On Sunday, the Husky softball team continued to improve their record by sweeping Clarion University with final scores of 6-1 and 11-2.
In game one, Nikki Shiko led off with a solo homer for the Huskies, but Clarion responded and quickly tied it up in the bottom of the first. Shiko then went deep again for the second time in the fourth, this time with a runner on. The two-run shot put the Huskies ahead 3-1.
"I think that anyone leading off with any type of hit really gets everyone involved, focused and intense," Shiko said. "One little thing can help spark the fire in the team and it's like a domino effect in the batting order."
In the top of the sixth, the Huskies added two more runs to the board when Lacy Mauro and Emily Young drove in runs. In the seventh, Mandy Leach singled and went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Shen DeBaro.
Shavaun Fisher got the win in game one. Her continued success can be contributed to her strong and comfortable demeanor on the mound, along with her ability to control her spots with each batter. She went the distance by allowing just five hits, striking out 11 and walking just one.
Game two found Bloomsburg getting off on the right foot again by jumping to a 5-0 lead after just a half inning of play. To start off, Mandy Koch had an RBI single and Jenna Hampton had a two-run homer for Bloomsburg, who took advantage of two errors in the inning.
After Clarion got a run back in the bottom of the first, the Huskies made it a score of 6-1, when in the second Sam Pientack had an RBI single. Then in the third, Lori Neyhard picked up an RBI single, leaving the score at 7-2. The game was then put away when the Huskies scored three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to end with a final score of 11-2. Cait Paine added yet another win to her record, by striking out three along the way.
The Huskies now hold a 23-3 record, 4-0 in the PSAC Central. Over the past week, Bloomsburg moved up three spots to ninth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's weekly Division II poll. Prior to this, the Huskies were ranked 12th and received 264 total points to move up three spots.
Fisher put another award on her shelf this week when she was named the PSAC Central Division Pitcher of the Week for the second straight week, and for the fourth time in five weeks. For the season, Fisher is 12-3 with a 1.25 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 100 innings of work.
Also over the weekend, the Huskies swept Mercyhurst in a double header, with final scores of 9-4 and 4-3. Here Fisher picked up two more wins.
Anyone who watches the Huskies play can easily see the reason for their continued success: their ability to work as a team. No doubt they have natural talent, but they can facilitate that into what is needed at the right time. Their ability to consistently work together and take each inning as it comes is truly amazing. In the beginning of the season, leadership skills by veteran players set the bar and the newcomers have certainly followed in their footsteps.
"We communicate well and if someone is down or makes a mistake we do our best to try and pick that person up," Shiko said. "We have been down in a couple games and in some tight spots, where we have come back to win and get out of a jam, so knowing that we can handle the pressure and not break is a great quality."
The Huskies will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. this Saturday at 1 p.m. against East Stroudsburg. Here Bloomsburg hopes to further improve their overall record and continue their domination of the PSAC Central.
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