QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – The Bloomsburg softball team used a couple of big rallies – including a huge five-run fourth inning – to beat California (Pa.) in its opening game of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament Wednesday afternoon.
 
With the game tied up at 6-6 in the fourth, the Huskies (22-31) scored five runs on five hits to take a commanding 11-6 lead, and the squad was able to hang on for a 13-7 win over the Vulcans (26-23).
 
With the win, Bloomsburg will play the Eastern Division's No. 1 seed West Chester (36-15) later today at approximately 3:30 PM on Field 4 at Veterans Park in Quakertown.
 
In a game that saw a combined 20 runs and 30 hits, Bloomsburg got the slugfest started by scoring one run in the top of the opening inning on an RBI double by Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin). The Huskies' offense then exploded for four more runs in the top of the second and gave the team an early 5-0 lead.
 
Bloomsburg's big second inning was sparked by a two-run homer by Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic), then Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) had an RBI single to left field to put the Huskies on top, 4-0. Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) capped off the rally with an RBI single through the left side of the infield.
 
California (Pa.) would answer in the bottom half of the inning, however, by scoring six runs to take a 6-5 lead. Another RBI single by Lenner in the third knotted the game up at 6-6, then Bloomsburg would have its big five-run rally in the fourth.
 
In the fourth, Nemeth knocked in the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to put Bloomsburg up by one run. Then in a bases-loaded situation, Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) had a three-run double to left center field to break the game open. Lenner scored the final run of the inning after tagging up from third on a sacrifice fly that was hit out to right field by Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford).
 
The Vulcans began their comeback attempt in the sixth when they were able to load the bases, and the team was able to score one run on a wild pitch. Lyndsey Reinoehl (Shenandoah Heights, Pa./Marian Catholic), who threw 5.1 solid innings in relief, was able to pitch out of the jam and drew a fly out to get out of the inning.
 
California (Pa.) then loaded the bases again in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, but Reinoehl stranded three more runners as a groundout to Kranzley at second base ended the game.
 
Reinoehl finished the game with four strikeouts and allowed just one earned run on four hits. Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) got the start and struck out two hitters in 1.2 innings.
 
At the plate, Lenner finished the game 4-for-6 with RBI's and four runs scored. Weidlich finished with two doubles and four RBI's while Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) also doubled twice and scored twice. Jayla Bartholomew (Williamsport, Pa/Williamsport) and Taylor Welsh (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) both had three hits apiece, and Nemeth finished with a double and home run. Culp was 1-for-3 with her RBI double, and the sophomore also walked twice.

The victory in the first game keeps Bloomsburg going in the double-elimination tournament. A win against West Chester would place the Huskies in the 10:00 AM game on Thursday while a loss would put Bloomsburg in a 5:30 PM elimination game on Wednesday.