 "Photo:")
 "Photo:")
 "Photo:")
 "Photo:")
 "Photo:")
With the beginning of a new PSAC season, there was a new opportunity for the Bloomsburg baseball team. For a squad coming off a 17-29 (5-19 PSAC) record in 2009, it was a chance for the Huskies to do some spring cleaning and brush the cob webs off following a 4-12 southern non-league swing that saw the Huskies lose mainly because of their pitching deficiencies.
A two day, home and home, 4 game double-double header against West Chester would really show us what the Huskies baseball team might have in store for the rest of the season. Four losses later, it was the Rams who did some spring cleaning, breaking out the broom in a four game sweep of Bloomsburg. Both games on Friday showed off the Huskies major problem throughout most of this spring, something that could be a lingering problem all year; pitching.
In the first game, the Huskies lost 10-7. In the first inning, Bloomburg took a 2-0 lead out of the gates behind clutch hitting from Tony Donofry and Jerry Lloyd before the Rams tied it up 2-2 in the third. The Huskies responded well when Chris Tressler got on base after an error and after a single by Lloyed scored to make it 3-2. But in the fourth and fifth innings West Chester got to the heart of the Bloomsburg pitchers, grinding out 5 runs to make it 7-2.
Bloomsburg refused to go away with Donofry and Lloyd putting the team on their shoulders by both reaching base and scoring to cut the lead to 7-5. West Chester added one more score in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-7 before the Huskies mounted yet another furious comeback off the bats of Eric Ebert and Jarrod Kramer to bring Bloomsburg within one.
In the end, the Golden Rams lineup speared the Huskies inadequate pitching staff with some late hits and added two insurance runs to pull out the win 10-7.
In the second game Friday, the Huskies stayed with the Golden Rams through three innings, keeping the game close. It was between the forth and sixth innings that West Chester's lineup absolutely took the Huskies pitchers to the woodshed, hammering the Huskies pitchers for 15 runs over three innings giving the Golden Rams the 18-3 win.
The next day it was much of the same story. The Huskies trailed 2-0 early on before making a big rally behind Scott Kacelowicz who singled home Ebert to make it 2-1. Bloomsburg then took the lead when Tressler tripled home two runs before Donofry brought Tressler home with an RBI single.
But once again, as unpredictable as the winds of March, the pitching staff blew the Huskies lead. Over the next two innings, the Golden Rams were swatting everything in sight, scoring nine runs off the Huskies pitching staff to give West Chester the 12-5 win.
In game two, the Huskies saw what it was like to have a premier pitcher, when Golden Ram starter Dave Steig threw a complete game two-hitter. With the Huskies pitchers yet again struggling, Bloomsburg was unable to get it done against a supreme pitching performance and went on to lose 10-2.
On Tuesday the Huskies took to the field for a double header against Shippensburg. The Huskies got it done in game one, with pitcher Grant Kernaghan picking up the 6-5 victory. The Huskies bats were led by Lloyd, Donofry and Rutgers transfer Joey Ianiero. Ianiero provided the knockout punch in game one with a huge three-run home run to give the Huskies the win.
In game 2, the pitching problem emerged again, with the Huskies getting hounded by Shippensburg's bats in the first two innings giving up 10 runs. The Huskies were all but dead in the water from there on out, trying to erase a double digit deficit on the scoreboard. Ianiero, Donofry and Tressler carried the comeback bid for the Huskies, who scored 7 runs but were unable to draw any closer losing 12-7.
As the season is still young and there is a lot of baseball left to be played, the Huskies bats need to continue to be hot and heat up even more. With the pitching staff in dire need and struggling after giving up double digit run totals in over half their games this season, the Huskies best chances for success will have to come by simply outslugging their opponents. The pitching problems don't look like they'll be cured anytime soon. A new season, a new opportunity. For these Huskies, the time to show they belong is now or never.
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article! Log in to Comment
You must be logged in to comment on an article. Not already a member? Register now