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KUTZTOWN, Pa. (March 28, 2012)—Kutztown University head softball coach Judy Lawes saw her 750th career win take place after her Golden Bears defeated Goldey-Beacom College, 8-0 in the first game of the doubleheader at North Campus Field, Wednesday afternoon. KU defeated the Lightning, 6-1 in the second game.

Kutztown (26-1 overall) is presently ranked sixth in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll, the highest in program history. Additionally, KU is on an 18 game winning streak.

Lawes' 750th win came to a surprise to her as she had no idea that she had recorded another milestone in her 25th season at Kutztown. It was almost a year ago to the date that Lawes celebrated her 700th career win with a 7-0 rout against University of the Sciences.

“I'm fortunate enough to be at a great university where good quality players want to play,” Lawes said. “We get a lot of support to put together a winning program and it feels good.”

Kutztown has grasped several winning seasons in the past but the 2012 season sticks out just a bit. The Golden Bears are currently ranked second in NCAA Division II in win-loss percentage (0.96). KU is also ranked fourth in earned run average (1.11), partly due to sophomore pitcher Samantha Derr (Lititz, PA/Warwick) (Lititz, Pa./ Warwick) who is ranked second with an ERA of 0.63.

Derr threw her sixth shutout of the season in the first game against Goldey- Beacom.  She finished with two strikeouts.

“The pitching effort has been outstanding,” Lawes said. “Sam is real focused and she has a lot of confidence. As our record gets better and better, I think she takes every game personal. She's very competitive and when she gets her game on…it's on.”

After going scoreless for two innings, Kutztown heated up in the third inning when Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) (Turnersville, NJ/ Washington Twp.) led off with a double to left field. Kelly Strittmatter (Wyckoff, NJ/Indian Hills) (Wyckoff, NJ/ Indian Hills) reached on an error where Hetzler took advantage to score the game's first run. With Strittmatter on third, Heather Hannum (Horsham, PA/Hatboro-Horsham) (Horsham, Pa./ Hatboro-Horsham) used a squeeze bunt to score Strittmatter, putting KU up 2-0. With two outs, Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) (Bethlehem, Pa./ Liberty) blasted a three-run homer to give the Golden Bears the 5-0 lead.

Hetzler returned in the fourth and belted a solo homer, extending the lead to 6-0. Strittmatter reached on a single to left field and scored after three walks by Shannon O'hara. Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) (Willow Street, Pa./ Lampeter-Strasburg) also scored off a passed ball.

Roni Peters took the loss for Goldey-Beacom.

In the second game, Kutztown held the Lightning to just three hits. In the third inning, Hannum singled to drive in Strittmatter who also reached on a single, to give KU the 1-0 advantage. Hannum would score off a Lightning error, putting Kutztown up 2-0.

The Lightning answered and posted one run in the fifth inning after Michelle Foster's single to right field scored Ashley Antosh. However, the Golden Bears capitalized off two more Goldey-Beacom errors to take the 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

KU came back in the sixth as Hetzler led off with a hit to right field. Hetzler used her speed to reach third off a sacrifice bunt from Strittmatter and eventually scored off another error. Knipe drove in KU's final run, when she used a single to left field to score Fitzgerald who reached on an error.

In both games, Strittmatter combined for three hits, four runs, and one RBI. Hetzler finished with four hits, three runs and one RBI, while Knipe had three hits, one run and four RBIs.

Tori Marcavage (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) (Collegeville, Pa./ Perkiomen Valley) recorded her third win of season. She finished with four strikeouts.

Antosh recorded the loss for the Lightning.

“The girls have worked hard this year and it shows,” Lawes explained. “This year it pretty unbelievable and it hasn't really hit us yet, we're just trying to stay the course. We don't want to get caught up in rankings or wins but when you sit back, breathe, and think about it, you're like wow. It' awesome and they've have shown consistent play.”

Kutztown will host Shippensburg University on Friday, Match 30 for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division contest beginning at 2:30 p.m. at North Campus Field.