Box Score 1 | Box Score 2



PEMBROKE, N.C. – Third-ranked Kutztown started the 2013 season off with a pair of wins at the UNCP Invitational, hosted by UNC-Pembroke.  The Golden Bears downed Concord (W.Va.) 9-1 in their season opener, then took down the host Braves 6-4 in the nightcap.
 
The matchup with the Mountain Lions ended after five innings after KU broke the game open with a five-run fourth.
 
Concord actually scored first, when Rachael Mack crossed the plate on an error by Kutztown.  After that, Dominique Ficara (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional (Hofstra)) cruised in her Golden Bear debut.  She retired 13 of the last 14 batters she faced and struck out five batters.
 
KU quickly erased the Mountain Lions' lead with a four-run inning in the bottom half of the first.  Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) and Danielle Miller (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) led off the frame with back-to-back bunt singles and moved to into scoring position on a throwing error.  Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) followed with a base hit to leftfield to drive in Booth for a 1-0 lead.  With one out, Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) hit a fly ball to center, scoring Hetzler for a 2-0 lead. 
 
Kutztown got three straight two out hits to extend the lead to 4-0.  Colleen Smith (Islip Terrace, N.Y./East Islip (Hofstra)) singled in her first KU at-bat, with pinch runner Rachel Lawes (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) scoring the inning's third run.  After a single by Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) moved Smith into scoring position, Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) brought Smith home with a double to centerfield. 
 
In the fourth, an error and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with no one out.  Hetzler drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Stephanie Curry (Winchester, VA/Millbrook) for a 5-0 advantage.  The next batter, Henninger ripped a two-run double to left to knock in Booth and Miller.  Henninger scored on a fielder's choice by Lynch, who was safe at first on the fourth error of the afternoon by the Mountain Cats.  Lynch scored the game's final run, crossing home on a fielder's choice by Knipe. 
 
Smith and Isgro had two hits apiece in the game, while Booth and Miller both had a hit and a walk.  Hetzler, Henninger, and Lynch each drove in two runs.
 
Ficara was credited with the win, allowing just two hits and walk in five innings and was charged with just one unearned run.
 
Mack took the loss for Concord.  She was charged with eight runs, four earned, in 3.1 innings.  She allowed eight hits and two walks, while striking out just one.
 
Against UNCP, Henninger and Smith each homered in a six-run third that proved more than enough to defeat the Braves, 6-4
 
Henninger clubbed a three-run homer to center that scored Hetzler and Miller.  Both Hetzler and Miller had RBI infield singles earlier in the inning. With two outs, Smith cracked her first home run in the Maroon & Gold, a solo shot to rightfield.
 
UNCP scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, benefitting from a pair of Kutztown errors.  The Braves tacked on a fourth run in the sixth on an RBI single by Sequoia Barrett, scoring Megan Hilliard.
 
Booth led Kutztown with two hits.  Miller stole two bases.

Henninger drove in three on her homer, the 27th of her career.  The 2011 All-American was playing in her first game since an injury knocked her out of the lineup in last year's season opener. 
 
Mary Kociencki (Columbia, N.J./Sparta ) tossed a complete game to get the win.  She scattered seven hits and two walks, striking out one.  Just one of the Braves' four runs was earned.
 
Katy Austin took the loss for UNCP, surrendering five runs, four earned on four hits and two walks in 2.1 innings.  Natalie Klemann pitched the final 4.2 innings in relief and was charged with one run on three hits.  Neither pitcher struck out a batter.
 
Action continues at the UNCP Invitational on Saturday, February 9 when Kutztown faces Fayetteville State and UNC-Pembroke.