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CHARLESTON, W. Va. – It's a different hero every night for the Kutztown University softball team.
 
After dropping their opening game to University of Charleston, 3-1 Friday at the UC Softball Field, the Golden Bears (33-16) found themselves in an elimination-game against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rival West Chester (48-9), with the loser making the long trip back to Pa.
 
Freshman pitcher Jackie Morell (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) rose to the occasion.
 
Making her first career postseason start and just fifth start of the season, Morell twirled seven innings of two-run ball to help KU win 5-2 and advance to the final day of the Atlantic Regionals with a rematch against Charleston on Saturday, May 6 at noon.

Kutztown will have to beat Charleston twice on Saturday to move onto the Atlantic Super Regionals, May 11-12.  If KU takes game one, the two teams will follow with the final elimination-game at 2:30 p.m. 
 
It looked like West Chester would strike first, but Rachel Lawes (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) gunned down a runner at the plate to keep the game scoreless heading into the third.
 
Kutztown added to its momentum, getting on the board in the top of the third when Danielle Amato (Henderson, Nev./Coronado) slapped an outside 0-2 pitch to right field to drive in Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Golden Bears extented their lead in the top of the fifth, when Danielle Sienko (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter) hit a two-run shot to left field to put KU ahead 3-0.
 
Kutztown added an insurance run in the sixth, with Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) scoring on an error before West Chester responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 4-2.
 
KU added another run in the top of the seventh on an RBI-single by Newman and Morell finished off what she started, retiring the side in order in the seventh to seal the KU victory.
 
It was the first postseason win for a Kutztown freshman since Mary Kociencki (Columbia, N.J./Sparta ) achieved the feat in a 2012 Super Regional win against West Virginia Wesleyan.
 
Kutztown improved to 6-0 all-time against West Chester in NCAA Tournament play.  The two regional wins avenge the regular season-series that saw WCU sweep KU, 4-0. 
 
Kutztown responded with the win after dropping its opening game of the day, 3-1, to host Charleston.  Newman threw five innings, allowing one earned run off three hits and one strikeout.  Morell, who made her first career playoff appearance, finished the opener with two shutout innings.  Amato hit a solo shot for her team-leading seventh home run of the season for the only KU run.
 
Jennings led the way for the Golden Bears on Friday, finishing the day a combined 4-for-6 with two runs scored.  She is batting a team-leading 6-for-11 (.545) during the tournament.  Amato went 3-for-7 Friday with two RBIs and a run scored.  Sienko finished game two 1-for-3 with the two-run homer and two runs scored. 

Newman set the KU and PSAC record for hit-by-pitches in a single-season with 20 and tied the KU and PSAC career hit-by-pitch mark with 34. She also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored in the victory over West Chester.     

The Golden Bears are 4-3 against Charleston since the 2008 season.