KUTZTOWN, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball team pitched its way to a pair of road victories at Kutztown Friday afternoon.

The first action of the day was defined by another dominant start on the mound by Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area). The junior tossed her third complete-game shutout of the season, her 13th time going the distance in 13 starts. Sowers matched the career-high 16 strikeouts she set on Tuesday in the performance.

In game two, Kelly Eberly (Purcellville, Va/Homeschooled) provided another strong effort on the mound, focusing primarily on getting the Golden Bears to hit into weak contact. The junior finished the day with a complete game, allowing one run on four hits and a walk.

The Huskies move to 17-8 overall on the season and now possess a 6-2 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division. Kutztown falls to 15-12 on the year with a 3-5 mark in conference play.

Game One: 
The pitchers from both sides controlled the early flow of the opening contest, with neither lineup able to establish much through the first inning. 

The game's first hit came from a two-out double from Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton), but she would be left aboard. Sowers opened on a tear that would carry throughout the game, recording multiple strikeouts in every inning, including eight of the final nine outs of game one.

Bloomsburg scored after each of the first four base runners of the top half of the fourth reached safely. Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot) drove in the first run with a RBI single up the middle to give the Huskies a 1-0 advantage. Despite having the bases loaded, Bloomsburg would be unable to further capitalize due to the defensive efforts of Kutztown.

The Huskies doubled its advantage thanks to Kranzley's second double in game one and second of three between both contests. After Josie Straigis (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) singled and successfully advanced to scoring position via a sacrifice bunt, Kranzley delivered on a 2-2 pitch to center field to make it a 2-0 game. 

Bloomsburg added an insurance run in the top of the seventh in part to an error by the Golden Bears' infield to bring it to a 3-0 game heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Unfazed by the moment, Sowers battled off a pair of 3-2 counts to get to two outs before surrendering her first hit of the game to break up a bid at a perfect game. The Irwin, Pa. native responded with her 16th punchout of the day to secure the first of two victories of the day.

Game Two: 
Kutztown responded to the loss by jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the second game of the day. After lead-off batter Brianna Stocklin singled and advanced to third with a stolen base and sacrifice bunt, three-hole hitter Emily Henn put the home side on top with a RBI single to put the Huskies in an early deficit. 

Bloomsburg found its recourse in the top of the third, with Yamrick driving in her second RBI in as many games. The freshman delivered with a two-out blip to right field following back-to-back singles, and a fielder's choice put runners on first and second to knot the game at 1-1.

Eberly settled in after facing the early adversity, recording nine consecutive outs between the second and fourth innings.

The fourth proved kind for the Huskies, plating three in the top portion of the frame to grab a 4-1 edge. Bloomsburg loaded the bases with one out for Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston), who dropped a single into the right-center gap to plate one and bring the score to 3-1. Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) singled in another run following a pitching change to make it a 4-1 ball game. 

With the help of her defense, Eberly would cruise through the remainder of the contest. The Purcellville, Va. native recorded her lone strikeout in the bottom of the fifth, resulting in two outs in part to a strong throw from catcher Gianna Gombeda (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) to nail a Kutztown runner attempting to steal second.

The Huskies added further insurance in the top of the seventh with another two runs. Three singles before the second change in arm for the Golden Bears set up Gombeda for a RBI opportunity to bring the score to 5-1. Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) brought in the final run of the game home after being hit by a pitch for a 6-1 lead.

Despite two runners reaching base in the bottom of the seventh, Eberly remained poised in the moment to get the final batter of the game to pop up with a full count.

Several players for Bloomsburg had strong legs on both ends of the doubleheader. In the two-spot, Weidlich finished the day 5-of-9 with two RBI and a run scored. Hitting from the five-hole, Yamrick went 3-for-6 with two RBI across the two games. Kranzley continued her hitting form to begin conference play, going 4-for-6 with three doubles, a RBI and a run scored. Helping the cause in the final third of the lineup, Emmie Rowe (Hetlerville, Pa./Central Columbia) wrapped up the two contests 4-of-6 with a run scored and her first career stolen base in game two. 

On the Horizon: 
The Huskies wrap up a stretch of three consecutive road doubleheaders in the PSAC with two games against West Chester, beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 30.