Bloomsburg Athletics

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball team's season comes to close after dropping both games to West Chester.

Josie Straigis (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe), Reagan Wiest (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) and Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) all tied for the most hits on the team in the doubleheader with three. Straigis had the most RBIs with four in game two. Wiest, Straigis and Sydney Thompson (Karthaus, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) also recorded a home run in the doubleheader as well.

Game one - Bloomsburg 3, West Chester 4

The Golden Rams scored the first run of the game as they homered to start the bottom of the second inning. The Huskies struck right back as Wiest blasted one out of the park to tie the ball game 1-1. 

West Chester took the lead once more in the bottom of the sixth, putting some pressure on the Huskies heading into the potential final inning. Wiest continued her heroic game with another clutch RBI, bringing home Straigis on an RBI single to third base. As they tied it in the top of the seventh, the game was headed to extra innings.

Bloomsburg took their first lead of the game as it started with Kranzley singling to third base. She then advanced to second after Alizabeth Schuler (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport Area) hit a sacrifice bunt. Thompson advanced Kranzley further to home plate as she grounded out. Jenna Kaufman (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) hit Kranzley home by hitting one into left field. The Huskies finished the eighth inning on top 3-2, but they would face heartbreak yet again with West Chester tying the game 3-3 and walking it off on an RBI double.

Game two - Bloomsburg 7, West Chester 8

The game started out hot for Bloomsburg with a huge three-run homer to left field from Straigis, bringing in Schuler and Thompson for the score as well. The Huskies held onto their 3-0 lead until the bottom of the second where the Golden Rams scored their first run of the game.

Straigis then earned her fourth RBI of the game in just three innings by bringing home Thompson on a sacrifice fly. The Golden Rams were not out of it yet as they brought it to a one-run game by scoring twice more in the bottom of the third. The Golden Rams then snatched the lead back in the bottom of the fourth making the score a 5-4 game. West Chester homered in the bottom of the fifth to bolster their lead to 8-4. 

The Huskies then went into the top of the seventh down four, but Schuler and Kranzley found themselves on first and second awaiting for Thompson's at-bat. Thompson then swung the momentum back into the hands of the Huskies with a three-run home run with no outs. Bloomsburg was unable to take the lead or tie the game and the it ended 8-7.

With the doubleheader loss, the Huskies finish in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in seventh place with a record of 16-16, narrowly missing out on the PSAC Tournament. 

Graduating Seniors

Senior Kranzley has been their staple second baseman in her four-year career with the Huskies. She started in 199 games out of 202 played with a career batting average of .311. 

Senior Taylor Welsh (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville) was their defensive backbone as she finishes her collegiate career with a fielding average of .987 as their predominant first baseman. She started in 127 games out of 141 played in her four-year career. 

Senior Carly Wywoda (Dupont, Pa./Holy Cross) joined the Huskies in 2024 after transferring from Mansfield. She started in 46 games out of 59 played in her two-year career with Bloomsburg. She finishes her stint with the Huskies batting .278.

Graduate student Gianna Gombeda (Hazleton, Pa./Hazleton) spent five years on the team and finishes her career with a .994 fielding percentage.