Box Score 1 | Box Score 2



Kutztown 1, West Chester 0 (HTML Game One Box Score)
 
Kutztown 10, West Chester 2 (HTML Game Two Box Score)
 
Post-Game Video Interview with Brianna  Knipe
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team played with great energy and motivation on Sunday to help it earn a doubleheader sweep over West Chester University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup at North Campus Field. KU won the opener 1-0, and won a shortened game two 10-2 in five innings.
 
The Golden Bears (21-17, 6-4 PSAC East) needed just one run to earn the victory in game one over the Golden Rams (26-13, 4-6). Top pitching by both teams in addition to the glove of senior shortstop Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) helped keep West Chester off the board.
 
Kutztown has now won three of four over West Chester this season and moved into second place in the East behind Shippensburg.

“The team played awesome today,” Knipe said. “We needed to come out and start a rally with some enthusiasm to set the tone for the second half of our season.”
 
GAME ONE
 
Kutztown took the 1-0 lead in the second inning of the opener. With two runners on and out one, Kutztown's Jessica Kurtz (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. West Chester's pitcher threw to third to attempt to get the lead runner, but the ball bounced off the glove of the third baseman, rolling to the fence and scoring Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami).
 
The third, fourth, and fifth innings were all three up, three down for both teams including a double play turned by Kutztown's Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg).
 
Kutztown threatened in the sixth with bases loaded and one out, but Knipe grounded into a rare 3-2-3 double play to end the inning.
 
Knipe made up for the groundout with a terrific defensive play in the seventh inning. After West Chester's leadoff hitter reached base, the next batter attempted to sacrifice herself to advance the runner. The throw was made to second in time and the runner was originally called out. The umpires then overturned the call saying the Kutztown's second baseman (Booth) never touched the base, putting the tying run in scoring position.
 
The next batter hit a hard groundball deep in the hole to the left side. Knipe made a diving play to her right and made the quick toss to third to put out the runner and save what would have been an RBI single.

“I was playing pretty deep in the hole so my first thought was to see if the runner from second took off,” Knipe said. “I knew I had to go to the closest bag and after I saw her break in front of me, I knew going to third was the sure out.”
 
Sophomore pitcher Dominique Ficara (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional (Hofstra)) pitched a complete game with four strikeouts and no walks in seven innings. She allowed five hits.
 
West Chester's Devon Utterback allowed just two hits and an unearned run and was tabbed with the loss.
 
GAME TWO
 
The Golden Bear bats woke up as the wind died down for the second game. Kutztown struck first with two runs in the third inning. With two outs, Booth reached on a fielding error by the pitcher to score Rachel Lawes (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) from third. Booth then stole second as the throw by the West Chester catcher went into the outfield to score Kurtz from third.
 
West Chester's Jillian Murray tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth with a two-run, two-out double. Kurtz answered with a two-run hit of her own with a two-out single to center field to score Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) and Knipe, who dove home head first to beat the tag at the plate.
 
The Golden Bears added onto their 4-2 lead with six runs in the fifth to end the game. Booth and Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) each hit singles to open the inning, leading to Colleen Smith (Islip Terrace, N.Y./East Islip (Hofstra))'s RBI double to score Booth from second. Lynch took off for home on a groundball by Isgro and beat the throw to build the lead to 6-2.
 
Kutztown then notched three straight singles including RBI hits from Knipe and Danielle Sienko (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter) to give KU a 9-2 lead and put the game-ending run on second base. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch, Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) hit a deep sacrifice fly to right field to score Danielle Miller (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) and end the game.
 
Knipe and Kurtz each went 2-for-3 in the nightcap. On the mound, Mary Kociencki (Columbia, N.J./Sparta ) made her second start since missing a week to injury and picked up the win. She allowed four hits and struck out five batters, including striking out the side in the third, with no walks.
 
Kutztown returns to action on Tuesday, April 16 to face Dominican College at North Campus Field for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 2:30 p.m.