MYRTLE BEACH –Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) and Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) combined to throw 12 innings of one-run ball as the Kutztown University softball team extended its winning streak to four games with victories over Slippery Rock (12-0) and Wilmington (3-1) on the first day of the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament on Friday.
 
In the opener, Slippery Rock's lone hit of the afternoon came with one out in the second inning after a KU error, as a double gave the Rock runners on second and third with one away. Nierintz got out of her lone jam of the game with a fly out to right before ending the frame with a strikeout.
 
Only one Slippery Rock runner reached scoring position the remainder of the afternoon as Nierintz (2-1) provided her second and third 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth to end the shortened game with her second shutout of the season in just her third start. In addition to surrendering just the one hit, she walked just one batter and struck out four.
 
Kutztown (5-2) carried the momentum of getting out of the threat in the top of the second inning by sending 11 hitters to the plate and scoring five runs in the bottom half. After back-to-back-to-back singles by Gabby Tareila (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford), Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) and Marissa Linquist (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) to open the inning, Asja Saito (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering) followed a lineout by opening the scoring with a 2-RBI single to center field. Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) added a 2-RBI triple with two outs two batters later before Tareila provided the final run by working a base on balls.  
 
KU scored three more runs in the third inning with RBI singles by Saito and Blayse Cholish (Peckville, Pa./Valley View) and a sacrifice fly by Angie Carty (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area). Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) then singled home the Golden Bears' ninth run in the fourth before Gia Santigate (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by-the-Sea) provided the final RBI of the afternoon.
 
Tareila and Saito both ended the opener 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Saito drove in three runs, while Tareila added a walk.
 
Linquist scored three times and walked once, while Knappenberger scored twice.
 
In the nightcap, Wilmington wasted little time ending Kutztown's scoreless day as the leadoff hitter singled, advanced to second on an error, stole third and then scored during the next at-bat.
 
The damage looked like it was going to be much worse when the three-hole batter doubled and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, but miraculously Dilal got out of the bases-loaded threat with a strikeout and 5-2-3 double-play.
 
After KU also stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, and Dilal worked around runners reaching scoring position in both the second and third innings, the Maroon and Gold took advantage of three Wilmington errors in the bottom half of the third to score the only three runs it would need.
 
After the opening out was made, the first error brought Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) to the plate, and she roped a single up the middle to give Kutztown runners on first and second. Following a pop out for the second out, Jennings and Saito executed a double-steal to set the stage for Jacqueline Walsh (Downingtown, Pa./Coatesville), who delivered the eventual game-winner with a clutch two-RBI single to left field. Walsh moved up to third on a throwing error during the play, which proved to be crucial when she scored on an error in the next at-bat.

No runner would reach scoring position against Dilal until an infield single with two outs in the top of the seventh gave Wilmington runners on first and second, but the freshman put an end to Kutztown's second consecutive impressive pitching performance with a ground out.
 
The freshman improved to 2-1 on the year with her first-career seven inning complete game. She worked around seven hits and two hit batters in the seven frames, while only walking one and strikeout out four.
 
Jennings was lone Golden Bear with multiple hits in the nightcap as she finished 3-for-3 with a double and run scored.
 
Kutztown continues play in the Snowbird Freeze Out Tournament tomorrow with two more games against Concord at 10 a.m. and Southern New Hampshire at 12 p.m.