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MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – Sophomore pitcher Dominique Ficara (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional (Hofstra)) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and led the Kutztown University softball team to a 3-0 game one victory over Millersville University Friday afternoon. Kutztown nearly overcame a six-run deficit and scored the final five runs of game two but dropped an 8-7 decision in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action.
 
The Golden Bears (12-16, 2-4 PSAC) gave Ficara three runs of support heading into the seventh. The sophomore retired the Marauders' (22-8, 2-2 PSAC) leadoff hitter, then allowed her first hit of the game off a single to the second batter. Ficara allowed two total hits in the inning, but recorded the complete game shutout with a game-ending groundout.
 
In seven innings, Ficara walked just one batter while striking out one for her sixth win of the season.
 
Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) gave Kutztown a 1-0 lead in the fifth with a sacrifice groundout to score Jessica Kurtz (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove). Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) hit an RBI single in the sixth to extend the lead to 2-0, and Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) scored on a fielder's choice to give KU a 3-0 advantage.
 
Lynch and Nicole Henninger (Reading, PA./Muhlenberg) each had two hits for the Golden Bears and accounted for four of the six team hits in the opener.
 
In game two, Millersville jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the first inning, two of which came on groundouts. Kutztown cut the lead to 3-2 with RBI hits from Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) and Henninger in the second and third innings, respectively.
 
The Marauders took a six-run advantage (8-2) after five innings, but Kutztown was determined to fight to the final out.
 
Krista Schauder (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) opened the sixth with a double as Kurtz followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Booth drove in a run with an RBI double and Lynch hit an RBI groundout to bring the game to 8-4 after six.
 
Kurtz drove in Kutztown's fifth run with a single to score Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) in the seventh inning as KU was down to its final out trailing 8-5. Booth and Lynch hit back-to-back RBI singles to draw the Golden Bears within one at 8-7. Colleen Smith (Islip Terrace, N.Y./East Islip (Hofstra)) worked a to load the bases for Danielle Sienko (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter), who went down swinging to end the game.
 
Booth, Lynch, Isgro, and Kurtz all had multi-hit games for the Golden Bears, who tallied 12 hits in the setback. Ficara was tagged with the loss by pitching the first four innings, as Schauder allowed just one run in the final two.
 
The Golden Bears return to action on Saturday, April 6 for their home opener against East Stroudsburg University at North Campus Field with first pitch set for 1p.m.