Bloomsburg Drops Pair of Games to Kutztown

BLOOMSBURG- The Bloomsburg University baseball team dropped a pair of tough games to Kutztown University, the third-ranked team in NCAA Division II, on Saturday. The Huskies lost game one, 5-0, in eight innings and dropped game two 5-3.

It was an old-fashioned pitchers duel in game one as the game remained scoreless through the first seven innings. The Huskies mounted their first threat of the game in the bottom of the seventh against Kutztown pitcher Jason Mills. Vinnie James (Bristol/ Bristol) led the inning of with a walk and Kevin Ward (Upper Darby/ Monsignor Bonner) followed with a single through the left side to put the winning run at second base. However Mills buckled down to strike out Andy Bucher and then forced Matt Allen to ground into a double play to escape out of trouble.

In the top of the eighth, the Kutztown bats came alive as they rallied for five runs in the inning. The Golden Bears loaded the bases with nobody out for Kutztown's Garrison Rauch. Rauch lined a shot off the glove of first baseman Ward bringing home two runs and knocking Bloomsburg pitcher Grant Kernaghan (Upper Darby/ Upper Darby) out of the game. Jeff Craig then put the game out of reach in the next at-bat with a three-run blast to right-center field to extend their lead to 5-0.

Kernaghan was a brilliant for the Huskies in a tough-luck loss. The freshman went seven-plus innings, scattering five hits and surrendering one earned run, while striking out four batters.

In game two, the Huskies found themselves in an early hole as they fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first. In the bottom of the second, Rich Letts (Parkesburg/ Octorara) doubled home two runs to cut the Golden Bears lead to 3-2.

Each team was held scoreless until the sixth inning when Kutztown's Mike Kacelowicz doubled home a run to take a 4-2 lead. However, the Huskies made it 4-3 in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout by Paul Eckley (Port Matilda/ State College).

In the seventh, Kutztown added an insurance run to take a 5-3 lead. Golden Bear pitcher Mike McCardell then shut the Huskies down in order in the bottom of the inning to earn his fifth win of the season.

David Rute (Milton/ Milton) threw a complete game for the Huskies, striking out two batters and allowing two earned runs. Matt Allen (DuBoistown/ South Williamsport) went 2-3 with a run scored and Letts was 1-3 with two RBI.

The Huskies, 12-25, 5-11 in the PSAC East, will host Columbia Union tomorrow at 1 p.m.