KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team dropped two, 5-1 games to 13th-ranked West Chester University at North Campus Field on Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (47-5, 14-2 PSAC East) clinched the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division title with its game-one win and the top seed in the East for next week's PSAC Tournament in Quakertown, Pa.
Kutztown (27-13, 8-6) has already clinched a spot in the playoffs, but will need to sweep Millersville University (26-16, 9-5) on Sunday, April 24 to seal the No. 2 seed in the East. KU and Millersville split earlier this season.
West Chester's Alyssa Herion broke the game open in the first game with a grand slam off KU starter
Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby). The teams traded runs in the seventh as the Golden Bears brought the game-tying run to the plate with two outs, but could not muster a comeback.
Nierintz (14-9) struck out 10 batters in the setback and allowed four hits on 144 pitches. She moved into 11th all-time at KU with 223 career strikeouts. West Chester starter Brooke Harner (19-1) needed nearly half those pitches with 79 in her eight hit, no earned-run performance.
KU freshman leadoff hitter
Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) went 2-for-4 in the opener and 2-for-3 in the nightcap for a 4-for-7 afternoon and her team-leading 20th and 21st multi-hit games of the year.
Cat Hammer gave West Chester a 1-0 lead with a home run in the second, but KU came back to tie it in the fifth with a two-out RBI single up the middle by freshman
Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy). KU put two runners in scoring position with a chance to take the lead, but was unable to tack on any more damage.
The Golden Rams broke through late once again with a four-hit, four-run seventh inning to take a 5-1 lead - a lead it held onto for the final three outs.
Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) took the loss to move to 6-2 in the circle, while West Chester's Amanda Houck improved to 16-3 with the win.
Action on Sunday at Millersville begins at 1 p.m.
