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MANSFIELD – Sophomore Kate Pratt homered twice in the nightcap to lead the Mountaineers to a 6-2 win over No. 24 Bloomsburg Friday afternoon in PSAC Central division play at Helen Lutes Field.

“It was a real confidence builder for a young team” said head coach Edith Gallagher about the game two win. “The best thing about it is we're 1-1 in the conference with a win against one of the best teams in the division.”

The win was the first for the Mountaineers over Bloomsburg since 2006 and the first win over the Huskies at Lutes Field since 2004.

In the opener, the Mounties held Bloomsburg scoreless for the first five innings of play before the Huskies used a five-run sixth inning to outpace Mansfield 5-0.

After a scoreless first frame in the finale, senior Jamie Castellano delivered a two-out RBI single to right field to score freshman Courtney Bauder, who reached on a double, to take an early one-run lead over Bloomsburg in the second inning.

The Huskies threatened with a runner on third base in the top of the third inning after Erika Yanora hit a lead-off double before moving over on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Chrissy Belko launched a two-run round-tripper over the right field fence to put Bloomsburg up 2-1.

In the bottom of the inning, Mansfield put two runners aboard when sophomore Stephanie Simmeth doubled to left and junior Kaitlin Kramer singled to center. Pratt then drove a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for a three-run home run giving Mansfield a 4-2 lead.

Pratt tacked on two more insurance runs in the fifth as the sophomore grooved a two-run homer over the fence in left center field scoring Kramer.

Pratt went two-for-three at the plate, bringing in five runs while scoring two herself. The sophomore leads Mansfield in home runs with four.

Bloomsburg was unable to find much opportunity at the plate as junior Caitlin Klobosits pitched her way to a complete game victory giving up just two earned runs on seven hits to the nationally ranked Huskies. Klobosits struck out five batters and didn't issue a single walk in the game to earn her third win of the season.

In game one, the Mounties looked to put the first run of the game on the board early as Kramer legged out a triple down the right field line with just one out in the bottom of the first. However, the Mountaineers couldn't push the run across.

The Mounties recorded hits in each of the next three innings but failed to produce runs.

Pratt gave up just one hit to the Huskies through five innings, but surrendered two hits and a walk with one out in the sixth to load the bases. Chrissy Belko stroked a bases-clearing double down the left field line to put Bloomsburg up 3-0. The Huskies went on to score two more runs in the inning to lead by five.

Sophomore Kaitlin Harris singled up the middle in the bottom of the seventh, but Mansfield was unable to rally past Bloomsburg.

Pratt suffered her first loss of the season in five decisions after giving up four earned on four hits in 5.1 innings pitched.

Caitlin O'Connor earned a win in relief for the Huskies after starting pitcher Cait Paine was forced to leave the game after being struck by a hard line-drive off the bat of Stephanie Simmeth.

Mansfield travels to Slippery Rock University tomorrow for a PSAC crossover doubleheader.