BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Lock Haven softball team belted out a game-high 14 hits to down Bloomsburg, 11-2, in the nightcap to earn a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division split on the road on Tuesday afternoon (April 23). The Bald Eagles fell, 4-3, in game one.
 
The Bald Eagles rebounded after a late-inning loss in game one and broke out offensively with 14 hits, including the first home run in the career of freshman Madison Melius (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte).
 
With the split, the Bald Eagles are now 17-25 overall and 13-17 in the PSAC East. The Huskies move to 29-18 overall and 16-12 in conference play.
 
Game One Recap: Bloomsburg 4, Lock Haven 3
In game one, the Huskies opened the scoring with a solo run in the bottom of the third, but Lock Haven countered with three runs in the top of the fifth to lead 3-1.
 
Bella Schmitt (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) jump started the Bald Eagles rally by blasting a pinch-hit home run. Summer Peters (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) drove in the second run on a perfectly-executed bunt and Riley McClellan (Granville Summit, Pa./Troy) capped off the inning by scoring on obstruction by Bloomsburg.
 
However, Bloomsburg scored twice in the top of the sixth to knot things at 3-3, before striking for the eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Six different Bald Eagles recorded hits in the game, highlighted by Schmitt's home run.
 
Four Bald Eagles took the mound in game one. Keiva Middleton (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) got the start and tossed 2.1 innings, allowing one earned run. Kinley Gioglio (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) threw a scoreless seventh inning out of the bullpen.
 
Game Two Recap: Lock Haven 11, Bloomsburg 2
It took until the third inning, but the Bald Eagles offense came alive in a major way by scoring seven runs on four hits to lead 7-0 after four-complete innings.
 
Melius jump started the rally with a two-run shot to left field, the first of her career.
 
Maci Brodzina (Warriors Mark, Pa./Tyrone) also drove in a pair, while McClellan drove in her first run of the afternoon.
 
The Bald Eagles added a pair of runs in both the sixth and seventh inning to put the victory away.
 
Melius and McClellan drove in three runs each to ignite the Lock Haven offense. Brodzini drove in two runs, while Melius, McClellan and starting pitcher Faith Persing (Montgomery, Pa./Bloomsburg) all doubled.
 
On the mound for Lock Haven, Persing secured her team-leading 12^th victory with another dominate outing. The transfer pitched all seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits.
 
NEXT UP:
The Bald Eagles conclude the 2024 season by hosting ESU at 1 p.m. (DH) at Lawrence Field on Saturday (April 27). The program will honor its seniors prior to first pitch of game one.