BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (April 21, 2011) – The Kutztown University softball team celebrated sophomore catcher Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg)'s return to the lineup by defeating Gannon University, 9-1, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) first round playoff game Thursday morning at Bloomsburg's Jan Hutchinson Field. (BOXSCORE)
The Golden Bears (37-11 overall) scored four runs in the second and sixth innings to advance to this afternoon's 3 p.m. game against host Bloomsburg, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional rankings and seventh in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) top 25 poll.
Lynch was one of four Golden Bears to have two hits against Gannon. Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township), Nicole Henninger (Reading, PA./Muhlenberg), Samantha Derr (Lititz, PA/Warwick), Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami), and Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) also had multiple hits for Kutztown. Hetzler had a double and triple to make a winner of pitcher Monica Glomb (Mars, PA/Mars), who tossed six innings and allowed four hits.
However, with Lynch back in the fold, the Golden Bears are more than excited for the challenge of beating Bloomsburg. Lynch suffered a broken nose along with some eye injuries when a foul ball ricocheted and hit her in face with the force of a Randy Johnson fastball in a game against Millersville. Even though Lynch is tougher than a truck-stop steak, she admitted to having a foreign feeling while lying on the ground with blood oozing from her nose and soaking her white uniform.
“I was scared because I automatically knew I had broken my nose,” Lynch said. “I couldn't open my eye. Then when I went to the hospital they couldn't open my eye and I was really nervous. A little accident like that can change your life, but thankfully all of the prayers were answered.”
Lynch is one of the best players in the conference. She was the PSAC Freshman of the Year last season and one of several players hitting over .300 at the time of her injury. Lynch couldn't do any softball related activities for close to three weeks during her recovery. He first few days after the injury was difficult for Lynch, whose face swelled to the size of a softball. She had difficulty sleeping and breathing.
Her vision gradually improved and the swelling dissipated. Lynch wore a mask for a couple of weeks before getting cleared earlier this week to resume softball activities. The affable Lynch stepped to the plate in the second inning and jump started KU's four run second inning with a leadoff hit. Lynch was sporting a new helmet that featured a mask.
“I feel really good and it's definitely nice to be back,” Lynch said. “It was hard sitting on the bench. I feel like I am almost back to my normal self. I was a little nervous but anxious during my first plate appearance. I knew I had to sit back and drive through the ball. Plus I knew my hard work over the last two days in practice would pay off. I was patient and I let the bat do the rest.”
Fortunately, Kutztown is far from a one-woman team so the other players stepped up and kept the Golden Bears afloat. Kutztown went 13-7 in Lynch's absence. They played with plenty of heart and battled to the final out in most of its games. KU head coach Judy Lawes had to juggle her lineup a little, but the Golden Bears responded to the challenge.
During Lynch's absence, players like Hetzler hit the ball all over the field with the consistency of Ichiro. Hetzler batted .347 with 26 hits. Henninger slammed home runs like Ryan Howard. Henninger hit .412 with eight home runs and 27 runs batted in during Lynch's absence. Krista Tedjeske (Summerhill, PA/Forest Hill), who did the bulk of the catching during Lynch's recovery, had a .305 average. Isgro had 20 hits.
Heather Hannum (Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) hit a walk-off home run against West Chester to help the Golden Bears secure second place and a trip to Bloomsburg. The pitching staff remainined a rock with Derr and Glomb taking turns baffling the opposition and tossing gems.
Even though the Golden Bears held their own, everybody was happy to have Lynch back in the fold.
“Emotionally it's nice to have Katie back in the lineup,” Knipe said. “She's a good voice. She's always talking and a good leader. Krista Tedjeske (Summerhill, PA/Forest Hill) played well in her absence, but to have Katie back is such a motivation for us.”
Knipe was a standout for the Golden Bears during the game. Her two-run triple in the second inning got the Golden Bears started on their road to victory. Also contributing in the second inning with two-out run scoring hits in the second inning for the Golden Bears were Hetzler and Derr.
Not only did Knipe have a pair of hits, she staged a defensive clinic highlighted by spectacular running and diving catch in foul territory to quell a Gannon threat in the fourth inning. Knipe also resembled a vacuum cleaner at shortstop as she gobbled up every ball in her vicinity.
“I thought Nicole was going kill me, but I just went all out for the ball,” Knipe said. “This is the time of the year that you have to give everything and not hold anything back. I finally got some balls hit to me today. I just wanted to back Monica up. I feel like once we got our intensity up in the second inning, we were able to play our game.”
--KU--
