Huskies Drop Baseball Twinbill to West Chester

BLOOMSBURG-- The Bloomsburg University baseball team dropped a pair of games to West Chester on Friday by scores of 10-8 and 5-1 at Litwhiler Field.

In game one, the Huskies jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning and a single run in the second. In the bottom of the first, Preston Hitchcock (Laceyville/Wyalusing Valley) walked, moved to second on a bunt and scored on a single by Vinnie James (Bristol/Bristol). After James moved to second on a passed ball, Kevin Ward (Upper Darby/Monsignor Bonner) singled home James to make it 2-0. Bloomsburg made it 3-0 in the second when Andy Bucher (Littlestown/Littlestown) led off the inning with a home run.

West Chester cut the lead to 3-2 with two runs in the third and then went in front with four runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth. In the fourth, the Golden Rams got four hits and also took advantage of three errors to score four times.

Trailing 8-3, the Huskies cut into the deficit with three runs in the fifth. Matt Robinson (York/Red Lion) walked with James and Ward singling to load the bases. Matt Allen (DuBoistown/South Williamsport) followed with an RBI single, while Rich Letts (Parkesburg/Octorara) drove in another run with a ground out. Paul Eckley (Port Matilda/State College) got the final RBI on a single with two outs.

West Chester pushed its lead to 10-6 with two runs in the sixth before the Huskies came back once again. Bloomsburg scored twice in the bottom of the sixth with James knocking home Hitchcock, who led off the inning with a double, and James scoring on a sacrifice fly by Allen.

Bloomsburg had the go-ahead run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh with no outs, but two pop outs and a ground out ended the threat and the game.

Allen went 2-3 with three RBI in the game for the Huskies, while James was 3-4 with three runs scored and Ward 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Game two saw the Golden Rams score three times in the second inning with the big blow being a two-run homer by Drew Pare. After making it 4-0 with a run in the fifth, the Huskies broke through with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Hitchcock walked to open the inning and moved to third on a single by James. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Ward.

Hitchcock finished game one 2-2 with a run scored, while James went 2-3.

Bloomsburg falls to 8-17, 2-4 in the PSAC. The Huskies will face the Golden Rams on Saturday in West Chester for another twinbill starting at 1 p.m.