Box Score



Kutztown 5, West Chester 1 (HTML Box Score)
 
Photo Gallery | Post-Game Press Conference | Atlantic Super Regional Central
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team scored five runs in the sixth inning of a scoreless opening game of the NCAA Atlantic Super Regional and went on to defeat West Chester University 5-1 on Friday afternoon at North Campus Field.
 
With the win, the Golden Bears (33-21) stretched their season-best winning streak to 10 games and need to win one of two games on Saturday, May 18 to earn their second straight trip to the NCAA National Championships. Game time on Saturday is set for 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (if necessary).
 
Entering the sixth inning of a scoreless game, Kutztown loaded the bases as Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) dropped a bunt single and West Chester hit two batters with one out. Junior Colleen Smith (Islip Terrace, N.Y./East Islip (Hofstra)) gave Kutztown a 2-0 lead with a two-run single to right center field to score Booth and Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township).
 
Later that inning and with two outs, senior Nicole Henninger (Reading, PA./Muhlenberg) drove a three-run home run deep to left field to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
West Chester scored its only run of the game in the final inning thanks to the dominant performance of Kutztown sophomore pitcher Dominique Ficara (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional (Hofstra)). Dating back through last weekend's regional games at Shippensburg, Ficara tossed 22 shutout innings over three games and has only allowed two runs in the NCAA tournament. On Friday, she scattered nine hits in her team-leading 17th win this season and only needed 74 pitches to do it.
 
Booth, Henninger, and Smith each had multi-hit games for the Golden Bears as Booth has notched two hits in three of Kutztown's five NCAA tournament games. The trio combined for six of KU's eight hits.
 
Despite not recording a hit on Friday, senior Brianna Knipe (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) reached base three times with three walks.
 
For West Chester, three players had multi-hit games led by Jessica Norris, who drove in West Chester's lone run in the seventh inning. Pitcher Devon Utterback threw 131 pitches as her four walks and four hit batters gave the Golden Bears the opportunity they needed to take the lead.
 
Utterback notched four strikeouts in the setback and became West Chester's all-time strikeout leader with 367.
 
Kutztown has taken five of six games from West Chester this season.