WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Grant Russo (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) broke the single-season stolen bases record for the Huskies as Bloomsburg baseball dropped a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) bouts to No. 25/17 West Chester on Thursday afternoon.
 
In the top of the fifth in game two, Russo stole second base to record his 32nd steal of the season. The placed the centerfielder solely atop the record book in single season steals for the Huskies, breaking John Stillo's 1997 record of 31.
 
Casey O'Brien (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) and Anthony Trommer (Trevose, Pa./Neshaminy) each finished the day going 3-for-6 while Justin Weaver (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) and Jace Jarmon (Millsboro, Del./Sussex Central) both tallied multiple hits on the day.
 
Game One – West Chester 8, Bloomsburg 2
 
Bloomsburg (24-16, 11-11 PSAC East) saw Russo lead off the contest with a single to centerfield before moving to second as Matt Freda (Lafayette, N.J./High Point Regional) reached on a fielding error. Weaver moved the pair ahead on a sacrifice bunt before an RBI-groundout from Drew Balestrini (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) brought in the first run.
 
West Chester (32-8, 16-6) responded in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs on three hits to take the lead. An RBI-single in the third extended the Golden Rams lead to 5-1.
 
The bottom of the fourth saw WCU advanced its lead to 8-1 on back-to-back home runs.
 
Bloomsburg managed to score one in the sixth on an RBI-groundout from Dylan Hirsh (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) that scored Weaver before eventually falling 8-2 in the opener.
 
Brandon Wozniak (Nanticoke, Pa./Nanticoke Area) pitched three innings in the start, striking out two while allowing five hits and five runs. Christian Zito (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) tossed three innings of relief, allowing three runs and four hits.
 
Game Two – West Chester 6, Bloomsburg 3
 
The Golden Rams jumped ahead early in the nightcap, scoring three runs on a pair of triples and a single.
 
O'Brien brought in the first run for the Huskies in the top of the second, scoring Trommer on a single to left field.
 
Bloomsburg pulled within one in the next inning, as Freda brought Jarmon across the plate on a sacrifice fly.
 
West Chester pulled back ahead by three in the fourth, scoring two on a double and a single. Another RBI-double from the Golden Rams in the fifth accounted for the final run of the game as the hosts held on for the 6-3 win to sweep the twin bill.
 
Andrew Armstrong (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman) pitched all six innings for the Huskies, ending the day with five strikeouts.
 
Bloomsburg returns to Danny Litwhiler Field on Friday, April 24 as they host West Chester for the second half of the four-game series beginning at 1 p.m.