BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Lock Haven University baseball team (22-8, 10-4 PSAC East) dialed up some late-game magic twice, which helped the Bald Eagles sweep host Bloomsburg (18-14-1, 6-7-1 PSAC East) today in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action.
The Bald Eagles scored nine runs in the top of the seventh in game one in a 10-0 victory. In game two, LHU scored three runs in the seventh to tie the game at 10-10, before scoring three more in the eighth, which proved the be the difference in the 13-10 (8 inn.) win.
Today's sweep helped move Lock Haven to 22-8 on the season. The 22 wins are more than all of the last season (21) and mark the most in a single-season since the Bald Eagles won 25 games in 2002. LHU is now 10-4 in PSAC East play.
Leading 1-0 after six innings, the Bald Eagles scored nine runs in the seventh on the way to a 10-0 game-one win. Highlighting the big seventh inning surge was
Nick Stotler's (Pittsburgh/Coker College) grand slam.
Evan McFarland (Cottonwood, Ariz./Gateway Community College) was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. He also had a home run.
Jacob Belinda (Port Matilda, Pa./Tyrone) got the start, but only pitched one inning, before leaving the game and giving way to
Nick Hornbaker (Lancaster, Pa./East Stroudsburg Univ.), who threw six scoreless innings on the way to the win. Hornbaker struck out seven after Belinda recorded two strikeouts in the first.
LHU's 10 game-one runs came off nine total hits.
In game two, Lock Haven trailed late, but scored three runs in the top of the seventh to the tie the game at 10-10, forcing extra innings. In the eighth, LHU rode the momentum and scored three more, which proved the difference for The Haven in the 13-10 win.
Hunter Szaflarski (Greencastle, Pa./Hagerstown Community College) led the way after going 3 for 5 with five RBIs.
Matt Lahn (Georgetown, ONT./Erie Community College) was 3 for 4 with a two-run home run.
Lock Haven had 16 hits in game two as the Bald Eagles continued to power their way to wins. In all, five different players had multiple-hit games in game two and nine players registered at least one hit.
Lock Haven and Bloomsburg University will meet again tomorrow (Saturday, April 15) in Lock Haven (1/3 p.m.)