MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team defeated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division opponent Millersville University in a doubleheader sweep by 8-4 and 11-2 decisions Saturday afternoon at Seaber Stadium.
 
Kutztown (21-8, 6-0 PSAC) began its campaign early in the first inning of game one, when Sara Keeny (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) stole third base, immediately taking home after a Millersville error and giving the Golden Bears a 1-0 lead. The Maroon and Gold's defense continued to keep the Marauders scoreless for 3.5 innings.
 
Cheyenne Jones (Levittown, Pa./Harry S Truman (Northwest Florida State)), KU's first at-bat of the fourth, opened the inning with an impressive leadoff home run to right field, extending the team's lead to 2-0 in the top half.
 
Kutztown's early lead was erased in the bottom of the fourth, as Millersville hit a two-run single to cap the inning neck-and-neck with the Golden Bears, 2-2.
 
The Golden Bears' performance in the fifth inning allowed them to pull away for the rest of the matchup. In the top half, Tamara Jennings (Philadelphia, Pa./Nazareth Academy) hit an RBI double to center field, sending Keeny to scoring position and Taylor Knappenberger (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) home. KU's next at-bat resulted in a two-run double from Jones, driving Jennings and Keeny home to give Kutztown a three-run advantage, 5-2.
 
Asja Saito (Pickering, Ontario/Pickering) and Keeny both added back-to-back runs for the Golden Bears in the top of the sixth, before Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) capped the matchup with an RBI single to send Amanda Portoff (Milford, Conn./Joseph A. Foran) home.
 
Despite surrendering two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Maroon and Gold's remarkable three-run fifth inning ensured a game-one victory.
 
Savannah Nierintz (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby) extended her record in the circle to 15-1 Saturday, as she allowed four runs off of eight hits. She struck out six batters, while also allowing three to walk.
 
Kutztown continued its winning ways heading into the nightcap. Seven runs jammed into the first two innings of play set an early, dominating lead in a six-inning game against the Marauders.
 
KU jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, sparked by Gabby Tareila (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford)'s RBI single to right field, sending Jennings home and Jones to scoring position. Saito's RBI double to center field allowed Portoff and Jones to take home, before Knappenberger allowed Gia Santigate (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by-the-Sea) to notch her first run on the afternoon.
 
Tareila, KU's leading hitter with a .456 batting average, sparked action for the Maroon and Gold in the second inning, hitting a three-run homer to right field, allowing her, Keeny, and Jennings to take home and extend Kutztown's lead over Millersville to 7-0.
 
Millersville got on the board in the bottom of the third, hitting an RBI triple before scoring on a wild pitch and making the score 7-2.
 
KU returned after a scoreless fourth inning to add two additional runs to its strong lead over the Marauders. Knappenberger closed the top half of the fifth with a two-run double to right field, driving Saito and Tareila home for another seven-run lead, 9-2.
 
Jones capped Kutztown's scoring on the day with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to set the final score of the afternoon.
 
Newman started in the circle and extended her record to 3-4 on the season, pitching two innings and allowing three hits and two runs. She walked and struck out one batter. Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) came on in relief, allowing one hit and one walk in her four innings.
 
Keeny led the Maroon and Gold's Saturday performance, posting a total of five runs, four hits and one RBI. Jennings and Jones posted three runs on the day, respectively.
 
The Marauders (17-16, 2-4 PSAC) were led by Heather Lutz and Rayann Buskey, who both notched a run in each game of the doubleheader.
 
The Golden Bears return home this Tuesday, April 11, to host University of the Sciences in a doubleheader at North Campus Field. Game one is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.