Box Score 1 | Box Score 2



Charleston 8, Kutztown 0 (6 inn.) (HTML Box Score)
 
Fairmont State 7, Kutztown 2 (HTML Box Score)
 
SALEM, Va. – The Kutztown University softball team dropped a pair of games on Saturday on the second day of the three-day Salem Invitational at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex. Now 0-4 on the weekend, the Golden Bears lost 8-0 to the University of Charleston in six innings in the first game and 7-2 to Fairmont State in the second game.
 
Now at 3-10 on the season, Kutztown will look to salvage the weekend and reverse its momentum in a 9 a.m. game tomorrow, Sunday March 16, against Shepherd University.
 
The game can be heard on the Golden Bear Network.
 
Charleston 8, Kutztown 0 (six innings)
 
The Golden Bears were shutout for the fifth time this season and lost their third game via the eight-run rule, as they fell 8-0 to the University of Charleston. The Golden Eagles (12-5) scored a run in each of the first three innings, but they had only two hits in the process. Both walks and untimely defense hurt KU in those innings.
 
Charleston scored in the first inning with a two-run rally, drawing two walks before Katelyn Hamilton hit an RBI single. UC scored again in the second inning, this time after a lead-off walk and sacrifice bunt put a runner at second, only for Kutztown to allow the run to score unearned after a throwing error from third base. Finally, in the third inning, Samantha Herndon led off with a single, but advanced to second on a fielding error in left field. The next two batters flew out to left, allowing Herndon to advance to third and home in the respective plays. Charleston built the lead to 3-0 through three innings.
 
Unfortunately, the Golden Bears never figured out UC starting pitcher Morgan Aguirre. She threw a three-hit shutout while striking out eight batters in the six innings. Senior outfielder Jackie Hetzler (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) led off the game with a single. After that, no Golden Bear got on base besides freshman third baseman Marka Ballard (Redwood City, CA/Mercy Burlingame), who went 2-for-2 with two singles. Ballard now has at least one hit in all 11 of her starts this season.
 
The Golden Eagles blew the game wide open in the fifth inning with a four-run frame. After just three hits on KU junior starting pitcher Dominique Ficara (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional (Hofstra)) through four innings, Charleston smacked six hits in the frame. This included a two-run homer from Herndon and an RBI double from Nicole Weaver. With the score now 7-0, UC fell into position to win via the eight-run rule. The Golden Eagles did so with an RBI double by Herndon to win 8-0 in the sixth inning.
 
Herndon finished 3-for-3 in the game with three RBI, as she finished a triple away from the cycle.
 
Fairmont State 7, Kutztown 2
 
Once again, the Golden Bears were done-in by untimely defense and a huge inning. This time, it was Fairmont State taking advantage in the 7-2 win. The Fighting Falcons (7-4) stormed out to a multi-run lead early, thanks to a two-run single by Carly Mundie in the first inning. Freshman starting pitcher Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) kept things in check at 2-0 for the following two innings, including when Fairmont State loaded the bases in the third inning with a trio of singles.
 
However, Fighting Falcons starter Kayla Robins shut down Kutztown through three innings. Senior outfielder Morgan Booth (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) provided the lone hit in that time. By the time Kutztown heard its first true shout on offense, Fairmont State blew the game wide open.
 
That came with a five-run fourth inning, marking the most runs allowed by Kutztown in a single inning this season. KU used three pitchers in the 10-batter frame, and the Fighting Falcons slugged four extra-base hits and reached on two Golden Bear errors before the inning came to an end. Courtney Lacobacci hit a two-run homer off Nierintz. Ericka Aversa and Sissy Stubbs hit RBI doubles off junior Mary Kociencki (Columbia, N.J./Sparta ). Fellow junior Dominique Ficara (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional (Hofstra)) came in to end the rally, with the score then at 7-0. Ficara finished the game for KU, allowing one hit and one walk in 3.2 scoreless innings.
 
Kutztown tried to rally, as the Golden Bears finally started to get hard hits off Robins. Senior Colleen Smith (Islip Terrace, NY/East Islip (Hofstra)) hit a pair of solo home runs, ending a 12-game homerless streak to start the year after she belted 14 in 2013. Smith hit her first in the fourth inning. However, the score stayed 7-1 despite the following two batters reaching. With Ficara forced into the seventh slot in the lineup when replacing Kociencki in the circle, the Golden Bears opted for the pitcher to bat with two-out and two-on so she could stay in the game. Despite good swinging at the plate, Ficara was bested by her fellow pitcher with a strikeout. Smith later smashed her second of the game in the sixth inning, making the score 7-2. The towering blast, which soared more than 250 feet, was the last hit for KU.
 
Ashley Knight finished the game for Fairmount State with a three-up, three-down seventh inning. KU falls to 0-9 this season when scoring two runs or fewer.