SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball team secured the series sweep over Shippensburg Wednesday afternoon with a pair of road victories.
The Huskies (21-13, 11-9 PSAC East) capitalized on the long ball in game one to build a four-run lead and hold on to a 4-3 win. A quick start in game two put Bloomsburg in the driver's seat. The Raiders (24-16, 13-11 PSAC East) did not back down, cutting as much as an eight-run deficit to one before the Huskies settled down and pulled away in the final frames.
With four solid innings of relief in game two, Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) picked up her 69th career victory while recording her 804th career strikeout to claim sole possession of the Bloomsburg softball all-time mark. Offensively, Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) led the way for the Huskies, finishing the day 5-of-9 (.556) with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Allie Wenrich (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) joined her partner in the outfield with her own four RBI day, including notching her seventh home run of the season.
How It Happened:
Game One:
Both sides had replicable innings in the first inning, with the two teams getting the leadoff runner aboard to start the day. Neither team managed to advance a player past first base. The Huskies found an initial path onto the scoreboard with a quick one-out series. Reagan Wiest (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) took the second pitch of her at-bat to left field for a single, setting up Wenrich. The freshman did not hesitate in her opening plate appearance, sending the first pitch over the fence in left field for a 2-0 lead.
Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot) got the starting nod in game one and did what was necessary for Bloomsburg with three scoreless innings to start the day. The opening allowed the Huskies to double their advantage to 4-0, with Yamrick getting plonked with a pitch before Nemeth went yard and matched her single-season high with her fourth of the season. The sophomore's lone blemish from the mound on the day game in the bottom of the fourth, with the first two Raiders recording early-count singles before a three-run home run made it a one-run game.
The two teams searched for additional scoring, but both arms regained needed composure in the circle to keep things at a standstill heading into the bottom of the seventh. In the final half-inning, the Huskies turned to Kelly Eberly (Purcellville, Va/Homeschooled) for the final three outs. The senior lefty battled through back-to-back full counts to notch the first two outs. Eberly flipped the script, getting the final out of the game off a first-pitch ground out to grab the season series.
Game Two:
The second contest of the day flipped the script from one of limited opportunities to an offensive outpouring. The 21 combined runs in game two are the most in a contest Bloomsburg has been a part of all season.
The Huskies' patience and consistent approach to begin the second game paid off with a six-run opening frame. Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin), Yamrick and Nemeth tallied three consecutive singles before Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and Wenrich posted back-to-back walks to make it a 2-0 game. Carly Wywoda (Dupont, Pa./Holy Cross) absorbed a pitch to plate the third run of the inning. A wild pitch allowed all three base runners to advance, while a two-RBI single from Wiest concluded Bloomsburg's initial six-run effort. Shippensburg would tack on one run in the first after a leadoff triple and a follow-up base hit to make it 6-1.
The Huskies took advantage of having the bases loaded once more in the third inning to extend their advantage to 9-1. After Wiest, Malauni Frost (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) and Culp helped Bloomsburg juice the bases, Yamrick and Nemeth drove in the trio with RBI singles. Yamrick's effort into left field drove in two before Nemeth knocked in Culp with a poke to center field.
The Raiders did not back down and rallied for seven runs in the fourth inning to heighten the drama in a newly minted 9-8 contest. Shippensburg totaled four singles, two hit-by-pitches and a walk in the inning to make it 9-5, as a bases-clearing two-out double suddenly made it a one-run game.
Bloomsburg helped its cause by remaining resilient in the face of adversity, rebuilding a cushion with three total runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Huskies managed to load the bases on three consecutive singles, regaining the momentum with a quick two runs. After a fielder's choice in the next at-bat resulted in the out at home, the Shippensburg catcher turned and sailed an attempted throw at first into foul territory, allowing the runner on third to score. Wenrich followed with an RBI single for an 11-8 advantage. The Huskies would muster a two-out rally in the top of the sixth from the top three of the lineup, leading to a Nemeth RBI single and a four-run edge.
Sowers' relief appearance slowed the game down and allowed Bloomsburg to simplify its approach across the diamond. The senior cooled the Shippensburg lineup with six outs on 26 pitches heading into the seventh. The Raiders conjured some of their magic from earlier in the game in the seventh with three singles to load the bases with one out. A fielder's choice plated one run to put runners on the corners with two outs. With the tying run at the plate, Sowers got the final batter to hit a weak fly ball to left field and wrap up an eventful day.
Numbers of Note:
2 - While the Bloomsburg pitching staff has had its moments racking up strikeouts, Wednesday afternoon was an exception. The Huskies got the job done on the mound with just two combined strikeouts across two days, getting a stalwart performance from the supporting defense.
.360 - Bloomsburg has a contingent of consistent hitters who have driven the team's success throughout the season. The Huskies are the only team in the PSAC Eastern Division with four players with a batting average greater than .360.
2008 - Like most series, the one between Bloomsburg and Shippensburg has had its ebbs and flows over the years. The Huskies sweep over the Raiders is the first time Bloomsburg earned four wins over Shippensburg in the same season since 2008. In addition, the 2008 season was the last occasion the Huskies captured a road doubleheader sweep.
On the Horizon:
The Bloomsburg softball team continues a daunting stretch of four consecutive days of action on Thursday, April 17, at 12:00 p.m., with two games at Mansfield.
