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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Sophomore pitcher Dominique Ficara (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional (Hofstra)) threw back-to-back shutouts and allowed seven combined hits in a doubleheader sweep over Felician College Monday afternoon at North Campus Field. Kutztown won the opener 2-0, and the nightcap 11-0 in a shortened five-inning affair.
 
Ficara picked up both victories in helping the Golden Bears (16-16) fight their way back to .500.  She did not strike out an overwhelming amount (five), but forced groundballs and trusted the defense behind her to limit the total offense of the Golden Falcons (11-21).
 
GAME ONE
 
Ficara and Felician pitcher Kristen Tenwolde battled through the opening five innings. They combined to allow two hits through the opening five scoreless frames.
 
Tenwolde began to show some wear to start the bottom of the sixth inning as she walked the first two batters. Junior Colleen Smith (Islip Terrace, N.Y./East Islip (Hofstra)), this week's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Athlete of the Week, hit a bullet to right field to load the bases with no outs.
 
Senior Nicole Henninger (Reading, PA./Muhlenberg) came to the plate looking to get a ball to the outfield to score Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) from third base. On a fly ball to right field, Felician's right fielder dropped the ball on a sacrifice to score Booth from third and Katie Lynch (Willow Street, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg) from second to give Kutztown the 2-0 advantage.
 
Ficara let up one of Felician's three hits in the seventh inning, but never let the runner reach scoring position as she led KU to its game one victory.
 
Smith had both of Kutztown's hits with a 2-for-3 performance. Ficara allowed three hits and struck out two batters with no walks.
 
GAME TWO
 
Kutztown gave Ficara much more run support in the nightcap with 10 combined runs in the first two innings.
 
With the bases loaded and one out in the first, Henninger drove in two runs with a double to right field. Maria Isgro (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) followed Henninger with an RBI single to give KU a 3-0 lead.
 
With the bases loaded after Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) singled to center field, Henninger scored from third on a failed pickoff attempt by the Felician catcher.  Jessica Kurtz (Pottstown, PA/Pottsgrove) also drove in a run in the inning with an RBI single up the middle to score Isgro from second.
 
The first two batters of the second inning were hit by a pitch for Kutztown. Smith notched an RBI single to give KU a 4-0 lead. With the bases loaded, Knipe, Kurtz, and Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) all tallied RBI in the next three at-bats to extend the lead to 7-0. Knipe scored KU's fifth run of the inning off a wild pitch.
 
Rachel Lawes (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) closed out the scoring with a pinch-hit RBI double in the fourth inning to score pinch-runner Stephanie Curry (Winchester, VA/Millbrook) from first base.
 
Kurtz went 2-for-2 at the plate in the nightcap as KU tallied nine hits. In the shortened game, Ficara allowed four hits while striking out three with no walks allowed.
 
The Golden Bears return to action on Wednesday, April 10 when they play Holy Family University at North Campus Field beginning at 2:30 p.m.