LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University softball team (13-13, 4-2 PSAC Central) split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central doubleheader today at home with rival Bloomsburg University (12-12, 5-1 PSAC Central).
Lock Haven won game one, 4-3 and Bloomsburg took game two, 4-3 as the two rivals locked up in a pair of one-run divisional-thrillers.
Lock Haven edged Bloomsburg, 4-3 in game one. The game proved to be nail-biter as the Huskies did all they could to rally.
LHU opened the scoring in the bottom of the first after
McKenna Garlock's (Three Springs, Pa./Southern Huntingdon) sacrifice fly brought home a run.
Faith Ceely (Troy, Pa./Troy) drove in a run to make it 2-0 in the fifth and the Bald Eagles tacked on two more runs in the sixth after
Jessica Strouse (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) doubled in a pair of runs, which extended The Haven's lead to 4-0.
Bloomsburg rallied in the seventh however and scored three runs. With one out and runners at second and third, the Huskies looked to tie it, but Lock Haven turned a sensational 6-3-2 double play and the out at home ended the game, giving LHU the thrilling victory.
LHU pitcher
Bekah Slattery (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) picked up the win in game one. She struck out four.
In game two, Bloomsburg hung on to win 4-3 after the Huskies jumped out to a 4-0 lead and did everything they needed to hold off a late-game charge by the Bald Eagles.
Bloom scored twice in the fourth and twice in the fifth.
Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning,
Michelle Holweger (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) hit a three-run home run, cutting the Bloomsburg lead to one, 4-3.
Holweger finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored, thanks in large part to that three-run homer to left field.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Lock Haven looked to continue the rally as
Jodi Weaknecht (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown) doubled. She moved to third on a passed ball, but Bloomsburg made a strong defensive play to end the game.
Despite the loss, pitcher
Rachel Mouillesseaux (Endicott, N.Y./Union Endicott) was solid and struck out five.
Lock Haven will be right back in action tomorrow (Sunday, April 9) as the Bald Eagles make the short journey north to take on Mansfield University in PSAC Central action. Game one's first pitch is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow.