Bloomsburg Athletics

MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Bloomsburg baseball team concluded its regular season by splitting its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader with Mansfield on Friday afternoon.
 
Mansfield (13-35, 4-24 PSAC East) took game one from Bloomsburg (27-19, 14-14) before the Huskies dominated the nightcap with a 15-4 victory.
 
Jace Jarmon (Millsboro, Del./Sussex Central) led the maroon and gold with five hits and four RBIs on the day. Drew Balestrini (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) notched four hits, including a 3-for-3 performance in game two. Seven Huskies tallied double digit hits in the twin bill while six posted two or more in the nightcap.
 
Game One – Mansfield 6, Bloomsburg 4
 
Bloomsburg took the lead in the second inning, as a two-RBI single from Dylan Hirsh (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) scored Casey O'Brien (Moosic, Pa./Riverside) and Nathan Kress (Lansdale, Pa./La Salle College H.S.).
 
After a lead-off single from the Mountaineers in the bottom of the frame, Kahale Burns and Billy Riggs launched back-to-back home runs to take the lead.
 
Bloomsburg responded in the top of the fourth as a sacrifice fly from Grant Russo (Sugarloaf, Pa./Hazleton Area) brought the game-tying run home in Matt Freda (Lafayette, N.J./High Point Regional). A centerfield single from Jarmon gave the Huskies the lead once more as Kress crossed the plate.
 
Mansfield regained the lead in the fifth, as a three hits, a walk, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly combined for a three-run inning to make it 6-4 for the home team.
 
The Mountaineers held Bloomsburg without a hit in the final two frames to take the opener.
 
Aiden Murphy (Mountain Top, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) was pinned with the loss in game one, allowing six runs on six hits. The senior struck out four batters in 4.1 innings of work. Pete Modrovsky (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) allowed just one hit in the final 1.2 innings of the contest.
 
Game Two – Bloomsburg 15, Mansfield 4
 
Bloomsburg got on the board early in game two, as a single and stolen base from Russo set up an RBI single from Jarmon to open the scoring. After a single from Balestrini, Trommer drove an RBI-single to left field to make it 2-0 for the Huskies.
 
Mansfield tied the contest in the second on a two-RBI double to left center from Cooper Rother.
 
Russo and Jarmon notched back-to-back singles start the third, before Balestrini laid down a perfect bunt on the third base line to load the bases. Justin Weaver (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) brought in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly before Trommer extended the lead on a sacrifice bunt.
 
The Huskies pulled away to a 10-4 lead in the fourth, batting through the lineup while scoring six runs on six hits. Jarmon's double opened the scoring in the frame as a he brought Levis across the plate. Balestrini scored Jarmon on a single before being brought home himself on a double from Weaver.
 
A walk and a passed ball put two runners in scoring position for O'Brien who lined a two-RBI single to center field to make it 9-2. The final run of the inning came from Kress who scored O'Brien on a right field single.
 
Mansfield got two back in the fifth on three hits and a fielder's choice.
 
The sixth inning saw the Huskies tally five more runs on four hits and two errors as they batted through the lineup once more to take a 15-4 lead and the eventual win.
 
Xander Velez (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) got the start in game two, earning the victory while striking out three across five innings on the bump. Christian Zito (Eatontown, N.J./Monmouth Regional) picked up a trio of strikeouts as well, tossing the final two frames in relief.
 
The Huskies finished the season with a 14-14 record in the PSAC and finished tied with Shepherd in the eastern division. The Rams claimed the final spot in the conference tournament by virtue of the tiebreaker as Shepherd won the season series, 3-1.