HTML Box Scores: KU-WSU | KU-MSMU
 
CLERMONT, Flor. – The Kutztown University softball team overcame a 3-1 loss in Wednesday's opener against Wayne State, with a 3-1 win over Minnesota State Mankato in extra innings in the nightcap to wrap up the fourth day of competition in Florida.
 
The Golden Bears (9-3), who received votes in the latest national poll, allowed runs in three of the final four innings against Wayne State (8-2). Danielle Sienko tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field, but it was the lone run of the game for Kutztown.
 
Wayne State singled-in runs in the fifth and sixth innings to cap its 3-1 win.
 
Pitcher Dominique Ficara suffered her first loss of the year. She threw her fourth complete game in five starts in 2015, and notched three strikeouts with no walks. It is only the fifth time in her career she has allowed 11 or more hits in a game.
 
Wayne State pitcher Kelcie Bormann won her fifth game of the year and notched seven strikeouts.
 
Kutztown had its back against the wall in the second game against Minnesota State Mankato (9-8). It took until two outs in the sixth inning for the first run to cross the plate, as a Mankato double scored the runner from second for a 1-0 lead. In the same situation, KU was down to its final out in the final inning with the game-tying run on second base. Junior Rachel Lawes drove a single to center field to score Justine Rossi from second and tie the game.
 
Pitcher Savannah Nierintz continued her hot start to the season. She sat down the side in order in the seventh, giving Kutztown momentum heading into the eighth. With a runner on second to start the inning, Blayse Cholish singled Sam Fraser over to third. Following a failed double steal attempt in which Fraser got thrown out at third, pinch-hitter Danielle Amato stepped up and hit the go-ahead RBI double to score Cholish from second and give KU a 2-1 lead.
 
Two batters later, Colleen Smith drove in Asja Saito, who pinch-ran for Amato, for Kutztown's insurance run and a 3-1 lead. Nierintz sat the down side in order once again in the eighth to secure the win.
 
In eight innings, Nierintz struck out a career-high 11 batters with one walk and five allowed hits. She moves to 6-0 on the year.
 
Kutztown returns to action in Florida on Thursday, March 12 to face Slippery Rock University at 7 p.m.