BOWIE, Md. - The Bloomsburg softball team came alive in a doubleheader sweep of Bowie State on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies began the day with a 6-1 victory over the Bulldogs. Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) continued a tremendous start to her season, picking up her eighth win of the year. Eight of Bloomsburg's nine starting batters recorded a hit for a total of 11. Josie Straigis (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) paced the offense in opening action, going 2-for-4 with two RBI in the victory.

In game two, the Huskies recorded their first run-rule win of the season while scoring a season-high 11 runs in an 11-2 victory. Kelly Eberly (Purcellville, Va/Homeschooled) picked up the victory in the second bit of action, going the full five innings and matching a season-best with nine strikeouts. Four bats in the Bloomsburg lineup had multi-hit performances, while four also knocked in multiple RBI.

The Huskies improve to 10-6 overall on the season with a 7-4 record in away contests. The Bulldogs fall to a record of 5-16.

Game One: 
The Huskies opened up their scoring in the top of the second runs to jump out to a 2-0 advantage. 

Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) began the inning with a lead-off walk before Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) put two runners in scoring position with one out after a single. Straigis brought home the first run with a sacrifice fly to left field. Gianna Gombeda (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) doubled Bloomsburg's lead with a two-out single to right field. 

The Huskies edge grew to 4-0 after another two-run inning in the third. After Bloomsburg's two first batters of the inning reached on errors to place two runners on base. Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) put a ball in play, allowing Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) to score before Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) drove in the inning's second run with a RBI single.

The offense continued for the Huskies into the fifth to make it a 5-0 game. After Lenner led off the inning with a single and advanced to second, Straigis doubled to left center to increase the lead. Bloomsburg would have the opportunity to further expand its lead after loading the bases, but the game would remain locked at 5-0. 

The final run of the game for Bloomsburg would come in the seventh, with Weidlich singling to center to give the Huskies a 6-0 lead. Bloomsburg would wrap up the game by a score of 6-1, with Bowie State scoring its only run off a successful double steal attempt. 

Sowers' day from the mound was another strong performance for the junior, going a full seven innings, allowing the one run off six hits and one walk while punching out eight batters.  

Game Two: 
Culp and Weidlich got the Huskies off to another quick start from the 1-2 spots in the batting order with back-to-back singles to kick off game two. With two outs and advancing on a wild pitch, Lenner dropped a single into left field to give Bloomsburg a 1-0 lead.

The game opened up in the second inning with the Huskies plating five runs to jump out to a 6-0 advantage. 

Bloomsburg again rallied with two outs in the inning, taking advantage of miscues by Bowie State while remaining disciplined at the plate. After Weidlich reached on an error, which allowed Kranzley to score, the Huskies loaded the bases for Nemeth, as the outfielder came through with a RBI single. Bloomsburg would score another run off an infield error, along with two more from a hit-by-pitch and a walk.

The Bulldogs would get one back in the bottom portion of the inning with a solo home run as Eberly prevented any further damage while stranding two runners in scoring position. 
The Huskies matched their second-inning production with another five runs in the third to extend the advantage to 11-1. Bloomsburg began the inning with four consecutive singles, resulting in a RBI for Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot). Nemeth, Lenner and Iseminger would add to their RBI totals in the next three at-bats before Josie Straigis (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) tacked on her second of the day with a sacrifice fly. 

The Huskies would escape the bottom of the third, giving up just one run despite Bowie State having the bases loaded. Eberly locked in after her second and final run allowed in the game with a strikeout looking. 

Bloomsburg would handle business for the final two innings, with Eberly striking out two of the final three batters on the afternoon to secure the victory. In the top of the fifth, freshman Grace Baker (Richboro, Pa./Quakertown) tallied her first career hit. 

With her fourth strikeout of the day, Sowers eclipsed the 500-strikeout milestone for the Huskies, becoming the seventh player in school history to reach the benchmark. 

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies conclude a run of 18 consecutive road games to start the season with a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 20, beginning at 2:30 p.m. against Bloomfield.