Softball Team to Compete in PSAC Playoffs

BLOOMSBURG-- The Bloomsburg University softball team will play in the first round of the newly expanded Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs on Friday and Saturday at California, PA . The Huskies, the number two seed from the Central Division, will face East Stroudsburg, the number three seed from the Eastern Division on Friday at California. The Vulcans, the top seed from the PSAC West, will face the winner of the opening game at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m. on Friday the loser of game one and two will play in an elimination game. The winner of game two and three will meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the first championship game. If necessary, the final game of the bracket will be played immediately following game four on Saturday.

The PSAC has expanded the playoffs this season to three opening round sites featuring three teams at each site (Kutztown-East; Lock Haven-Central and California-West). At each site is a division champ, runner-up and third place team. The winners from each of the three sites will face off on Sunday, May 3 in a single-elimination tournament to determine the PSAC champion and the winner of the automatic bid to the NCAA championships.

Bloomsburg, 29-7, finished second in the PSAC Central Division with a mark of 13-3. The Huskies are making their 26th PSAC playoff appearance in the last 27 years.

The Huskies this season are led in batting by senior Tara Reed (Williamsport/Williamsport) and sophomore Mandy Koch (Dauphin/Central Dauphin). Reed and sophomore Shavaun Fisher (Coplay/Allentown Central Catholic) have also been a dominant one-two punch on the mound.

Reed finished the regular season with a .371 average and she led the team in home runs with five and runs batted in with 26. On the mound she was equally as impressive going 12-5 with a 1.17 ERA and 127 strike outs, the fourth best in the PSAC this season.

Fisher has been a dominant pitcher this season. She is 14-2 with a microscopic 0.84 ERA and 108 strike outs in 100 innings of work. Fisher's ERA ranked second-best in PSAC.

Koch has a batting average of .315 with three home runs this season, and leads the team in RBI with 27, and walks with 18.

East Stroudsburg finished the regular season with an overall record of 20-9, 6-10 in the PSAC East. The Warriors are making their third straight tournament appearance.

California (PA) has earned the right to host an opening round of the tournament by clinching the top seed in the PSAC Western Division with a record of 13-1, 32-6 overall.