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SALEM, Va. (March 17, 2012)—The Kutztown University softball team extended its winning streak to 11 after it downed Fairmont State University, 14-0 at the Salem Invitational on Saturday evening. Earlier on Saturday afternoon, Kutztown slide past West Virginia State University, 1-0. 

Kutztown (19-1 overall) is currently ranked 12th in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25.

KU recorded 15 hits against Fairmont State, the most against any team during the 2012 season. Kutztown had 11 different players record a hit against FSU.

The Golden Bears were led by Kelly Fitzgerald (Upper Darby, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) (Upper Darby, Pa./ Archbishop Prendergast) who was 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs, and three runs scored.  Fitzgerald is currently batting .414 and has a slugging percentage of .707.

Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) (Galloway, NJ/ Absegami) recorded two hits and two runs. Heather Hannum (Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) (Horsham, Pa./ Hatboro), Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) (Bethlehem, Pa./ Liberty), and Samantha Derr (Lititz, PA/Warwick) (Lititz, Pa./ Warwick) each recorded a hit and a pair of RBIs. Megan Brown (Easton, Pa./ Easton), Nicole Colineri (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) (Scotch Plains, NJ/ Scotch Plains-Fanwood), Tori Marcavage (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) (Collegeville, Pa./ Perkiomen Valley), Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) (Willow Street, Pa./ Lampeter-Strasburg) , and Courtney Cawley (Bethlehem, PA/Saucon Valley) (Bethlehem, Pa./ Saucon Valley)  all tallied a hit against Fairmont State.

“Our offense busted right out” Kutztown University head coach Judy Lawes said. “ It seemed to be contagious and everyone got a chance to get in the game.”

Mary Kociencki (Columbia, N.J./Sparta ) (Columbia, NJ/ Sparta) finished with four strikeouts for KU and recorded her sixth win of the season.

Against West Virginia State, Kelly Strittmatter (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills)  (Wyckoff, NJ/ Indian Hills) gave the Golden Bears the 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when she used a single to score Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) ((Stroudsburg, Pa./ Stroudsburg )who also reached on a single.

Against West Virginia, Kutztown amounted just six hits, four of which belonged to Samantha Derr (Lititz, PA/Warwick) (Lititz, Pa./ Warwick) and Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) (Bethlehem, Pa./ Liberty). Derr and Knipe finished with two hits each.

Derr recorded the win for KU and struck out four batters.

“It was an intense game against West Virginia,” Lawes said. “They had a lot of momentum because they had just defeated Bloomsburg before they played us. It was a pitching duel for both teams but we were just able to come away with the win. The key to our success is our practice. We work it hard and it shows.”

Kutztown will face Ohio Valley University on Sunday, March 18 at 11 a.m.