MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Mansfield Mountaineers split with Bloomsburg in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, April 29 on Senior Day at Joseph Shaute Field.
 
The Mounties fell in a 3-2 pitcher's duel in game one before winning the nightcap, 11-7.
 
With the victory in game two, Mansfield improves to 13-28 overall and 4-17 in the PSAC East while the Huskies fall to 22-14 overall and 12-9 in conference.
 
Prior to the start of game one, the Mountaineers honored their eight seniors: Brittain Shander, Zach Spray, Josh Colon, Lorenzo Febbo, Justin Marykwas, Scott Poulson, Josh Farina, and Alan Bautista.
 
Every senior contributed on Saturday, as Shander, Farina, Spray and Bautista all recorded hits, while Febbo, Marykwas, Poulson, and Colon took the mound in the Mounties' game-two victory.
 
Game one Mountaineer starting pitcher Austin Lewis (4-5) was excellent on the mound, tossing the full seven innings, allowing just two runs on three hits and striking out four. After working in and out of trouble over the first four innings, Lewis kept the Huskies out of scoring position the rest of the way and gave the Mounties an opportunity to complete the comeback.
 
In game two, Jacob Houtz hit his team-leading sixth home run to give the Mounties an early lead and Mansfield scored six runs over the seventh and eighth inning to seal the deal.
 
GAME ONE: Huskies 2, Mounties 1
 
Bloomsburg opened the scoring on the day with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, before the Mounties cut the deficit to one after Jeffrey Coakley drove in a run with an infield single in the third.
 
Both starting pitchers settled in from there and did not allow a run over the ensuing four innings. Lewis stranded six runners on while Huskie starter Nate Baranski allowed just two hits.
 
The Mounties threatened in the bottom of the seventh by putting the game-tying and winning run on base, but Baranski got out of the jam to earn the victory. Baranski did not allow an earned run and struck out seven in the victory.
 
Three different Mountaineers recorded hits, led by Coakley with an RBI and Farina with a double.
 
GAME TWO:
 
The Huskies once again struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Mounties quickly answered thanks to a three-run homer by Houtz to take their first lead of the afternoon, 3-2.
 
Mountaineer game two starter Eric Gustofson put up a zero in the top of the second to allow the Mounties to extend their lead to 4-2 when Shander drove in Ryan Scott with a single.
 
Bloomsburg pushed across another run in the third, but Mansfield answered again when Scott drew a walk with bases loaded.
 
However, Bloomsburg used back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth to knot the score at 5-5.
 
The Mounties, however, brought eight hitters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and used five hits to score three runs and go back on top, 8-5. Houtz drove in the first run of the inning before Coakley ripped a clutch two-out single up the middle to plate a pair.
 
Febbo entered for Marykwas with one out in the eighth and stranded a pair of Huskies' baserunners to keep the score 8-5 heading into the bottom half.
 
The Mounties continued to put pressure on, adding three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to ultimately put the game out of reach. Shertzer and Houtz drove in runs before Spray put the nail in the coffin with a laser RBI-double in the gap to put the Mounties up 11-5.
 
Bloomsburg hit two solo home runs with two outs in the ninth inning, but Colon recorded the final out to secure the victory.
 
Marykwas picked up the victory in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings. Houtz powered the Mountaineer offense with five RBI and a home run, while Coakley drove in a pair and Scott finished a perfect 3-for-3.
 
NEXT UP:
 
The Mounties travel to The College of Saint Rose on Tuesday, May 3 for a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.