QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball team survived and advanced to day two of the 2024 PSAC Softball Tournament, going 2-1 on the day.

The Huskies opened the day with a 1-0 win against Slippery Rock, with pitcher Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) stealing the show. Sowers delivered for Bloomsburg, tossing the 62nd no-hitter in program history to pick up her 22nd victory of the season. 

The Huskies dropped into the elimination bracket following game two after a back-and-forth 5-4 defeat to PSAC East foe East Stroudsburg in the team's second game of the afternoon. 

Facing elimination, Bloomsburg bounced back with a 6-1 victory against IUP to move on to day two of the PSAC Tournament. Sowers picked up her second win of the afternoon while the Huskies' lineup combined for 11 hits.

With her 25 total strikeouts on the afternoon, Sowers moves into sole possession of second place for strikeouts in program history with 689.

Bloomsburg improves to 33-21 overall this season. The Huskies sit sixth in the Atlantic Region following the most recent rankings published Wednesday afternoon. 

Game One (W, 1-0 vs. Slippery Rock): 
Bloomsburg struck first and once in the second inning to take control of the game for good.

Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) led off the inning with an infield single to get the Huskies going. Josie Straigis (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) increased the threat level with a double into the right-center gap to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. With one out, Kranzley scored from third on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.

Sowers stuck out six consecutive batters after allowing a walk to start the game. The Rock got its lone runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth inning following a walk at the start and a passed ball. The junior would escape the two-out situation with another strikeout.

Bloomsburg had one final chance to add on insurance with runners on the corners with an out, but the score held through the final out of the game. Sowers struck out the next two batters faced before getting the final batter to ground out and secure another historical moment.

Game Two (L, 5-4 vs. East Stroudsburg):
The Warriors got the better of the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead after the first, as the No. 1 seed out of the East had three singles in the bottom half of the inning to jump out in front. 

The Huskies responded in a big way in the second, scoring four runs to take a three-run advantage. Straigis opened the inning with a one-out single to get the ball rolling. With two outs, Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) got the rally going with her sixth home run of the season to give Bloomsburg a 2-1 edge. Two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, setting up a two-RBI single for Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) to put the Huskies up three. 

East Stroudsburg cut its deficit to two in the bottom of the third with another triplet of singles to get back in the scoring column. 

After a scoreless fourth, the Warriors erased Bloomsburg's lead and grabbed a one-run lead until the end. 

The Huskies had their best chance to tie in the top of the seventh. Bloomsburg got two runners on with one out following an error and a single to put the pressure on East Stroudsburg. The Huskies flew out twice to right field to end the game and halt the comeback efforts.

Game Three (W, 6-1 vs. IUP):
The Huskies lived to fight another today with a win in their third game of the day with a revenge game against the Crimson Hawks after falling 1-0 to the West opponent on a neutral field earlier in the season.

Bloomsburg got back on the attacking front by plating two runs in the top of the first. Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin) and Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) reached base on singles to get things underway. With two outs and runners on second and third, the Huskies' team leader in doubles, Kranzley, got Bloomsburg on the board with her 17th of the season for a two-run advantage.

Pitching for the second time on the day, Sowers faced early trouble with IUP, making it a 2-1 contest in the bottom of the first. The Crimson Hawks opened the game with a single before advancing the runner with a sacrifice bunt. IUP's designated player, Jaycee Haidze, drove in what proved to be their lone run of the game.

After a scoreless second inning between the sides, the Huskies got back into the scoring section in the third. Lenner doubled to lead off the inning, while Kranzley singled to put runners on the corners before a walk loaded the bases. With two outs, Little took a pitch that ran too far inside to keep the bases loaded and make it a 3-1 game.
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Bloomsburg added three runs in the sixth and seventh innings to ensure the win, with Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot) and Little providing the run-producing contact. Sowers picks up her 10th outing recording double-digit strikeouts.

Thursday Preview: 
The Huskies begin their day at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, with a game against No. 2 West seed Seton Hill. A win places Bloomsburg in a matchup against the loser of tomorrow's Shippensburg vs. Kutztown game. 

Opponent Overview
The Griffins enter Thursday's matchup following a 12-1 to the Golden Rams in their lone game Wednesday afternoon. Seton Hill is 35-16 on the year and boasts eight All-PSAC West members, including four on the first team. Catcher Mackenzie Zang, outfielders Camryn Murphy, PSAC West Freshman of the Year Kassidy Wittig, and pitcher Logan Hartman make up the first-team honorees for the Griffins. Seton Hill also held the place as the most productive offense in the PSAC, leading the conference in batting average, hits, runs and home runs. As the team's leading pitcher, Hartman boasts a team-leading 3.32 earned run average.