Bloomsburg University Sweeps Pair in Softball

BLOOMSBURG-- The Bloomsburg University softball team, ranked 19th in this week's national poll, took a pair of games from Mansfield on Wednesday by scores of 4-0 and 6-2.

In the opener, the Huskies and Mounties were locked in a scoreless battle till the bottom of the sixth when Bloomsburg scored four times. With two outs, Lacy Mauro (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) reached on an error. The Huskies then banged out five consecutive hits with Tara Reed (Williamsport/Williamsport), Lori Neyhard (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia) and Shen DeBaro (Milton/Milton) getting RBI hits. Neyhard finished game one 3-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Reed picked up the win pitching as she fanned 10 and did not walk a batter.

In game two, Bloomsburg jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning. The Huskies loaded the bases with two outs when Nikki Shiko (Kulpmont/Southern Columbia) hit a two-run single scoring Reed and Jenna Hampton (Catawissa/Southern Columbia). After Mansfield tied the game with single runs in the second and third innings, the Huskies rallied with three in the fifth. Mauro and Shiko each had an RBI hit in the inning, while Hampton drove in the run with a bunt.

Shiko finished 2-3 in the game with two RBI, while Reed was 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Amanda Whitford (Mt. Bethel/Bangor) picked up the win in relief. She allowed just two hits in four innings of work.

Bloomsburg, 22-4, 7-1 in the PSAC Central, plays at Clarion tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.