Hannum's walk off homer helps KU split with West Chester and clinch second place in PSAC East

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KUTZTOWN, Pa. (April 17, 2011)—Heather Hannum (Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham)'s three-run walk off homer in the bottom of the eighth inning helped the Kutztown University softball team defeat West Chester University, 9-6 in a crucial Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division contest, Sunday afternoon at North Campus Field. KU dropped the first game 5-3 in eight innings.

The Golden Bears (36-11, 10-6) will open the PSAC playoffs on Thursday at PSAC Central champion either Bloomsburg, Indiana, Pa or Lock Haven as the No. 2 seed. The Golden Bears will play Gannon, the third place finisher from the West in their opening game. WCU (28-17, 9-7) will travel to California University (28-12, 10-2) for the first round.

Hannum's silent attack in the second game was all Kutztown needed to revive its spirit after dropping the first game. In the eighth inning, the game was tied 6-6. With runners on first and second, Hannum fouled off a couple of pitches before she led the Golden Bears to victory. One of those pitches was thought to be a home run over the left field fence but was called a foul ball.

With upset fans in disbelief, the cool, calm, and collected Hannum quietly refocused and took her frustration out on the next couple of pitches. She finally took her victory trot around the bases after she belted the ball over right centerfield.

“I was pretty mad when they called that ball foul over the left field fence but I knew that I had another chance to hit and I was going to do just that,” Hannum said, “It felt great to hit that home run and win the game. We really needed to win this game.”

Stephanie Graver (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) was also key in KU's victory. Graver was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) had one hit and two RBIs.

Senior pitcher Monica Glomb (Mars, PA/Mars) and senior catcher Krista Tedjeske (Summerhill, PA/Forest Hill) depended on each other the entire eight innings. With Sunday being Senior Day, both ladies fought diligently to make sure that they'd walk away with at least one win.

Glomb recorded her 100th strikeout of the season earlier in the game but had to focus on keeping the Golden Rams off the bases. She struck out a season-high 10 batters.

“I'm used to pitching in pressure situations, so I was actually pretty calm during the game,” Glomb said. “I just tried to work through each inning, one out at a time. My teammates really helped me by cheering me on. I always hear them in the background and it's a good feeling. “

Glomb and Tedjeske were honored for their contributions in a pre-game ceremony that featured their athletic and academic accomplishments, gift bags, and balloons. You would have thought that they were celebrities with all the cameras flashing as the seniors were escorted on the field by their parents.

“It's been nice playing these last four years,” Tedjeske said. “I love the game and I'm really going to miss my teammates and playing on the field every day.”

“Softball has been a part of my life since I've been eight years old,” Glomb said. “It has been a long journey and it's sad that it's coming to an end.”

The Golden Bears outhit WCU 9-5 in the first game, but Golden Ram Katie Kmiecinski's two homers and five RBIs was a tough act to follow.

However, Kutztown's Nicole Henninger (Reading, PA./Muhlenberg) hit a home run in each game on Sunday. Henninger has hit a homer in the last three games and leads the team with 14.

Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) was 3-for-5 with a run scored. Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) and Henninger were two-for-four. Henninger also recorded two RBIs.

Samantha Derr (Lititz, PA/Warwick) pitched with all her effort but recorded the loss for KU with five strikeouts.

The Golden Bears are pumped up and excited about the PSAC Tournament but they know they have some things to keep working on to endure its future competition.

“We have to be positive going into the tournament,” Glomb said. “We have to score runs because we know that teams are capable of hitting. We just have to stay up and play our game.”

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