Bloomsburg Sweeps Millersville in Baseball

BLOOMSBURG—The Bloomsburg University baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep from Millersville on Friday, winning game one, 1-0 and taking game two by a score of 10-4.

In the opener, the Huskies scored the game's only run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Billy Manning (Nazareth/Nazareth) opened the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ryan Wyland (Williamsport/Loyalsock Twp.) then sent Manning over to third as he singled to put runners on the corners. The Huskies then attempted a double steal as Wyland broke for second. Manning then scooted home, plating the game's only run. Bloomsburg also threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning, loading the bases with one out but could not score.

On the hill, Chase Phillips (Milton/Milton) pitched a gem for Bloomsburg, not allowing a single Marauder passed second base. He scattered seven hits and recorded four strikeouts in picking up the complete game. Defensively, the Huskies played well behind Phillips, only committing one error in the game.

For Millersville, Brandon Klinger also pitched a solid game, allowing four hits while striking out four.

The win also marks the first time since the 1997 season that the Huskies shut out the Marauders.

In the second game, the Bloomsburg bats came alive as they scored in three different innings to top Millersville. After spotting Millersville a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning, the Huskies put four runs on the board. Josh Howe (Williamsport/Williamsport) scored Bloomsburg's first run as he raced home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Joe Pesci (Levittown/Pennsbury). After Ryan Wyland scored on a wild pitch, Andy Bucher (Littlestown/Littlestown) doubled in Larry Piccini (Jessup/Valley View) with Bloomsburg's third run of the inning. Chris Husted (West Decatur/Philipsburg-Osceola) then singled in Bucher for the Huskies fourth run of the inning.

Millersville would score two runs in the fourth inning and tie the score at 4-4 in the fifth on a Rob Duval sacrifice fly that scored Lance Stopper .

The Huskies however scored five times in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good. Bucher and Husted recorded back-to-back hits before Matt Robinson (York/Red Lion) drove in Bucher with an RBI single. Husted then scored on a suicide squeeze off the bat of Brian Tugend (Taylor/Riverside). Robinson then scored on a single by Josh Howe to give the Huskies a 7-4 lead. Ryan Wyland topped off the scoring for the Huskies in the fifth inning as he blasted a two-run homerun to put Bloomsburg in control. The Huskies added a run in the bottom of the sixth to pick up their fifth win in as many games.

Dave Rute (Milton/Milton) went the distance for the Huskies, picking up his first career win. Rute scattered nine hits and had four strikeouts on the day.

In all, eight different Huskies had hits versus the Marauders. Andy Bucher led the Huskies' offense in game two, stroking three hits, including two doubles. Bucher, who combined to go 5-7 in the doubleheader, also scored twice and knocked in two runs.

Bloomsburg, 11-19, 3-7 PSAC East returns to action tomorrow as they travel to Millersville to face the Marauders at York at 1:00 p.m.