle. Mary Stork (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa), who pinch ran for Welsh, then got into scoring position after a successful sacrifice bunt by Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy). Stork advanced one base during the next at-bat following a fly out to right field, but a groundout ended the inning. 
 
After a scoreless sixth inning, Welsh led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and pinch runner Kammy Kropinski (Conshohocken, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) got to second following another sacrifice bunt by Lenner. Gravish drew a line out and groundout to end the game, however, to pick up her ninth win of the year.
 
Gravish finished the game with five strikeouts and no runs on eight hits. Sowers was given the loss and had seven strikeouts while giving up just one run on five hits. 
 
Welsh was 3-for-3 and Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) was 2-for-3. Lenner, Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) and Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin) all had singles to bring Bloomsburg's hit total to eight. 
 
For Kutztown, the Golden Bears had five different players with one hit, and Gravish's RBI double was the lone extra-base knock of the game. 
 
In the second game, Bloomsburg got out to an early lead after scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) knocked in the first run of the game on an RBI single to center field, then Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) scored on an error. 
 
Both teams held one another scoreless over the next three innings, then Kutztown's offense had four-run rally in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. The rally began with a two-run triple, then the Golden Bears tacked on two more runs on a sacrifice fly and wild pitch. 
 
The Huskies answered in the bottom half of the inning, however, as an RBI double by Iseminger made it a 4-3 ballgame. The Golden Bears got that run back in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly, but Bloomsburg responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth as a two-run double by Lenner knotted things up at 5-5 heading into the final inning.
 
In the seventh, Kutztown was able to put together a two-out rally as Harvey and Gravish would come up clutch for the Golden Bears once again. Harvey had a two-out RBI double to give Kutztown a 6-5 lead, then Gravish a two-run single to extend the team's lead to 8-5. 
 
Bloomsburg's first two hitters in the bottom of the second were retired in order, but Culp had a single down the left field line to keep the inning alive. Little walked in the next at-bat to bring the tying run to the plate, then Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) had an RBI single up the middle to make it an 8-6 game. A fly out to right field, however, ultimately ended the game.
 
Lenner, Weidlich, Culp and Nemeth all finished with a two-hit game. Lenner was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs batted in and a run scored. Iseminger also doubled and knocked in a run. Kranzley had an RBI and Jayla Bartholomew (Williamsport, Pa/Williamsport) singled during the contest. 
 
On the mound, Sowers was charged with the loss. Kelly Eberly (Purcellville, Va/Homeschooled) was given the start and pitched a solid four innings. Lillian Gray (New Bedford, Mass./New Bedford) also saw some action and retired the final batter in the seventh inning. 
 
Bloomsburg will be back in action with a home doubleheader on Friday against Shippensburg. The first game is scheduled to start at 2:00 PM.