Huskies Fall in PSAC Title Game

LOCK HAVEN-- The Bloomsburg University softball team came up short in its bid to win its 15th Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) softball championship losing in the title game 8-1 to Lock Haven. The Huskies had reached the finals with an 8-1 victory over Kutztown earlier in the day.

In the championship match the Huskies managed just five hits off of Lock Haven's Kristen Erb. With the Huskies trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Nikki Shiko (Kulpmont/Southern Columbia) doubled and scored one out later on a single by Lacy Mauro (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) to make it 3-1. But that would be all for the Huskies in the game. Tara Reed (Williamsport/Williamsport) suffered the loss for Bloomsburg going the first five and third innings.

Against Kutztown in the semi-finals, the Huskies scored four times in the first inning off of Golden Bear starter Mary Hoch who did not retire a batter before being pulled. Mauro had a bases loaded walk to drive in one run, Mandy Koch (Dauphin/Central Dauphin) plated two with a run scoring single and Lori Neyhard (Bloomsburg/Central Columbia) drove in the fourth run with a single.

The Huskies made it 6-0 in the second with Koch getting an RBI single and Neyhard getting a sacrifice fly. After Kutztown spoiled the shutout bid by Shavaun Fisher (Coplay/Allentown Central Catholic) with a run in the top of the sixth, Bloomsburg closed out the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Reed led off the inning with a solo homer, her seventh of the season, while later in the inning, Jenna Hampton (Catawissa/Southern Columbia) a pinch-hit RBI single.

Fisher finished with a four-hitter for Bloomsburg as she fanned 11 and walked two in picking up her 17th win of the season. Koch finished 2-3 with three RBI for Bloomsburg, while Reed went 3-3 and scored three runs.

The Huskies, now 34-8, will await word on a bid to the NCAA Division II championships which will be announced late Sunday night.