EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg baseball team controlled game one of its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader with East Stroudsburg, 12-3, before falling 3-1 in the night cap at Creekview Park on Saturday afternoon.
 
Casey O'Brien (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) led Bloomsburg (16-9, 6-6 PSAC East) at the plate, going 5-for-8 on the day with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Matt Freda (Lafayette, N.J./High Point Regional) shined in the opener, going 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs. Overall, the Huskies had six batters post double-digit hits on the day while recording 25 across 14 innings.
 
Game One – Bloomsburg 12, East Stroudsburg
 
The Huskies took hold of the momentum immediately in the first game as Grant Russo (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) launched a triple to left centerfield on the second pitch of the game. An RBI-single from Freda to centerfield quickly put the maroon and gold on the board.
 
Dylan Hirsh (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) then wore a pitch on a 2-2 count to take a trip to first, setting the stage for Drew Balestrini's (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) RBI-single through the right side to score Freda. After working back an 0-2 count to 3-2, Trommer was beaned with the payoff pitch to load the bases. O'Brien doubled the Huskies' lead, singling to centerfield to make it 4-0 before East Stroudsburg (18-12, 6-6) was able to record an out.
 
Troy Davis lead off the bottom of the second with a triple for the Warriors before a sacrifice fly got ESU's first run on the board.
 
The top of the fourth saw a single from Freda and a double from Hirsh to put both runners in scoring position. Balestrini reached on a fielder's choice that brought Freda in for his second run of the day. Balestrini stole second before Trommer reached on a throwing error from the shortstop.  The error allowed Balestrini to turn the corner and score the Huskie's sixth run.
 
Back-to-back sacrifice flies in the bottom of the inning pulled the score to 6-3.
 
Freda recorded a pair of RBIs in the fifth, scoring Jeremy Cawley (Duryea, Pa./Pittston Area) and Nathan Kress (Lansdale, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) on a single through the left side.
 
Balestrini started the sixth frame with a first pitch home run to right field to make it 9-3 for the visitors. O'Brien singled to left later in the frame before stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error from the catcher. The third baseman was brought in by Cawley on a single to left field.
 
A single from Trommer in the seventh brought the final two runs across the plate as the Huskies took a 12-3 victory.
 
Aiden Murphy (Mountain Top, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) advanced to 5-0 on the mound this season, allowing just three runs and six hits in five innings of work.
 
Game Two – East Stroudsburg 3, Bloomsburg 1
 
The night cap proved to be a defensive showcase, as the contest remained tied heading into the bottom of the third inning. A pair of walks set up Davis for a three-run home run to record the first hit of the game for East Stroudsburg.
 
Bloomsburg was held off the board until the top of the sixth when O'Brien singled to centerfield to score Hirsh. The Huskies were unable to complete the comeback and fell 3-1.
 
Steve Martin (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy) was pinned with the loss, allowing just one hit while striking out two in four innings on the mound. Brian Walsh (Scranton, Pa./Scranton Prep) pitched two innings, striking out one and allowing one hit.
 
Bloomsburg is back in action on Wednesday, April 8 as they travel to St. Thomas Aquinas for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.