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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team punched its ticket to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs with its Senior Day doubleheader split with East Stroudsburg University on Saturday afternoon at North Campus Field.  The Golden Bears took the opener 9-1 in five innings, before falling in game two, 4-1. 

Kutztown has now qualified for the PSAC Championships in 12 of the past 13 seasons.

KU (25-11, 8-4 PSAC) found itself down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning in the opener.  The Golden Bears got on the board with two runs in the second, loading the bases and getting a Rachel Lawes (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) RBI on a hit-by-pitch, followed by Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) driving in a run with an infield groundball.  ESU went home on the play, but Blayse Cholish (Peckville, Pa./Valley View) beat the throw and slid in safe to give Kutztown a 2-1 lead.

The Golden Bears went on to add two more runs in the third one in the fourth and four in the fifth to walk off 9-1 winners after five.

KU starter Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) threw a complete-game, allowing just two hits and one earned run with six strikeouts. 

The Golden Bears started off fast in game two, getting a Danielle Sienko (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter) hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to score Keeny to make it 1-0 after one.  East Stroudsburg responded with a home run to right center by Danielle Dungee in the bottom of the second to tie it, 1-1. The Warriors jumped ahead for good with a three-run shot by Haley Thomas in the top of the fourth that held just inside the right field foul pole to give ESU a 4-1 lead. 

ESU's Allison Mende didn't allow a hit over the final five innings in her complete-game victory.  Mende allowed two hits and one earned run with one strikeout.

Lawes performed well on Senior Day, finishing the afternoon a combined 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.  Keeny went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases in the opening game and added a run scored in game two.  Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in game one.

Lawes, Sienko and Krista Schauder (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown Area) were all honored before the game.  The three graduating seniors were joined in the pregame ceremony by their parents.  Sienko contributed an RBI in game two.

The Golden Bears return to the diamond with a non-conference doubleheader at Nyack College on Tuesday, April 19 at 2:30 p.m.  KU resumes PSAC play with a road doubleheader against Millersville University on Friday, April 22 at 2:30 p.m.