MANSFIELD, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball team ripped and roared to a doubleheader sweep over Mansfield Thursday afternoon. 

The Huskies (23-13, 13-9 PSAC East) pieced together a pair of complete performances, taking game one by a score of 9-1 and winning 9-0 in five innings against the Mountaineers 8-24 (6-18 PSAC East).

Pitchers Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) and Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot) controlled the game from the circle on Thursday, keeping the Mansfield lineup out of sorts all day. The two arms combined to give just one run on six hits and two walks through 12.0 innings of play with 13 strikeouts. Yamrick's stellar performance continued at the plate, going 3-for-6 with two home runs and seven RBI.

How It Happened:

Game One:
Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin) got the Huskies off to an early 1-0 lead with active movement on the bases. The senior reached on an error to begin the game and advanced to second on a passed ball before a sacrifice bunt from Yamrick put the leadoff batter 60 feet from home. Moments later, a second passed ball provided the Culp to slide in safely for the lead.

Sowers' day on the bump started with three hitless innings, including striking out the side in the bottom of the first. The lone base runner came from a leadoff walk in the second, with the Mountaineer left on second base following a sacrifice bunt and back-to-back lineouts.

Bloomsburg picked up its offensive momentum in the middle innings with two runs apiece in the third and fourth. With one out in the top of the third, Sage Wiedlich got things underway with a hit-by-pitch. The outfielder stole second base and moved to third on a single from Culp. Yamrick followed by driving in her first run of the afternoon with a single to drive in one and keep runners on the corners. Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) would extend the advantage to three with a sacrifice fly.

In the fourth, Allie Wenrich (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) applied the pressure with the leadoff single before swiping her team-leading sixth base of the season. Reagan Wiest (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) drew a six-pitch walk to put two on and later joined Wenrich in scoring position following another passed ball. Making a rare appearance in the box, Sowers helped her own cause with an RBI single up the middle to give the pitcher enough time to beat out the throw and extend the lead to four. Culp and the Huskies put the squeeze on the Mansfield infield with one out as a bunt from Culp got the defense off guard and gave Wiest enough time to slide into home. 

The first two hits surrendered by Sowers came in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, the Mountaineers looked to rally with back-to-back singles to put two runners aboard. The contact proved inconsequential, with Sowers getting the final out of the inning on a weak liner to third. 

Bloomsburg sought to wrap things up with three runs in the top of the sixth. Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) started off a stretch of three consecutive hits as the junior turned the lineup over to the top. Culp followed with her own single to bring Yamrick up to the plate. The sophomore did not disappoint, sending her first home run of the season inside the foul pole in left field to make it an 8-0 game.

The bottom of the sixth was quick-moving for Sowers, getting through the first two batters with two pitches. On the third pitch of the inning, the Mountaineers escaped a run-rule decision with a solo home run to extend the game into the seventh. The Huskies got the run back in the top of the seventh with Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) drawing a walk and advancing two bases on a wild pitch. Jayla Bartholomew (Williamsport, Pa/Williamsport) knocked in the team's ninth run after coming off the bench to pinch-hit. Sowers did not let the sixth inning deter a successful day, securing the win with an eight-pitch final frame.

Game Two:
Pitching paced the opening two frames of the second contest, with neither side able to put runs on the board. Both teams had their leadoff batter reach base in the first inning, but the efforts stalled before any damage could occur.

Yamrick helped Bloomsburg awaken in the top of the third with her second home run of the day. Culp set up the inning with a four-pitch walk. The game-two starter lasered the second pitch of the at-bat that missed in the upper part of the zone to give herself and the team a 2-0 lead. From the mound, Yamrick recorded nine consecutive outs following the game-opening walk in the first for three unscathed innings. The sophomore's productive day at the plate continued as the Huskies loaded the bases in the fourth thanks to a double from Wiest, a walk from Carly Wywoda (Dupont, Pa./Holy Cross) and a single from Malauni Frost (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg). With two outs, Yamrick remained patient at the plate for a seven-pitch walk and a three-run margin.

The Mountaineers' lone hit of game two came in the first plate appearance of the fourth inning, but the home side could not piece together anything of consequence. Yamrick quickly sent down the next three batters on eight pitches.

The fifth inning was the exclamation point on the day that sent Bloomsburg home with the road sweep. Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) reached on a hit-by-pitch to open the inning before back-to-back singles from Wenrich and Wiest loaded the bases. Wywoda stepped into the box and ripped a two-RBI single right at the shortstop, catching Mansfield playing the infield in on a potential force at home and making it a 5-0 ball game. Following a pitching change, Frost stepped into the box and welcomed the new arm with a three-run blast to center field for an eight-run advantage. A triple from Culp and another productive out from Nemeth brought the Huskies' edge to nine.

A commanding team performance wrapped up with an equally emphatic finale from Yamrick. Facing three pinch hitters for the Mountaineers, the sophomore ended the afternoon by striking out the side.

Numbers of Note: 
70 - A historic climb through the Bloomsburg record books continues for Sowers with her 70th career win on Thursday. The senior becomes the ninth pitcher in team history to reach the milestone victory.

2 - Yamrick's two-way play has flourished in year two at Bloomsburg. In conjunction with a dominant start on the mound, the sophomore's first two home runs of the season exceed her season total from her All-PSAC East freshman campaign.

6 & 4 - The Huskies' capabilities from the mound were on full display Thursday with the best-combined doubleheader performance of the season. The four hits and six total base runners allowed are the fewest this season.

On the Horizon: 
The Bloomsburg softball team returns to Jan Hutchinson Field on Friday, April 18, at 2:00 p.m. for two games against No. 16 Kutztown.