QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – The Bloomsburg softball team knocked off the defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) champion Kutztown by a final score of 5-3 in the conference tournament Thursday at Veterans Park in Quakertown.
 
With the win, the Huskies (24-31) will move on to a semifinal game against Shippensburg (29-18) on Friday at 10:00 AM.
 
Bloomsburg picked up from where it left off on Wednesday as the Huskies were able to jump out to an early lead against Kutztown (29-23) by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) recorded the first hit of the inning with a double down the left field line to get into scoring position with one out. Bell Culp then reached on an error, and Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) knocked in the first run of the game on a single to left center field. Freshman Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) then showed her poise by delivering a two-run single on a full count with two outs to extend the team's lead to 3-0 in the opening inning.
 
After sophomore pitcher Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) kept the Golden Bears off the scoreboard in the second, third and fourth innings, Bloomsburg's offense added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 5-0 game.
 
Taylor Welsh (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single up the middle, then after a ground out, back-to-back singles by Weidlich and Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin) loaded the bases. Welsh was able to score from third on a sacrifice fly that was hit to right field by Little, then Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) knocked in Weidlich on a single to center field.
 
Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) was able to load the bases once again with a single to third base and keep the inning alive, but Kutztown pitcher Haley Gravish drew a fly out to get out of the jam.
 
The five runs were enough for Sowers, who was able to pitch six scoreless innings and record nine strikeouts in the contest.
 
Following the six scoreless innings that were pitched by Sowers, however, Kutztown was able to piece together a two-out rally in the seventh. The Golden Bears scored their first run of the inning on an error, then a two-run homer by Kate Ostaszewski made it a 5-3 contest. After the home run, Sarah Harvey singled to bring the tying run to the plate, but Sowers retired her final batter of the game on a ground out to second base.
 
Sowers finished with three unearned runs on eight hits in seven innings to go along with her nine strikeouts.

Offensively, Bloomsburg had four hitters with two-hit games and the team finished with a total of 12 hits from eight different players.
 
Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) and Iseminger both had two singles apiece, and Weidlich went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Kranzley finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI's as the fourth and final Husky with a multi-hit game.
 
Culp, Little, Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) and Welsh also singled as the Huskies reached double-digits in the hit column.
 
Bloomsburg, which entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed from the East, is now one of two undefeated teams left in the double-elimination conference tournament. The Huskies will face the other remaining undefeated team – No. 4 seed (East) Shippensburg – for a spot in the PSAC Championship.
 
The winner of Friday's contest will automatically advance to the championship on Saturday while the loser will play in an elimination game at 3:00 PM on Friday. The winner of the 3:00 PM game will then advance to the championship.