BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball team split doubleheader with East Stroudsburg in final game at Jan M. Hutchinson Field to keep their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament hopes alive.
Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) had a great showing in the doubleheader as she had a total of five hits, five runs scored, two RBIs, two doubles and a triple.
Sydney Thompson (Karthaus, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) led the team in RBIs with a total of four.
Becca Varhula (Philadelphia, Pa./School Lane Charter - IB) also secured her seventh victory of her freshman campaign.
Game one - Bloomsburg 5, East Stroudsburg 7
The Warriors stuck first in the contest as they went up 1-0 in the top of the first. The Huskies took the lead in the bottom of the first by scoring two runs.
It started with Kranzley singling to center field, awaiting
Alizabeth Schuler's (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport Area) at-bat. Schuler singled to right center to advance Kranzley to third base. Thompson recorded her first RBI by hitting Thompson home on a single to center field. Kaufman reached on an error to give the Huskies the lead with Schuler crossing home plate.
East Stroudsburg then snatched back the lead by scoring six straight runs in the top of the fourth, making it 7-2.
Bloomsburg started to rally in the bottom of the inning by
Taylor Welsh (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) singling to left field. Welsh was then hit home by Kranzley who tripled to the warning track. Schuler awarded Kranzley with a run by doubling to left center. The inning ended with the Warriors on top 7-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Kaufman singled to second to bring home Kranzley for her third run of the game. It was not enough as the Huskies faced a 7-5 loss.
Game two - Bloomsburg 6, East Stroudsburg 2
Game two started with ESU scoring first by homering to left center. With a potential PSAC Tournament appearance on the line, the Huskies took back the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
With two outs,
Allie Wenrich (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin) was walked and prepared for
Josie Straigis' (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) plate appearance. Straigis then blasted one to right center, doubling and bringing Wenrich in for the tie.
Reagan Wiest (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) wanted more and brought Straigis home on an RBI single.
Kranzley continued her clutch play by doubling to right center in the bottom of the fifth. Thompson added to the lead on an RBI single which allowed the senior to score another run.
The Warriors scored once more in the top of the sixth to bring the lead down to 3-2.
Bloomsburg was not done scoring as both
Emma Holmes (Mount Wolf, Pa./Northeastern Senior) and Welsh were walked in the bottom of the sixth. Kranzley hit an RBI double to bolster the lead to 4-2. Thompson then blasted another one to the warning track on a 2-RBI double, bringing home Welsh and Kranzley.
East Stroudsburg was unable to rally in the top of the seventh and the game ended early 6-2.
Road to the PSAC Tournament
The Huskies will face West Chester on May 2 with major tournament implications.
The PSAC Tournament hosts the top five teams in both the eastern and western divisions. Bloomsburg (26-18, 16-14 PSAC) currently sits fifth in the PSAC East under Kutztown (22-8 PSAC), Shippensburg (20-10 PSAC), East Stroudsburg (19-11 PSAC) and Lock Haven (17-15 PSAC). #6 Shepherd (16-14 PSAC) and #7 West Chester (15-15 PSAC) are currently in the hunt for a spot in the tournament.
If the Huskies were to sweep the Golden Rams, they would clinch the fourth spot in the eastern division as Lock Haven's regular season is finished.
If Bloomsburg splits with West Chester and Shepherd splits with Millersville, the Huskies would clinch the fifth spot as they hold the tiebreaker over Shepherd.
If Bloomsburg splits with West Chester and Shepherd sweeps Millersville, Shepherd would take the fourth spot and Lock Haven would take the fifth as they hold the tiebreaker over Bloomsburg.
If the Huskies were to drop both games against West Chester, they will have no way of appearing in the tournament.
