LYNDHURST, N.J. – The Kutztown University softball team scored the final three runs of a doubleheader with Felician to break a 3-3 tie late in game two to secure a doubleheader sweep over the Golden Flacons for its sixth and seventh straight wins on Sunday afternoon.
 
After working a scoreless inning of relief in the bottom of the fourth of game two to keep the score tied at 3-3, it was Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) coming through with her bat in the top of the fifth for what turned out to be the game-winner. Gabby Tareila (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford) and Gia Santigate (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by-the-Sea) kept the frame alive with back-to-back two-out singles to bring Dilal to the plate, where she would send the second pitch she saw down the right field line to drive in two and regain the lead.
 
Coming back out to the mound in the bottom half of the inning, Dilal was forced to work to hold onto the lead. A hit batter and double with one out gave Felician runners on second and third with one out, but the freshman bared down to get the final two outs on a popup and groundout.
 
As she had done all afternoon, Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) played a major role in helping KU (15-8) extend its lead to 6-3 in the sixth. Following back-to-back groundouts to begin the inning, Keeny drew a walk and stole second. Pinch-hitter Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)) then stepped up with a big two-out RBI single to bring Keeny home for insurance.
 
Felician (13-14) continued to apply pressure in the bottom of the sixth with two singles giving the Golden Falcons runners on first and second with one away. This forced Kutztown to make a call to the bullpen to bring out Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby), who earned a 5-0 shutout victory in game one.
 
The senior quickly put an end to the threat with two consecutive outs, and she would work a 1-2-3 seventh to secure a KU victory with her second save of the season and fifth of her career, tied for the second most in program history.
 
Dilal earned the win, improving to an even 3-3 with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.
 
It was Keeny who led the offense by going 1-for-2 with three runs and two walks. She wreaked havoc on the base paths all day with three stolen bases.
 
Angie Carty (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton Area) also finished 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, while Tareila, Santigate and Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) all went 2-for-4.
 
Kutztown carried the momentum of scoring two in the seventh inning of game one right into the nightcap as Keeny led off with a walk and stole second. She came around to score after Carty laid down a bunt singled that forced a throwing error.
 
Carty then followed Keeny's lead by stealing second herself, and after a Jennings single, the two executed a double steal to quickly double KU's lead with zero outs.
 
After two hits at the plate in game one, Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) started game two on the mound and was an error away from sitting down the first six batters she faced.
 
Still with a 2-0 lead entering the third, again it was Keeny wreaking havoc on the base paths as she forced another throwing error that led to a run. Once more, she led off with an infield single and was sacrificed to second by Carty. This time the throwing error came when Keeny stole third, and she came into score the game's third run.
 
This proved important when Felician scored three runs in the bottom half, all with two outs. Dilil entered the game with two runners on, and despite giving up an RBI double to the first batter she faced, she bared down to record the final out on a pop up to preserve the tie.
 
In the opener, Nierintz was able to improve to 12-1 with her fourth shutout despite a runner reaching in each inning. However, none of those runners advanced past second base as she worked around four walks, three hits and two errors. She gave up just three hits and struck out five.
 
 Tareila's two-run home run with two outs in the first inning turned out to be all Nierintz would need. The cleanup hitter came to the plate in the first inning thanks to Carty drawing a walk with one out.
 
Kutztown had runners reach scoring position in the second, third and fourth but were unable to add insurance until the fifth when Keeny led off with a bunt single, stole second and moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt by Carty. Jennings then made the score 3-0 with a single up the middle.
 
In the seventh it was Carty leading off with a single and advancing to scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Jennings. Tareila drew a walk, and despite the second out being recorded, Newman came through with a two-out single to drive in the final two runs of game one.
 
That was Newman's second hit of the opener. Jennings also had two hits, while Carty and Tareila each scored twice, recorded a hit and walked.
 
KU returns to the road on Wednesday, April 5, looking to keep its win streak intact with a doubleheader at Chestnut Hill beginning at 2:30 p.m.