BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball dropped its first two games of its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference slate to Shepherd Friday afternoon.

The Huskies (10-6, 0-2 PSAC East) struggled to mount the necessary offensive to combat a lively Rams (7-9, 3-1 PSAC East) squad. Shepherd took game one by a score of 8-3 before taking the second game, 6-0.

How It Happened:

Game One:
Bloomsburg got off to the start it wanted in the first leg of the doubleheader, finding a way onto the scoreboard first. The Huskies got their first base runner after Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot) drew a one-out walk and put two runners aboard with a single from Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford). Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) singled up the middle to give Bloomsburg a 1-0 advantage, still facing one out. After a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position, the Huskies could not capitalize and get the ball out of the infield.

The Rams tied the game in the top of the second, recording a one-out double before a two-out single into left field made it a 1-1 game. Shepherd built on the momentum in its next trip to the plate, scoring a pair to grab the lead at 3-1. The Rams again rallied with two outs, getting a runner aboard on a four-pitch walk following a double play converted by the Bloomsburg defense. Shepherd rattled off back-to-back hits, a double and a single, for the lead.

The next three half innings went scoreless before the Rams hunkered down for another run. A two-out double put Shepherd in striking distance once more, delivering on both ends, with an RBI single up the middle getting through to make it a 4-1 edge.

The Huskies had their opportunity to mount a major offensive in the bottom of the fifth inning after three consecutive base hits. Yamrick led off with a double into the left-center gap and moved to third base following a single from Little. Nemeth provided the support in her plate appearance, driving in her second run of the day with a single. Despite a hit to load the bases and the leading run on first, Bloomsburg could not stack the necessary at-bats together to score another and leave the game at 4-2.

The missed opportunity from the Huskies turned into a momentum-swinging chance that the Rams did not forget, putting the game away with a four-run sixth inning. Shepherd loaded the bases with one out, and the subsequent at-bat led to a hit that rolled to the outfield fence to plate two. A slowly hit fielder's choice added to the score while a sharply hit infield single wrapped up the inning to make it 8-2. Little chipped away at the lead with solid two-out hitting, sending a double to the gap in right field to make it 8-3 and produce the game's final score.

Game Two:
The Huskies could not recollect themselves and move forward into game two. Shepherd carried over its positive momentum to capture the game two result. 

The Rams wasted no time putting more runs on the scoreboard, registering three consecutive one-out singles to go up 1-0. Bloomsburg had a chance to turn two and escape the inning with the lone run to cross, but an errant throw from the infield on the double-play attempt allowed the second run of the inning to score.

As the Huskies searched for answers, Shepherd had theirs prepared in the fourth and fifth innings with four total runs. The Rams two-out plate approach paid off once more, driving in all three runs in the fourth while facing two outs. In the fifth, the Rams plated their run with a bases-loaded RBI single before getting doubled up by the Bloomsburg infield to end the inning. 

The Huskies' lone two base runners in the second contest came with walks from Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin) and Nemeth. Culp searched to spark her team by drawing a five-pitch, leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh before moving to second with one out. With a free base, Nemeth gave Bloomsburg another runner aboard with a free bag of her own, but the team did not find the avenue to avoid the shutout and the defeat. 

Numbers of Note
4 - While the hits did not fall where the Huskies would have liked, the team continues to see the ball well. After amassing just five walks in the first five games of the season, Bloomsburg has 45 walks in its last 11 across, 4.1 per contest. The Huskies have eight games with four or more walks in that stretch and multiple in 10 of the 11.

9 - The difference in the game at the plate was Shepherd's ability to piece together strong at-bats with two outs. The Rams finished the twin bill on Friday, scoring 9 of their 14 runs with two outs in an inning. 

On The Horizon:
The Huskies are back at Jan Hutchinson Field to continue their homestand on Saturday, March 22, at 1:00 p.m. for a doubleheader against Shippensburg.