Softball Team Advances to Title Game of PSAC Playoff Bracket
CALIFORNIA, PA-- Mandy Koch (Dauphin/Central Dauphin) singled in Nikki Shiko (Kulpmont/Southern Columbia) with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Bloomsburg University softball team to a 2-1 win over East Stroudsburg in an elimination game of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference first round playoff tournament at California, PA.
Koch's single to right field scored Shikko with the winning after the Huskies loaded the bases with the help of an error and a walk in the inning. The win moved to the Huskies to the championship round on Saturday at 1 p.m. against California. The Huskies will need to be the host Vulcans twice on Saturday to advance to next weekend's championship round.
East Stroudsburg took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Rachel Gieringer homered with two outs off of Tara Reed (Williamsport/Williamsport). The Huskies came back and tied the score in the bottom of the first inning when Reed doubled home Danielle Lazorka (Williamsport/Jersey Shore) who led off the inning for Bloomsburg with a single.
Shavaun Fisher (Coplay/Allentown Central Catholic) relieved Reed in the second inning and went the final seven innings to earn the win. She allowed just five hits, struck out nine and did not walk a batter in earning the win.
In game one of the tournament, the Huskies scored a first-inning run and made it stand up in beating East Stroudsburg, 1-0. In the bottom of the first Lazorka doubled to lead off the inning for the Huskies. Reed bunted her over to third. Then after a strikeout and a walk, Shiko singled in Lazorka with what turned out to be the only run of the game.
Bloomsburg did have two other scoring chances after getting runners to second and third in both the third and fifth innings, but could not score. East Stroudsburg's best scoring chance against Reed were in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth the Warriors had runners at first and second. On a ground ball to second, Gieringer tried to score on a ball that was bobbled by Lazorka, but ended up being thrown out at home by Lazorka to end the inning. In the seventh, the Warriors again put runners on first and second, but Reed was able to get a strikeout to end the game.
Reed allowed just four hits and fanned 12 to earn her 13th win of the season.
In game two of the day, the Huskies lost to California (PA) 2-0. The Vulcans got single runs in the second and fifth innings. The Huskies, meanwhile, managed just four hits, all singles, but did have two good opportunities to score.
In the bottom of the sixth, Shiko reached on a fielder's choice and Reed walked putting runners at first and second. Shiko stole third and Reed second with two outs, but Lacy Mauro (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) flied out to end the inning. In the seventh, the Huskies had loaded the bases with two outs, but Lazorka grounded out to end the game. Fisher went the distance and allowed five hits and two runs in taking the loss.
